| A Common Dilemma | | | | books on sales, interpersonal communication, |
| In a discussion about sales strategy and training | | | | negotiation, persuasion theory, and management |
| with a large, national company executive last | | | | finally led to the insight that process alone just |
| week, I learned that they are struggling with a | | | | wasn't enough to be REALLY successful. |
| VERY difficult decision - They are trying to decide | | | | One book, in particular, provided wonderful insight |
| which direction to go with their sales training, and | | | | into sales, negotiation, and interpersonal |
| consequently, with their sales and sales | | | | relationships: Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and |
| management strategy. | | | | William Ury. The central theme of the book is |
| Do they make the commitment to go with a | | | | "Principled Negotiation." Fisher and Ury defined |
| sales strategy and related training that focuses on | | | | negotiation as (paraphrased) as, "... a back and |
| implementing a highly-structured process? Or do | | | | forth communication process designed to produce |
| with they go the "other direction" and go with a | | | | agreements between two or more people who |
| sales training and implementation methodology | | | | have some interests that are shared, and others |
| that focuses primarily on "relationship skills?" | | | | that are opposed." They pointed out further that |
| (People) | | | | we negotiate all of the time, that negotiation, in |
| He said, "We're looking for the next great sales | | | | fact, is the most common form of interpersonal |
| idea. We've spoken with all of the big-name sales | | | | communication. They point out that "Principled |
| training organizations out there, and those | | | | Negotiation" is a "win-win" negotiation that is "Hard |
| discussions have led to a major debate as we try | | | | on the problem, and soft on the people." They |
| to make our selection: | | | | taught that successful negotiators move |
| One group makes a VERY persuasive argument | | | | negotiation away from being a competitive, |
| for implementing a very structured selling process | | | | win-lose proposition to a collaborative, |
| that leads to strategic account development, | | | | problem-solving process that resolves issues while |
| along with the implementation of a strong system | | | | preserving relationships. |
| of performance controls and measurements. | | | | This incredible book on negotiation finally |
| The other camp makes an equally persuasive | | | | crystallized my thinking about what the profession |
| argument for teaching our people all about | | | | of sales was really all about. It is a process |
| establishing, building, and leveraging relationships. | | | | designed to produce agreements between selling |
| Frankly, we're stuck at a crossroads - Which way | | | | and buying entities. I began to feel that |
| do we go? This is a HUGE decision, because the | | | | salespeople are really "corporate diplomats." Our |
| choice we make here will require a major | | | | job is to find ways for selling organizations to help |
| commitment of time, money, and resources; and | | | | purchasing organizations solve problems. And, |
| we just can't afford to make a mistake. | | | | mastery of the process, along with mastery of |
| Which of these organizations is right? And are | | | | communication and listening learning create real |
| these really the only options we have? Aren't | | | | success in professional selling. |
| there any new GREAT SALES IDEAS out there? | | | | At this point I became very interested in learning |
| What are your thoughts?" | | | | about how people communicate, how to |
| The Youthful "Right" Answer | | | | understand other people, and how to become a |
| Over the past twenty-five years, as a | | | | problem-solving partner with my clients - and by |
| business-to-business sales professional, senior | | | | extension with the salespeople that worked for |
| manager, trainer and performance coach, I've | | | | me, and with the staff of non-selling departments |
| been involved in this "great debate" more times | | | | in the organizations with which I worked. |
| than I can remember - On both sides of the | | | | The "Essential Books and Courses" I added to my |
| decision - Buyer and seller. | | | | educational experience included some terrific |
| When I was a young, full of fire sales manager | | | | books and classes: Communicating for Results, by |
| that knew everything there was to know about | | | | Charyl Hamilton (THE college text on interpersonal |
| sales and sales management, I had a VERY | | | | communication), Xerox's "Cause for Listening" an |
| strong opinion about this issue. (Why is it that | | | | incredible book and workshop on business |
| when we're young, we know EVERYTHING; and | | | | communication; Wilson Learning's "Counselor |
| as we get older we "KNOW" less and less?) | | | | Selling" (Which was THE definitive work on |
| Process | | | | consultative selling); and then IBM's |
| During my first several years in sales and sales | | | | Solution-Oriented Selling (the best approach to |
| management, I was absolutely convinced that | | | | business-to-business selling I'd ever learned); and |
| PROCESS was the answer. If you mastered the | | | | ultimately SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham. |
| process, then you WOULD be successful in sales. | | | | Of these, Communicating for Results (Book), |
| I remember, with chagrin, one conversation I had | | | | Counselor Selling, and SPIN Selling are all available |
| with a senior executive in my firm that was | | | | and still being taught. I recommend all three for |
| trying to give me some coaching about my | | | | anyone who wants to master the art and science |
| approach. She said, "You know Jim, you've had | | | | of selling. |
| some turnover in your sales team, and your | | | | And finally, probably THE most important |
| capture rate (your closing rate) is lower than it | | | | education I've ever acquired is the study of |
| could be if you softened your approach a bit, and | | | | PERSONALITY STYLES. I've received my |
| paid a little more attention to people's feelings, and | | | | certification in DISC, the four quadrant behavioral |
| could be a bit more patient with people who aren't | | | | model based on the work of William Moulton |
| as fast-paced as you. You are pretty direct and | | | | Marston, several workshops on the Myers-Briggs |
