Use Science to Sell More
There is a science behind selling. The closer your way of selling is aligned with the way the brain makes a buying decision, the more successful you’ll be. Thus, the starting place must always be with the buyer. We need to focus on why we should sell one way over another way. Luckily, there is a wealth of data that allows salespeople to make accurate decisions about how to sell successfully. Science discloses reality, and when we leverage this wealth of knowledge, salespeople have the opportunity to sell more effectively than ever before. John Golden and David Hoffeld discuss the science behind selling in this expert sales webinar.
Sales and Marketing in the Early 20th Century:
In the early part of the 20th century, there were more courses on selling than there are in universities today. Sales was the driver of the economy. Companies would develop their products, and then give them to salespeople, called drummers, to push the product and make sales. However, there was a major shift in business philosophy between sales and marketing. At this time, marketing, and the idea of developing a product based on what the customer wants was in its infancy. After the stock market crash of 1929, however, things started changing. The economy was decimated, and business went into survival mode. The business world had a change in core philosophy. The new focus was: what does the customer want? Let’s find out, and let’s make it for them. They’re not trying to be innovative, they’re trying to survive. This produced a shift in academia, where sales courses are pushed aside, and marketing becomes the focus. Having this history gives salespeople some context for why the field is the way that it is.
Why do salespeople underperform?
This question has been extensively studied and explored. 40 to 50% of all salespeople, in any given year, will fail to meet the quota. There is a tendency to focus on technology, and bringing in the top of the line tool that promises to be a magic solution. Social media and social selling is another hot topic, and lack of success with social selling is sometimes blamed for underperformance. While technology and use of social media are both important, it’s not at the root of why salespeople underperform. The way that salespeople sell is responsible for a lot of this underperformance. Salespeople should be looking at how they sell. What behaviors do we engage in, and how do those behaviors influence the success or failure of the sale?
Examining the Root Issue:
The root issue responsible for underperformance is the way we sell; why we choose one behavior over another, or why we build value one way over another way. We try to figure it out via trial and error or guess our way to success. We look at the best practices of the high performing salespeople and try to copy their tactics. But this leads to a focus on ourselves as sellers, but really, we should be focused on the buyers. How does a buyer make a decision? What goes on inside their mind to say yes to your product or service? The answers to these questions will help salespeople sell in a way that correlates with how the buyer buys.
For more information on the science of selling, and using the information to positively transform your sales results, watch the expert sales webinar.
About our Host:
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
As Managing Partner of Performance Methods, 
