Nothing Happens Until Something is Sold

Grow Sales By Focusing On The Sales Process - Part 2

At Sales Growth Pros we recognize that that the Sales Process is a series of events and actions that are all critical to helping you grow your business and increase sales. That's why it is critical to Manage the Sales Process Like a Product (Part 1 in the series).

Many people get confused as to what is important...sales, marketing, influence, persuasion, etc. In Part 2 of our series Grow Sales By Focusing On The Sales Process we explore...

The Essence of Sales - nothing happens until something is sold

What is the essence of selling? It depends on who you ask. Some will tell you it's to convince a customer to buy your stuff as quickly as possible, others will tell you it's about determining a customer's needs and matching them up with your solutions. There are many answers.

Let's examine the essence of selling with an equation.

The essence of selling is to move someone or a group of people from their current state X to a desired state Y.

Isn't that what you are trying to do with your customers?

Take them from their current state X (not buying from you) to a desired state Y (buying from you)

This X - Y shift is the foundation of all behavior change and sales is an example of a behavior change. Customers have numerous choices and you want to increase the chance they choose you.

There are only two reasons why anyone would make a shift from X to Y.

First, if their current state is not working they will seek out a new Y. For example, they are hungry and they want to eat will cause them to search out a solution or if their car breaks down they will be in the market for a new car.

Second reason people change is that your offering or Y appears "cool" to them. For example, they were staying home for dinner when they see an ad for your restaurant and it looks like a "fun time" or the food looks intriguing so they make a change in behavior or they see an ad for a new Apple iPhone and even though their current phone is working they see the iPhone as "cooler" and go purchase it.

So how do you make this happen? Isn't that what you want to know...how do I get people to buy my stuff or make an X - Y shift?

There are two main ways to create an X - Yshift:


Make the customers see their current situation as bad so they want to change or buy from you and/or make your solution very cool to them and they will want to change.

Let's examine the dynamics of making their current situation seem bad or worse then they think it is. You have a few options - you can tell that what they currently have or are doing is bad. The trouble with this, even if it is 100% true, is you are telling them the decision they made that got them in their current situation was a bad decision.

No one wants to be told their baby is ugly...and oh by the way you dress him bad also. The customer's initial reaction to being told that a previous decisions they had made was bad is to dig their heels in and resist even more. You cannot win at that point.

The key is to tell stories about other people's difficult situations or "ugly babies" and let the customer make the decision that they are in the same situation. The ability to tell a story that grabs the customers attention because they recognize they have had or are having the same issue or problem is a powerful way to get them to admit their current situation is not working. Once someone admits their current situation is bad they are open to you helping them make it better.

How do you make your offering cool to the customer?

The majority of sales or marketing messages about products or services concentrate on what the "it" is and often speak in marketing language instead of the language of the customer.

Customers don't care about all the features of your products or even the name of it...they care if it can solve the problem they are having. The more you speak in the language that the customer speaks in the greater chance your message will be heard.

Being able to increase a customer's dissatisfaction with their current situation AND having them view your solution as "cool" will explode your sales. Even if you only get good at doing one of these you can see an increase in sales.

Understanding that Sales is a simple equation of moving someone from X to Y is the foundation for being able to manage the sales process like a product and GROW YOUR SALES.

In Part 3 of the series I will focus on the advanced communication skills necessary for success in today's competitive times.

Sales Growth Pros has tools, techniques and training to improve these critical areas for your business. Our focus is on improving each step in the Sales Process with you so that you get more customers that ring your cash register.