Here at Pipeliner we are seeking to answer the most profound and important questions being asked about sales, sales management and CRM solutions. But sometimes very late at night (or way early the following morning) other significant questions creep into our thoughts—and a recent one was: Would Spock make a good salesperson or sales manager? We realized that the answer would have everything to do with the CRM solution he was using—one which neatly dovetailed both the logical and human sides of his nature (Spock is half-human, remember).
Logical
“Being a Vulcan means adopting a philosophy, a way of life, which is logical and beneficial.” — Spock
Logic, of course, implies a certain order. In sales, that order is achieved through the sales process—that exact series of steps through which a sale travels from led to close. In addition to being logical, Spock is also a genius; therefore he would evolve the most sensible sales process imaginable.
In order for that sales process to be fully exploited, it would of course need to be made part and parcel of a CRM solution. A salesperson would have to be able to view a sale in terms of each stage of the sales process, and a sales manager would have to be able to rapidly assess where each sale stands in the sales pipeline, along with its likelihood of closing.
Logic also applies to which deals to pursue as priorities—and Spock as a salesperson would insist on having such data easily to hand. Therefore a CRM solution should provide a rating system whereby any deal pending could be rated with factors such as the rep’s and sales team’s closing ratio, expected close date, profit margin, and others.
With the above elements in place, Spock’s requirements of logic in the sales pipeline would likely be satisfied. But sales, especially today, also has a very human aspect. How would Spock deal with that—or could he even do so?
Enter Humanity
“May I say that I have not thoroughly enjoyed serving with humans? I find their illogic and foolish emotions a constant irritant.” — Spock
Well, Spock, as irritating as you may find those emotions, they must be taken into account; without doing so, a sale just isn’t going to happen. Any product or service being considered by a company has emotional as well as business implications. The buyer is worried if a purchase will make or break them on the job; potential users are concerned whether the new product or service will actually make their jobs easier or more cumbersome; a finance officer is worried about a rapid ROI and the implications for the company’s financial (and the finance officer’s job’s) standing.
You see, Spock, in this particular context the apparent “illogic” of emotions must be placed into the lineup of logical data regarding a sale. Hopefully this won’t make your larger-than-human brain implode or your green blood boil–but it’s actually the point at which illogic and logic meet. If you can wrap your mind around that—which we suspect you can because you’re so awesome—then you’ll still be able to do well as a salesperson or sales manager.
The Mind-Meld
“My mind to your mind… my thoughts to your thoughts…” — Spock
One of the things Mr. Spock is most famous for is his use of the Vulcan Mind-Meld, in which he is able to merge his own mind with someone else’s. In such a way he is able to fully understand the full range of his subject’s thoughts and emotions.
What if a salesperson was able to Mind-Meld with a prospect, and be able to instantly understand their key business issues as well as personal emotional job-related problems, and fully address them with their product or service? A sales rep with such a power would succeed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
But given the right leading-edge CRM solution, even Spock would soon realize that this specialized facility is unnecessary. As an opportunity is moved along the pipeline, all relevant information about the buyers, decision-makers, emotional triggers and anything else pertinent to the sale has been entered into CRM in such a way that it is visually and rapidly accessible. A salesperson then only has to tap into it and use it—no firm grasp of the salesperson’s hand on the prospect’s head necessary.
So given the right leading-edge CRM solution—such as Pipeliner CRM, which meets each and every one of the above requirements—we assert that Spock would indeed make a great salesperson or sales manager. And we’re guessing he’d be warmly welcomed in any sales organization throughout the Federation of Planets.
Art credit: www.fanpop.com
Related Posts:
- What Three-Letter Word Can Convert Your Fickle Subscribers?
- Why Your Proposal Win Rate is 18% Lower Than It Should Be and What You Can Do About It in the Next Five Minutes
- Not So New Principles of Sales
Get your free trial of Pipeliner CRM now.
