What? You’re Not Selling Backward?

Ideas in this posting will help you: Make Money, and increase the ease with which you Close Business.

I am privileged to spend time chatting with many business people who carry a revenue generation responsibility. They range from Sr. Executives, to Managers, to Key Account sales professionals. I am infinitely curious to learn how they sell, and how things are going for them.

I ask “How do you go about selling your products/services today?” Invariably the response I hear is “Well, I usually start out talking about my company’s products/services. I tell the buyer about the cool features and all that. Then, we talk about how they might fit into their operation. You know, their needs.”

These people then proceed to share with me the inconsistent [and often below plan] sales and revenue results they have been achieving.

Now, everything I have experienced has shown that success in generating revenue comes from learning a buyer’s needs first, then talking about the capabilities of my product/ service to meet those needs second.

Apparently I am selling backward! I must tell you though that it works, consistently. Selling ‘backward’ works so well that I make it a point to teach it to all of my clients. They have found it works for them too [My approach is called The 5 Reasons Sales Method].

Here then, is a method you can follow to sell ‘backward’…

1. Learn about your buyer’s current situation as it relates to your product/service

2. Ask questions to learn about their Needs as they relate to your product/service, and the value they seek to realize by having those Needs met

3. Clearly demonstrate the capabilities of your product/service to meet those Needs and deliver that value

Try asking yourself/your team the questions “How do you go about selling your products/services today? Are you achieving consistently solid sales results?”

So, are you and your team selling ‘backward’? Selling backward is the new forward you know.