| How's YOUR Luck? |
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When I was growing up in Kansas City, my mother would always get nervous if I walked under a ladder, scratched my nose, or dropped a mirror. She would say, "Oops, Renee, now you'll have 7 years of bad luck." Well, the irony is that the number 7 happens to be MY lucky number. You see, I was born on the 7th of December, gained much of my independence at 7 years old, and have always felt that 7 is just the right shape--absolutely perfect...long, lean, and with just the right angle at the top. (Sort of my fantasy if I were a supermodel...unlikely!) So what's so important about the number seven? Well, if you are a gambler, you know all about lucky seven's. Steven Covey says there are "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". There are seven seas and seven wonders of the universe. And of course, there are seven deadly sins (my Aunt Jackie's personal favorite.)And if you are ever worried about asking either not enough questions or too many questions in a sales call, this is your lucky day (see how I wove that concept in here?) Whether you are on the phone or making an in-person sales call, the reality is that qualifying is a necessary part of your process. If you don't ask enough questions, it is likely that your sale will be compromised because you haven't qualified enough. If you ask too many questions, you may be perceived as an interrogator. So, what to do? Stick with success--the "Magic Seven". When using the Magic Seven process, you are prepared to get the answers to seven high value questions. They will vary per industry and maybe even per territory. However, the magic is in "seven". In fact, I discovered this quite by mistake while conducting dozens of sales training sessions with our clients over the last 10 years. Regardless of the industry, level of experience, and product/service offering, there are always just seven questions that make the most sense in every situation. After running the Qualifying exercise with whatever group I was with, seven questions always came up. Each question should begin with the phrase "tell me about". In your industry, for example, your Magic Seven may look like this: "Tell me about your business. "Tell me about the challenges you are going to be facing this year." "Tell me about your goals and how your company is going about reaching them." "Tell me about the team that is going to be focusing on implementing these objectives." "Tell me about your decision making process in selecting new suppliers." "Tell me about the price range for this line of products." You may wonder why each question begins with "Tell me about'. Well, if you want more information, instead of monosyllabic answers, ask these questions and you are far more likely to engage the customer and gain additional information in a shorter timeframe. Also, these days most people are highly distracted. By asking better questions, you are much more likely to have a participating customer. Before you go back to work, finish your Q2 forecast, or watch another one of "The Office" episodes, make a list of YOUR "Magic Seven". Write them down. Start using them beginning tomorrow in your sales calls. Remember to ask the question, than be quiet. See if you are getting more valuable information that helps you secure additional deals. Happy Selling! (c) Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, 678 587-9911 www.salespeak.com |
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