Sales is in a massive state of flux. The new realities of work and doing business have forced buyers and sellers to rethink just about everything. Buyers are tired of the pressure and manipulation. Sellers are realizing their old bag of tricks has a hole in it – thankfully.
Here’s the good news – sales is changing and moving in a more positive direction. It will be a long/slow turn, but there are positive signs.
To illustrate the shift that’s happening, let’s talk about bananas.
Pretty much everyone opens bananas the same way. They grab the stem and the body and with two hands, they crack open the bananery goodness. It actually takes a decent amount of effort. Sometimes the banana breaks. Then the stem is always awkwardly hitting you in the face while you’re trying to get a bite. The end bites involve a precarious balancing act of holding the bottom of a banana sort of like a match that’s about to burn out.
And so it is with most sales approaches – they apply pressure which irritates the prospect. Then they get hit in the face with objections (that they created). The end of the sales process is a precarious balancing act of hope and “just following up.”
Professional sellers do just the opposite….they open the banana from the opposite end. Just a slight pinch at the bottom allows the seller to maintain a firm grip on the stem throughout the eating cycle. With this firm grip, they can gently peel the skin section by section and get under the surface to the yummy goodness. It’s significantly less effort. They don’t need to force or manipulate anything. It’s a much more pleasant experience for all involved.
I hope this banana analogy has filled your belly 🙂