The Secret Weapon of Top Sellers: It's Not What You Think

Information as an advantage

I've been in enterprise software sales since 1990. In the old days before the internet and the web, salespeople had the advantage over buyers because access to vendor information and solutions was hard to come by. We carried around "cut sheets" which were leave-behind glossies that contained company and product information as well as customer success stories. This was the age of brochureware. This was also before PCs were commonplace and you would often find me lugging around a VAX station in my car and on airplanes for doing demos. Selling is never easy and relationships and trust was everything.

The tables have turned to a buyer's advantage. With the internet and websites that provide product comparisons, testimonials, buyer and user experiences, SaaS with free trials, freemium solutions, buyers are deep into their solution search before first contact with a sales person.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

However, buyers still need to go through and document their due diligence as a best practice. Effective salespeople will have a good understanding of their company's offerings and their competition. And what's equally as important, if not more so, than product knowledge is emotional intelligence. Yes people like to buy from someone they like, trust, and respect, but when the rubber meets the road, their bosses want them to find a suitable cost-effective solution that is usable, equitable, and useful.

Sales and marketing understand that buyers make emotional decisions using logic and information to support what and how they feel. Buying processes may not be as data-driven as we would like to believe. Confirmation bias is common, especially if buyers are contacting you late in their buying cycle.

Any effective engagement begins with establishing and building rapport. As with most behavioural skills, knowing is not enough. Rapport is dynamic and must be practiced with a coach who can provide constructive feedback.

Rapport creates an emotional connection. Remember that people make buying decisions not just based on logic and facts, but also on how they feel about a product or service (or you). Successful salespeople tap into emotions (yours and theirs) to create a personal connection and make the buyer feel understood, valued, and excited about your offering. It could start simply by using the person's name and showing interest in what they have to say. Ask relevant questions and then listen.

Having established rapport, it's time to build trust. Emotions like empathy, authenticity, and vulnerability help build trust between the salesperson and the buyer. When buyers trust the salesperson, they are more likely to believe in the value proposition.

Overcoming objections is actually about addressing objections. Addressing emotional concerns and objections is often more effective than just countering logical arguments. Emotions like fear, doubt, uncertainty, or skepticism can be major barriers to a sale, and addressing them with emotional intelligence can help overcome these obstacles.

The easiest thing to do in any difficult conversation and especially in addressing objections is to acknowledge the others position and opinion. Seek to understand the reason behind what they are thinking and feeling. You don't have to agree. You let them know that you've heard them and understand where they are coming from by paraphrasing what they've just said.

Emotions often reveal the deeper motivations and pain points behind a customer's needs. By understanding these emotional drivers, salespeople can tailor their approach and messaging more effectively. It's useful here to ask open-ended questions and listen actively. Try to identify both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

In my early days selling cloud solutions, not having to backup databases meant that the DBA could spend more time with her family and felt assured with automated hot backups. Remember that value is in the mind of the buyer and that extrinsic motivators are often more powerful than intrinsic ones in a business context. Emotions often reveal the deeper motivations and pain points behind a buyer's needs. By understanding these emotional drivers, salespeople can tailor their approach and messaging more effectively.

Emotions like excitement, anticipation, or a fear of missing out can create a sense of urgency that motivates buyers to take action and make a purchasing decision more quickly. But in the corporate space, this is tempered by good governance and established purchasing practices. However, starting with the end in mind is one powerful way to get the buyer to imagine a positive future and possibly share a project timetable. And if there is a sense of urgency, there's probably some mindfulness of risks.

And throughout your sales process always try to create memorable experiences. A good story never fails. Emotionally charged sales interactions tend to be more memorable for buyers. By tapping into emotions, salespeople can create lasting impressions and differentiate themselves from competitors. They will likely forget many facts and figures discussed, but they will not forget how you made them feel.

Ultimately, while logic and facts are important in selling, emotions drive human behavior and decision-making. Skilled salespeople use emotional intelligence to connect with buyers and customers on a deeper level, build trust, and motivate them to take action in their favor.