Selling, especially in this post-pandemic space is just as much of a science as it is an art. There’s no surprise that some sellers rise to the top, while others find it increasingly difficult to prospect.
With so many sales tools, prospecting methodologies, and B2B sales strategies to navigate, knowing just what you should be doing to generate higher quality leads that convert to sales can be complicated.
But, mastering how to sell without being pushy or aggressive is exactly the area of expertise that my guest on this episode of the Modern Selling Podcast is known for.
Andy Paul is one of the Top 50 Global Sales Experts and award-winning author of Zero-Time Selling, Amp Up Your Sales, and his recent bestseller, Sell Without Selling Out. His popular and long-running sales podcast, Sales Enablement with Andy Paul, was acquired by Revenue.io in 2020 and continues to inspire thousands of sales professionals every week.
His client list is as long as it is impressive and includes some of the biggest businesses in the world including Square, Philips, and Grubhub – making Andy one of the leading voices in the sales industry today.
Download this entire conversation to get the inside scoop on what sales strategies are really working to get prospects to lean in with interest and actually stay engaged through the entire buying process.
What Are Most B2B Sellers Getting Wrong?
We jumped right into the conversation to identify where and how Andy believes sellers are missing the mark.
His insights were spot on with my own observations.
Andy explains, “The biggest thing that is flawed with so many sales professionals is their mindset. It’s this idea that their job is to persuade somebody to buy their product. When this becomes the sole focus, then we lose the human element of truly understanding the needs, wants, and desires of the prospect.”
That’s why I always say, “Sales is the art of helping.”
It’s our goal as sales professionals to first seek to understand our prospects, so we can determine the right solution for their needs. Otherwise, as Andy asserts, we’re more focused on closing the deal rather than truly helping the customer.
It’s that subtle shift in a seller’s mindset that can make the world of a difference. That means sellers can go from blindly selling, to getting prospects to lean in and want to know more about the solution they have to offer.
If you’ve been struggling on how to make this transition – from selling to helping – listen to this episode and be sure to pay particular attention to the strategies Andy recommends using to make this mindset shift.
In B2B Sales, What Does It Mean to Sell Out?
In Andy’s book, he introduces this idea of “selling out” in sales. I was curious to know what he meant by that and, more importantly, how modern sellers can identify if they’re selling out in the prospecting process.
He provides some invaluable advice, “Selling out starts when you put your interest (as the seller) ahead of the buyer. We often call this ‘commission breath’ because it becomes very clear to the buyer that you’re only there to sell them your product. In this space, their needs become secondary. So many sellers automatically jump straight to their pitch, rather than asking questions to understand what the buyer really needs.”
In my 20+ years of experience in sales, I find that this ‘commission breath’ Andy talks about often comes from how sales professionals are trained.
Here at Vengreso, we follow the PVC Methodology for prospecting and as part of this multi-step process, we teach our sales reps to always lead with thought-provoking questions to get the prospect talking about their needs and goals.
With this structure, our sales reps can quickly identify if and specifically how they can bring value to the prospect. Then the entire sales conversation is shaped around helping them achieve their goals, not just pitching our product.
Join the conversation and hear other ways that Andy differentiates “selling out” from “selling in” and what sales leaders should be doing today to train their teams to build curiosity from the first outreach message.
What’s The Right Way to Engage a Prospect During a Sales Call?
When it comes to the ‘how’ of sales calls, there seem to be dozens of methods out there.
Based on Andy’s extensive research, I wanted to know what he finds works to draw the B2B buyer into the conversation. His answer was something I hadn’t heard of before.
Andy explains that there are four human attributes that we all evolutionarily seek. They are:
- Connection – feeling bonded to someone based on similar interests or desires.
- Curiosity – seeking something that piques our interest or helps to solve a problem.
- Understanding – knowing that our needs and wants are being listened to.
- Generosity – being aware that someone is willing to help us get to the desired outcome.
The goal, according to Andy, is to align these human attributes with how we approach and conduct the sales call. If done right, this will help to build positive sales experiences that make B2B buyers want to buy.
These four attributes were spot on with the types of prospecting questions we teach sales reps to ask in our PVC methodology. In our discussion, Andy outlines six types of questions B2B sellers must ask now if they want to truly engage their buyers and get prospects to lower their guard and lean into the sales conversation.
Make sure to download the full episode and get a pen and paper ready because the sales gems that Andy drops are worth writing down (and implementing) immediately!
