The slogan of any sales training should be "More business with better clients". More business is not necessarily good business. You've probably heard it before.
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When sales people desparately want to succeed they tend to welcome any client into their sales funnel. Consequently, the pipeline is filled with an excess of bad business.
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When I was a young boy, I asked my father why he kept cutting down the different trees in our garden. In my mind, a big tree was a good tree. My father explained to me how a trimmed tree always lives longer and remains much more productive or fruitful. The same goes for sales and business!
Sales training is about getting back to basic. It's about focus. If training doesn't help you find which clients you want and HOW to do it, then training will only make you more busy doing what doesn't lead to profitable customers. Believe me, more business with poor clients, is not want you want.
Regardless of what project you're in and no matter what your purpose or task might be, sooner or later we always end up asking ourselves: "Things are not going too well... what can I do to improve?"
I believe there are at least three basic questions we can always come back to and greatly benefit from. In my experience, every time I explore these three areas I reach new levels of understanding and conviction.
So what?
Passion, Connection and Intuition each lead to three distinct levels of conviction. Passion leads to inner conviction. Connection leads to shared conviction and Intuition leads to discovered conviction. Here are three suggestions to how this can be applied - right now - today:
- Increase passion by thinking
- read inspiring literature - discover WHAT
- then... take time to reflect and explore
- then... take notes
- then... make commitments and execute
- Strengthen connection by interacting
- spend time with inspiring people - discover WHO
- then... take time to listen
- then... take notes
- then... make commitments and execute
- Follow intuition by leaving your comfort zone
- seek inspiring challenges and environments - discover HOW
- then... look for opportunities
- then... be flexible and accept the speed of the moment
And the best thing is, pick whichever area you'd like to start with. There is, however, a principle based order to these energies, as you've probably noticed: 1) ignite yourself, 2) ignite others and 3) ignite your surroundings. Try to cheat the order of this and you'll find you're up against a headwind. If you apply yourself to the process, you'll see, wind will start blowing your way.
"Time is money"! Says who? If it's just money, then time sure isn't worth much, is it!? That kind of thinking, such a poor paradigm, will not produce the results you have it inside you to deliver.
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Time is not only money. Time is the stuff that allows you to make a difference.
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Successful selling is about three breakthroughs that each unleash a specific type of energy. What are these energies and how do we unleash them?
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We call them root route fruit, being respectively 1) the root structure and then 2) the route to 3) the fruit. Each one of these is most successful when going one-on-one. Root, route and fruit each deserve separate training and attention, but at this time, let's cut to the chase and extract the essence only - a summary so short it's almost impossible to explain with fewer words.
RootOur number one mission is strategic positioning, which figuratively speaking is "growing the root structure". That sounds great, but what does it mean? It means answering the WHAT questions. When we breakthrough with answers to WHAT we create context and experience inner conviction that unleashes the first energy we call Passion. Passion represents gasping for air and getting it (see bullet # 1 listed above) and maybe most of all clear and solid identity. |
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RouteMission leads to strategy. Our number one strategy is a network of trusting relationships, which figuratively speaking is "branching out like a tree". That sounds great, but what does it mean? It means seriously asking the WHO questions. When we breakthrough with answers to WHO we stir feelings and experience shared conviction that unleashes the second energy we call Connection. Connection represents reaching your highest potential (see bullet # 2 listed above). Potential is directly linked to your success with other people. |
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FruitStrategy leads to network. Our number one way to network is consistently practicing technique and tactics, which figuratively speaking is "maturing and becoming fruitful". That sounds great, however, again what does it mean? It means working with the HOW questions. When we breakthrough with answers to HOW we identify technique and experience discovered conviction that unleashes the third energy we call Intuition. Intuition represents seeing the ultimate fruits of your effort (see bullet # 3 listed above), but more than that individual talent will surface. |
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A generic model for every perspective
Root, route and fruit is an allegory to explain 3E, which can be applied in every single setting. 3E is easily applied in both macro and micro perspectives, that is e.g. sales management (macro) or daily selling activities (micro). We can also apply 3E for internal or external activities. 3E also effectively enhances both organizational and personal improvement programs.
And here comes my personal highlight: After two long years we're finally ready to publish my next blogpost. Coming up next are the three scenarios that clarify the exceptional power of the methodical 3E approach to energy based selling. It will become clear what this really is all about. Yes, you may expect some of the best stuff you ever saw when it comes to sales theory!
