Article Surfing Archive

A Revolutionary 'NEW' Dimension In Sales: Make many more closings in the same amount of time!
By Art Nelson and Linda Carlson

Phase I

Phase I: Learning the Product is the first thing Paul does as he begins his career in sales. This 'newbie' envisions three major factors that will determine his success or failure in sales. They are:

1. Knowledge of his product.'
2. Knowledge of the benefits that it offers to his prospects.'
3. How well he communicates that knowledge and benefits to his prospects.

Most salespeople don't have a problem with product knowledge. The company usually spends plenty of time and money to assure the competence level of its sales force. So, Paul is fine at 1, 2, and since his mother said, "You can sell an icebox to an Eskimo," he figures he will do well at 3.

The problem shows up when Paul (now on his own) tries to share this knowledge with his prospects. He finds that some prospects get really 'turned on' by the product and its benefits; but there are other prospects that never seem to get interested or 'understand.' Talking to them is like "talking to brick walls."

He doesn't understand why every prospect doesn't insist on purchasing. He is warm and charming every time! It must be the way he closes. There has to be a secret he needs to discover.

Phase II

Upon realizing this, Paul enters Phase II of his career: The Search For Enlightenment. The great question of a salesman's life haunts him on his prospecting calls. In the face of obvious need, why doesn't my prospect buy?

"He needs this product. I qualified him carefully. Why can't I close him?"

So, Paul begins reading, listening to tapes, attending seminars, etc. for every gimmick that comes along promising the "Secret of Closing."

Phase III

After a season of this, he enters Phase III of his career: The Stasis Of Superstition.

Paul (like most sales people) is making 2 or 3 sales for ten presentations. But since he really doesn't understand why he sells sometimes and sometimes doesn't, he "freezes" or "cans" his presentation. He is afraid to change it because he might mess up his success so, he plays the 'numbers game.'

Paul falls into a pattern of expecting to close 'just so many' sales. No amount of reading, listening to tapes, or taking sales seminars changes his pattern for long. He is hoping to keep enough prospects on the line that the ones he doesn't sell won't really matter. He'll still be a 'successful' salesman.

Phase IV

Before ICTech' (Individualized Communication Technology) most of us (salespeople) ended our career growth in Phase III. Now with the Natural Styles strategy used in ICTech' we can move into Phase IV: Natural Persuasion.

Knowing how the 5 styles are born to process information, allows the salesperson to tailor his presentation for the format most easily understood and agreed upon by the prospect.

It doesn't matter how well you know your product or how smooth your presentation is. Until your prospect UNDERSTANDS your product and its applications for him you won't close a sale.

Understanding the strategy lets you dispense with gimmicks and integrate all of your sales knowledge into a cohesive whole that you will automatically adjust in each new situation. This means more sales! And more satisfied customers!

How ICTech' works:

You're a salesperson whose Natural Style is 'Single.' What do you do with a 'Multiple' style prospect?

• Don't bore her with too many details; give her the overview of the product and its effects on her. Be sure to ask her what this product could do for her or in some way let her think this whole thing is her idea.
• The fastest way to lose this prospect is oversell - too many details. You are 'telling' not 'selling.'

Now reverse the example. You're a 'Multiple' salesperson and your prospect is a 'Single.' What do you do?

• Don't overpower him with too many examples or applications of the product. Let them apply to him. Again, 'sell' don't 'tell.' Concentrate on the strongest feature of your product and give as many details as possible.
• Give him plenty of time to think; don't rush him. The fastest way to lose this prospect is to appear too vague because you're trying to give him an overview and he wants an explicit example.

Just a couple of simple examples, but Paul practices the simple strategies of ICTech' and it has made him one of his industry's 'hottest' sales people.

Many sales people who use ICTech' close 5 to 7 of ten presentations. What would happen for any salesperson who could cut through the mental baggage of a prospect and give a presentation with a 50% to 70% chance of closing?

Simple. Revolutionary!

Art Nelson is an entrepreneur and consultant in various areas of media organization. He found ICTech in a public workshop, and since has been learning more about it and applying it in his businesses Linda Blew Carlson, is President of FOCUS I, Inc. a company dedicated to supporting American businesses by helping them find innovative ways to individualize their service. Reach her at http://www.styleworks4u.com/pages/home-page.html or lbc@styleworks4u.com