So What? Creating Emotion in Sales

During this past weekend I attended the National Speakers Association conference in Nashville; this is actually a conference where instead of speaking, I actually go to the breakout sessions, chat in the hallways and listen to the keynotes.  It was an amazing learning experience and now Monday evening, I spent 2 hours with Max Dixon learning to create and tell a story.  In the matter of four days I have been exposed to concepts and methodologies to make my keynote more effective and more meaningful to the attendees.  So where does this fit with you as a salesperson or sales leader or executive?

Selling and sales leadership are emotional jobs--selling must change the buyers mind and heart; it is only somewhat logical.  Too many times we hear sales teams only "selling the facts." As a sales manager responsible for sale force training what are you doing to increase your sales team's training along the lines of increasing their ability to tell your story--emotionally?  With many of our consulting clients, prior to going on site to evaluate their organization, we review their brochures, web site, and standard proposal content. In most cases the content is boring or stagnant. When we visit on site and ask each salesperson "why do people buy from you?" "What makes you unique?"  The answers are boring or worse, logical...

I see or hear comments that say: "we have been in business since 19XX?', "Our company has extensive experience"..., "Our company is committed to serving you", "Our people are the best". These are essentially statements of FACT.  My question to the sales teams are: "So What?"  What do these statements mean to your prospects? Nothing-emotion causes the buyer to take action. This is a fundamental truth in selling, sales managers must understand this and train their teams to create stories with emotion that make their points stand out.

As sales leaders, your sales training program must review your content, messaging and verbal descriptions of your team to find the SO WHAT statements. Create what we call "tribal stories" about when you company saved the day for a client or when your firm solution caused a clients business to blossom. Write them down and make sure every salesperson can use them in a selling mode. We recommend you video tape your sales team attempting to sell your firm; this will allow them to hear and see their ineffective approach. The next step is to create a training session that clearly crafts an actual benefit to each statement of fact.  The last step is "inspect what you expect". 

Video tape your sales team again in 3 weeks to ensure the new message has been transferred.  Tell emotional stories and bring emotion into your selling.

If you would like Acumen's "Create a Selling Document" worksheet from Acumen send me an email: Ken@Acumenmgmt.com

Don't forget our Sales Leadership Summit in Las Vegas in March and Minneapolis in April.

Ken Thoreson, President of Acumen Management Group LTD. Acumen Management Group Ltd. "operationalizes" sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated, and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America. Move up and move ahead!

Acumen Mgmt. provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance.                         Ken@AcumenMgmt.com   http://www.acumenmanagement.com/

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