Selling by "Instinct"
I got my pilot’s license in 1972, and as they say, there are no old, bold pilots. I’ve thought about what it takes to be a proficient pilot, and I’ve recognized a commonality with successful selling. Changing the revenue trajectory for firms is what I do, so I admit I’m thinking about it a lot, and it occurred to me that flying is an apt model. Far too often I work with sales teams who manage by “feel.” They have a “feel” for their customers and prospects, when they’ll buy and how much. They rely on instincts, often tuned over a long experience base. These are the guys who don’t last long in an airplane! Pilots are taught from the very first day not to rely on their instincts – but to trust the gauges. Pilots will tell of the times they felt they were flying right side up, while the gauges told them they were upside down. The gauges are always right, instincts aren’t. We need to help our salespeople understand and rely on the metrics of sales. They need to KNOW they are making progress, it needs to be quantitative. They need to have a clear and defendable account plan overlaid with the account map. I’m not trying to imply that good instincts aren’t important, that having a “second sense” isn’t worthwhile, they are! They should recognize the feeling in the stomach that reminds one something may be going on that deserves a check of the “gauges”—is the effort progressing as planned and is the progress concrete, and verifiable. Those who adopt this approach will find their close rate increasing and the sales cycle shortening!
Visit me on my website: focusedonrevenue.com; or my Blog at http://michaelbpearce.blogspot.com/; or you can reach me at 425-830-4156.