| According to IDC's 2010 Customer Experience | | | | huge disadvantage because face-to-face |
| Survey of 213 senior level buyers, most people | | | | persuasion is a skill that gets better the more you |
| are not as effective selling one-on-one as they | | | | do it. However, when one relies on referrals or |
| think they are. This comes in stark contrast to | | | | cold calling as your primary means for getting |
| the perception of most business owners, | | | | meetings, you're just not going to have a lot of |
| consultants and sales professionals who tend to | | | | opportunities. This is, to a certain extent, a game |
| adopt the attitude of "get me in front of a | | | | of numbers, so you need to first fix the process |
| prospect and I'll close the deal." | | | | by which you get opportunities to meet." |
| According to behavioral psychologist John Crandall, | | | | But what about when you're in the meeting, what |
| this overly optimistic assessment of sales skills | | | | can make people more effective in that situation? |
| comes from the fact that for many people, the | | | | Motorola's Contrado has one specific suggestion. |
| only face-to-face selling they engage in is with | | | | "If they talk about case studies and how they |
| friendly prospects who are referred directly to | | | | have helped companies with similar challenges-that |
| them. Crandall explains, "Although referrals are | | | | kind of approach gets my brain going about how |
| terrific, they can give one a false sense of | | | | they can help me." In other words, it's the stories |
| prowess regarding their ability to sell. What I call | | | | you tell. |
| 'friendly referrals' will usually be extremely polite | | | | Dr. Crandall cautions, "Stories, case studies, call |
| and seldom brush off or overtly dismiss the sales | | | | them what you will, are undoubtedly the most |
| presentation from a person who got into their | | | | effective method for getting your prospect to |
| office as a result of relationship with someone | | | | visualize the benefits that a company can provide. |
| they respect and trust." | | | | But again there's a disconnect. Most people think |
| "Thus, the meetings tend to be very pleasant and | | | | they are much more effective raconteurs than |
| the business owner or consultant is left with the | | | | they are in fact. There's a huge difference |
| distinct feeling that a business relationship is likely | | | | between telling a story in a bar to your buddy, |
| to happen. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases | | | | and imperceptibly weaving an effective story into |
| that doesn't occur, although the consultant will hold | | | | a sales presentation." |
| onto the 'positive belief' that a deal is imminent for | | | | "That requires planning, forethought and practice. |
| months or sometimes even years." | | | | Unfortunately very few people seem to be willing |
| According to the IDC survey, 64% of the key | | | | to take the time to actually develop a series of |
| decision makers found sales presentations to be | | | | stories in advance that they can then draw upon |
| extremely ineffective. A chief culprit? According | | | | when they are needed." |
| to Eduardo Conrado, SVP & CMO, enterprise | | | | Mark Wilson, VP at Sybase Inc. concurs, "The |
| mobility solutions at Motorola Inc., "Doing a straight | | | | most effective sales presentations are those in |
| product pitch without relating it to the specific | | | | which the person has a number of case studies |
| needs that I have." | | | | and they pick them intelligently for companies that |
| Crandall concurs. "It's amazing to me that although | | | | face the same problems as us." |
| anyone selling for any extended period of time | | | | What struck me about this article, and the |
| knows about advanced preparation, and | | | | comments of Dr. Crandall, was this disconnect |
| communicating benefits rather than facts and | | | | between what we understand intellectually and |
| features, so few people actually do this when | | | | what we do in action. As anyone knows who has |
| they are in a live selling situation. There is a huge | | | | sold anything, the face-to-face selling situation is |
| disconnect between what people intellectually | | | | accompanied with a fair amount of tension. What |
| know they should do, and what they actually are | | | | this means is that unless your case studies and |
| doing." | | | | stories are developed and rehearsed in advance, |
| So what's the solution? What should business | | | | it's most likely that you'll either fail to use them in |
| owners and consultants do differently when they | | | | the meeting, or that what is communicated |
| are in front of a prospect? Dr. Crandall says, "The | | | | doesn't represent your best effort. And that's a |
| reality is that most consultants and entrepreneurs | | | | shame. Especially if you don't get a lot of times at |
| just don't get that many times at bat. That's a | | | | bat. |