Sales Methodology

What is a Sales Methodology?

When it comes to sales methodologies, they are a dime a dozen. A popular Sales Methodology that most people are familiar with is The Challenger Sale. This one is good and I always recommend the read to any sales leader or sales rep because it breaks down the science behind why this type of seller is so successful.

What I have found with this Sales Methodology and Sales Methodologies in general, however, is that they are extremely theoretical. They tell you WHAT you need to be and why, but do not really focus on exactly HOW you as a sales rep are supposed to accomplish this. 

Your Sales Methodology needs to be extremely tactical 

In my experience, sales reps need very tactical enablement and training. If you deploy something that is tactical (say this, write this, STOP saying this), sales reps will most often follow suit and do that very thing. They need to be told what exact words to use to be a challenger. When you give them those prompting words, getting them to execute on the behavior is easy.

Example of a Tactical Sales Methodology

Let me provide a simple example of what I like to call a TACTICAL Sales Methodology.  If you want to “challenge” your client on their status quo or objection, try using this exact phrase:

“I hear your concern, however, if you are open to it, I would like to challenge you on that way of thinking.”

Notice that I am suggesting that the sales rep actually use the word “challenge”? That is important because it is now providing them an understanding and a perfect connection on how to be a “challenger”. Also, notice how the question is stated. I am not telling the rep to go in hard and say, “I hear your concern, however, I would like to challenge you on that way of thinking.”  A sales rep could use that phrase as well, however, I have found it to be too aggressive in my personal experience.

Sales Methodologies do not need to be aggressive

Going in that aggressively spoils an important window to gauge how open-minded to change that particular customer is. Asking the customer’s permission to challenge their way of thinking first and gaining agreement is in itself a form of persuasion. The customer has now convinced themselves that they are open to a new way of thinking versus the sales rep demanding that they think differently.

After much testing of this method, I have found that it is EXTREMELY rare that a customer would say, “No, I am not willing to be challenged on a different way of thinking.” It is human nature to be perceived as open-minded (even if you are not), but the very act of agreeing to be challenged does, in fact, open your mind.

Sales Methodologies include Challenging the Customer

This very powerful opening to a “challenge” is the type of tactical Sales Methodology that is offered through the Sales Guide. It is VERY easy to implement and feels good to sales reps because they learn HOW to challenge customers versus just being told to do it with no further instruction.