| hard-core, and your force of personality | | | | Type Indicator, and a "Masters Certification" in |
| sometimes blows people away." | | | | Professional Dynametric Programs, Inc.'s various |
| My arrogant response was, "You know Jane, I'm | | | | psychometric assessment tools. |
| the top-producing salesperson in the organization, | | | | What I've come to understand is that we're all |
| and my team is the top-producing team in the | | | | born with different ways of understanding the |
| company. We out-produce every other team by | | | | world, of processing information, of making |
| at least 40%. If everyone else could learn the | | | | decisions, and different ways of communicating |
| process as well as I have, and if they could pick | | | | with others. In other words, with different |
| up their pace to match mine, then maybe they | | | | personality styles. And that we are "hard-wired" |
| could come a little closer to our performance. And | | | | at birth with our personality styles, which means |
| you know, I just don't have time to waste on the | | | | that there are no "good" personality styles; there |
| feeling stuff - I have sales to make. And, even | | | | are no "bad" personality styles; there are just |
| though my closing rate is lower, percentage-wise, | | | | DIFFERENT personality styles. |
| than some others, I have personally | | | | And, if we can learn to suspend our own egos, |
| out-performed every other salesperson in the | | | | and learn to communicate with others in their |
| company by fifty percent. Thanks for the input, | | | | style, we can learn to get along with practically |
| but the process is what it's all about." | | | | anyone. |
| Just a bit defensive and arrogant, huh? Well, my | | | | In studying personality styles for the past twenty |
| excuse is that I was simply following our leader. I | | | | years, I've come to realize that understanding and |
| was trained in the process by a very successful | | | | acceptance comprise the foundation of all |
| salesman/sales trainer, and I learned everything | | | | relationships. If we can understand the other |
| he taught, and committed to doing exactly what | | | | person, and if we can accept that their style of |
| he taught, to the letter. | | | | communication, information processing, and |
| My focus on process was further reinforced by a | | | | decision-making are hard-wired, then we are far |
| GREAT book and training series by Miller Heiman, | | | | better prepared to become "solution-oriented" |
| Strategic Selling. Strategic Selling provided terrific | | | | business partners with our clients; and far more |
| insight into the world of business-to-business | | | | effective, because we will be able to work closely |
| selling; and provided a structured framework for | | | | with our clients to fully define the business |
| high-performance business sales. I had learned a | | | | problems, which leads to the building of the right |
| basic, structured approach, but was a bit | | | | solution. |
| unpolished. | | | | Answering the Question |
| Miller Heiman really captured the business to | | | | So, the answer to the question posed by my |
| business sales process, in its entirety. This | | | | associate, "Which approach is the right way to |
| approach was logical, highly-structured, | | | | go? Do we focus on Process or People?" The |
| measurable, and VERY professional. I must have | | | | answer is BOTH. |
| read the book ten times, and went through three | | | | Salespeople have to know the process. They |
| or four Strategic Selling workshops and/or | | | | have to understand how to develop their |
| lectures. I did my very best to implement | | | | territories. They have to learn how to build an |
| everything they taught, and this approach helped | | | | account development strategy, and how to |
| to "supercharge" my selling and sales | | | | maximize the potential of each account. They |
| management career. When asked to provide a list | | | | have to learn to forecast and measure |
| of "essential works on sales," Strategic Selling has | | | | performance. |
| always been at the top of my list. I | | | | AND, they have to understand how to facilitate |
| highly-recommend the book, and the training to | | | | the communication process - how to lead the |
| everyone who wants to build a successful career | | | | discovery and problem definition discussions. They |
| in business to business sales. GREAT | | | | have to learn how to communicate sometimes |
| INFORMATION. | | | | complex business concepts effectively, and in |
| People | | | | commonly understandable ways to their clients - |
| Mastery of the process helped take me to a | | | | at all different levels of the client organizations, |
| very high level of performance, but I begun to | | | | and of all different personality styles. |
| realize that maybe, just maybe, the executive | | | | So sales is a multi-disciplinary profession. Great |
| who had offered the insightful coaching earlier in | | | | salespeople have a thirst for learning. They must |
| my career was right. Feelings, relationships, and | | | | constantly seek out and participate in new learning |
| patience were a huge part of selling. Sounds really | | | | opportunities. |
| simple, but I was a competitive, hard-charging, | | | | Mastering both the process AND the people skills |
| direct, and very impatient salesperson. Combine | | | | that drive sales success is a difficult, but very |
| that personality style with a healthy dose of | | | | rewarding, ongoing pursuit. For me, it's been an |
| immaturity, and you have a formula for success | | | | endlessly fascinating "road trip". It's a profession |
| in sales, but a somewhat tough, hard core, | | | | that doesn't allow you to ever achieve perfection |
| non-empathetic sales management style. I | | | | - but the pursuit of excellence (Thank you Tom |
| THOUGHT that sales was a profession that | | | | Peters), is a compelling, endlessly interesting |
| required a "thick skin" and a focused, | | | | endeavor. |
| objectives-driven approach. | | | | I'll be writing more articles on the subject, but for |
| Experience and emotional maturity bring insight | | | | now, thanks for reading, and best wishes to you |
| (hopefully). In my case, several thousand sales | | | | as you work on your professional development. |
| calls, and countless management interactions, | | | | Feel free to check out my blog for more. |
| meetings, lectures & workshops, and lots of great | | | | |