| "Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you
know that summer is near. In the same way, when you
see these things happening, know that he is near, at
the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will
not pass away until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither
the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time
will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves
home and places his servants in charge, each with his
work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the
house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly
and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all:
'Watch!'"
(Mark 13:28-37)
I have always considered the responsibility and obligation
of a sales professional to be equivalent to that of
a teacher or educator. When Jesus spoke to the people,
He would teach them the ways of Christianity. He would
teach them the advantages of Christianity. He would
educate them as to the alternative if they did not listen
and heed His message. He would ask questions of His
prospects and tell them stories. He taught them the
lessons written and handed down through the ages. Our
Lord gave them enough information to make a good decision;
He did not tell them everything He knew. Then His close
was simple: "Follow me.”
I suggest there is the risk of “information overload”
if you are not careful. You can teach your prospect
too much or too quickly. You must give your prospect
information and then allow them time to digest it. Our
Lord did not tell the people everything He knew. He
told them just enough for them to make an intelligent
decision. I believe that if your prospect had already
understood the benefits of owning your product (or service),
then they would have already purchased it.
Somewhere in the past, your prospect is likely to have
had your product (or service) introduced to them in
some variety, but they did not recognize the value or
benefit at the time. They may have had someone else
present your product (or service) to them, yet somehow
they did not receive the proper information they needed
to take action.
Selling is an educational process. We must educate
our prospect and prepare them for “graduation,”
which is the agreement or the close. In school, our
teachers gave us books and study materials. They would
outline the material we needed to know, and at the end
of the week they would test us on our comprehension
of the material. It is the same in the sales process:
we must present our material and test the prospect.
If they pass, we graduate them, or write the order.
The good sales professional employs agreements, or
trial closes—just as a teacher uses midterms to
measure a student’s progress—to test our
prospect’s understanding of the information we
have given them. In school, when a student is not ready
to move forward, the teacher stops and re-teaches, then
re-tests, to make sure that the student is ready for
the next level. In sales, sometimes we must go back
and start over again if the prospect fails. If a student
fails a test, they do not fail the whole year. Similarly,
if your prospect fails a trial close, that does not
mean he has failed the whole year. It just means you
must go back and re-cover the material they do not understand.
Re-educate and then re-test, remembering that the reason
they did not pass is because they did not understand.
No, spelled “NO,” often means they do not
know, spelled “KNOW.”
For maximum achievement and success in sales, teach
until the prospect understands.
|