Here's an overview of what we just covered in a simple matrix:
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Helping to ask WHY is key --ultimately the only way-- to seriously motivating people. When we help people ask WHY-questions they will inevitably be inspired to self driven action. But asking WHY can also hurt, in fact, if we're not careful WHY may be counterproductive and do a lot of damage.
| The natural tendency for any parent, spouse, manager, colleague or coach is to ask WHY when something goes wrong. The "WHY did you...? approach" can be counterproductive when coming from another person in retrospect. WHY seldom rectifies the wrong when filled with blame and guilt. We drive the other person into a defensive mode. Just think about it... When we make a mistake, most of the time it's hard to explain WHY we made a bad choice, and it certainly isn't fun to elaborate on stupid mistakes.
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I see people doing this all the time. Let's be clear. It doesn't work.
Lesson # 1: How we tend to fail
When someone is to blame we tend to "ask WHY and tell WHAT".
Lesson # 2: How we can succeed
To inspire others to change we should "ask WHAT and discuss WHY".
By making a fairly simple switch from the ineffective "asking WHY and telling WHAT" to the effective "asking WHAT and discussing WHY" we make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. We get rid of blaming and fighting. Instead we introduce fruitful discussion. Just try it out. You'll quickly discover the positive effect it has!
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Asking WHAT means we establish objectively the things that went wrong. Once we've agreed what went wrong, then discussing WHY will be an opportunity to appreciate new and mutual learning. Suddenly asking WHY becomes positive and has meaning. It becomes a solution to problems to prevent them from happening again. It points the way to a brighter future and instills hope - it makes passion grow - makes mission become clear. WHY is the beginning of everything! | |||||||||
Take a quick time-out. I encourage you to watch three YouTube clips that exemplify the power of WHY and WHAT - how it defies the expectations of our surroundings.
Did you have the privilege of following Paul Potts in the "Britain's Got Talent" show? This man inspired millions of people with his passion for singing.
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Notice how Paul Potts clearly states his WHY... "I feel it's what I'm born to do", followed by his WHAT... "I've always wanted to sing as a career". Watch the first appearance of Paul Potts.
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(Here's a bonus clip if you feel like watching more of Paul Potts.)
Said a famous philosopher: "Tell me WHY and I'll move heaven and earth to do it". WHY is the key to peak performance. Given this, you may be wondering: Is it possible to produce outstanding improvement through simple things?
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I have great news... Yes it is possible to harness dramatic change by simple means. In fact, keeping it simple is key to phenomenal improvement. Simply start by asking WHY and then listen. If you're asking yourself, listen to what thoughts come to mind. If you're asking a team member, pause and don't interrupt. Regardless, the right WHY questions will work wonders, I guarantee.
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We are about to switch to a new employer. The most effective question could be as simple as...
- WHY should I work here?
If the answers qualify for an overlap in mission and purpose, the first question you'll be looking into as a new-hire is also pretty self evident...
- WHAT is it that we offer?
Once we know our value to society or the market place, it's wise to clarify as best we can...
- WHO will care and want to collaborate?
Then, finally, the question that really brings every other question to full fruition is...
- HOW should we go about it?
Let's review each question category and look more closely at what their fruits are.
MISSION
primarily comes from asking WHY
Do you believe knowing WHY will make a difference in your job? I mean, really knowing why?! Most people, even when they leave a job in favour of another, never fully understood why they were there... and that's in fact partly why they switch to another company and/or position. When anyone comes even close to performing on the job, this someone has a serious WHY burning inside them. They're usually more loyal and stay on for a longer time. Check it out, if you will.
PASSION
primarily comes from asking WHAT
Some sales managers frequently are afraid of investing "product knowledge" in their team members, simply because they've experienced how a little knowledge easily makes sales people less inclined to being open and listen to client needs. Of course the tendency is there, but that's because they only get irregular and/or insufficient training.
It is my experience that the best sales people also know best WHAT they have to offer. If they're passionate about it, because they know WHAT they have, then that's a perfect foundation. But note this; if they're passionate and at the same time know little about the offering, it is very much likely that the sales rep is biased and you'd better be careful, both as an employer and as a client. A biased sales rep often has characterics such as dishonesty, hidden agendas, fictitious and fluctuating motivation and maybe most importantly little or no ownership to what is being delivered.
CONNECTION
primarily comes from asking WHO
So often I meet with sales people that have a fantastic product and/or service offering, but somehow they're unable to seriously produce results. On almost every occasion it's due to their not having done the simple exercise of finding out who they should be speaking with. Even when they are speaking with the right people, they know little about why the solution or offering matters to them.
INTUITION
primarily comes from asking HOW
Most sales training jumps straight into HOW, and because of that it is less effective. That's why most training, I'd even claim almost all training, only has short term results.
If, however, people also are becoming highly skilled in HOW, invariably something magical happens to them. Something inside them begins to glow. Some call it self esteem. Regardless of what it is, when skills become natural "the real person" seems to come out and uniquely influences the situation. This is when we begin to see intuition in action.
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