One of the most important attributes of a true sales professional is the ability to tell the prospect’s story rather than his/her own. Moreover, that true sales professional knows to connect the dots in new and creative ways so that the prospect realizes the link between what is being sold and what that prospect is actually seeking. Doing so moves the discussion beyond features, and even beyond benefits, and toward values that the prospect really cares about.
Think about it. Your prospects are consumed with the pandemic and their industries, not yours. They don’t need to understand your technology or even your industry to buy from you. They need to feel comfortable that you empathize and understand their situation and what drives value in their world, and that your recommendations will get them closer to where they already know they want to go.
I often say that your sales success is directly related to your ability to connect the dots between the benefits your offering can deliver and the yardsticks your prospects are already using to measure their own success.
Your prospects are not waking up in the morning thinking, “Wow, I hope I can save some kilowatt-hours or therms today!” Or, “Boy, if I only had another couple thousand control points in my energy management system!”
What are they thinking about when they put their pants or dresses on in the morning?
- Keeping their staff happy and productive.
- Keeping tenant hot/cold calls to a minimum.
- Coming up with an “edge” that will allow them to finally fill those last 50,000 square feet of vacancy.
- If they’re a retailer, they’re probably thinking about how to boost sales this month.
You get the idea... They’re probably not thinking about static pressure, tip speed, delta T, chromaticity, color rendering index, or any of the other technical mumbo jumbo that energy solutions salespeople dwell on when they stay in their own comfort bubble.
Finally, remember that you need to connect the dots at many levels:
- Segment-specific
- Organizational
- Professional
- Personal
