Role Plays…two words that will make even the heartiest and fearless of salespeople get a bit queasy. Let’s face it, no one likes to be put on the spot and critiqued. But I’ve yet to find a better way to really see whether a salesperson “gets it.”
I’ve spent the past two days in Birmingham, Alabama doing role plays with a group of salespeople. I have a lot of experiences doing this; in fact, it’s something I’ve done with salespeople for the past 20+ years. And over that time, I’ve seen some amazing role play performances. And I’ve seen my share of “wtf” moments.
I’d like to share the five most common mistakes that I’ve seen, so you can avoid making them the next time you’re on a sales call with a new prospect.
#1 Too much talking, not enough listening – when you’re meeting with a new prospect, you don’t get to know and understand them if you’re the one doing the talking. I encourage my clients to use the W.A.I.T. acronym and ask themselves, Why Am I Talking? In a first meeting, I recommend that you should only be talking in three situations. Those are to ask a question, to answer a question and to add value.
#2 Not asking the right questions – The right questions make all the difference. Your questions should be ones that go deeper and are more engaging. They should show your prospect that you have some insights and understanding into the nuances of their world. That’s how you uncover the important stuff and establish your credibility.
#3 Not understanding the emotional wants of your prospect – Most salespeople stop at discovering the “needs” of their prospects and never get to the “wants” which are the real emotional drivers. Let’s face it, people buy based on emotions and if you want to build deeper engagement, create more trust and establish a stronger connectivity, you’ll have to understand their underlying “why is this important to you?” The tricky part that stumps most salespeople is how to get there so that the prospect feels comfortable and is willing to share fully and openly.
#4 Not making yourself an invaluable resource – Prospects are looking for someone that can take care of their problems, make them more successful, help them avoid pitfalls, provide advice and resources or help them seize opportunities. In other words, they want someone that can add value. As a salesperson, you’ve can’t just be a relationship-builder, you have to be a value-adding relationship-builder. That’s the way that you are able to set yourself apart and build client loyalty.
#5 Acting like a typical salesperson – No one wants to talk to a salesperson, at least not a typical one. This mistake is a culmination of lots of mistakes rolled into one. These include not setting yourself apart, not being transparent, acting like a vendor (and not a partner), talking too much, being pushy or applying sales pressure (regardless of how subtle it is), going for the “close,” and using sketchy or manipulative tricks to try to steer the conversation or a decision in their favor.
So with all of the mistakes mentioned above, here’s the true test of how you did when it’s all said and done. Would your prospect leave the meeting and think, “This person really gets me! They understand me and my situation and they can really help me get to where I want to go.”
