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How To Think like a Sales Pro

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A reader writes:

I started out as a field tech, moved into assistant service manager role, and after being awarded for outstanding sales support, I became an account manager. I struggle with getting out of the technical role and into the sales mindset. Any advice?

Wow. That’s a big question. I could point you at a bunch of sales training books, but if you approach selling like a typical technician, it’s unlikely that stuff would make much sense. Instead, I’m going to recommend doing something that’s quick and easy. Put in techie-terms, I’m going to teach you the business equivalent of a “Vulcan mind meld.” Here’s the process:

Step #1. Locate. Find the most talented and successful account manager in your company and ask (beg, if necessary) to let you shadow him (or her) on a couple of weeks worth of sales calls.
Step #2. Observe. Watch how he presents himself, opens up a conversation, moves the sale forward. Observe the words he uses, the way he moves his body, the way he interacts with individuals. Take notes on your tricorder.
Step #3. Investigate. After each sales call, ask your role model to describe what he was THINKING at each point in the sales call. You want to understand the basic beliefs and assumptions that support the successful sales behavior.
Step #4. Imitate. After you’ve done this for two weeks, you should have a pretty good understanding of the way that a sales professional THINKS about selling, and how that thinking manifests itself in specific behavior.
Step #5. Integrate. Start trying to think and behave identically to the sales professional. It will seem odd at first and you’ll be tempted to start talking technical. However, if you emulate both the thought process and the outward behavior, you’ll eventually get similar results.

Over time, what you’ve learned will “morph” into something that’s more personalized to your character. You’ll be thinking like a sales professional and therefore making more sales than if you stick with your current behavior.

Let us know how it turns out, OK?

Readers: any further suggestions?

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Having a problem with a customer, a manager, a career or a campaign? Email me and maybe I’ll post advice on this blog. Anonymity guaranteed.

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posted by Geoffrey James
July 24, 2008 @ 4:00 am

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