Counter-Intuitive Selling

Practice to Succeed

Salespeople carry what’s become a burden of respected traditions, hallowed by decades of accepted practice. Almost every sales organization uses the same training techniques and partakes of the same ethos – even though they don’t work. Try this simple experiment: Whatever you see most salespeople doing, do the opposite. Thwart the expectations of your customers and prospects. Change your routine. Watch yourself quickly break away from the pack.

Analyze your behavior and techniques. Take notes during sales calls. Write down exactly what happens, in what order. Draw a diagram of where the participants sit. Highlight significant statements. After the encounter, review your notes from the point of view of an objective outsider – “go to the balcony” to get a new perspective. Next, consider what action steps you need to take to close the deal. Visualize your next meeting. Try to see it as clearly as if you were watching a movie. Imagine the objections your prospect may raise, then decide exactly what you’ll need to do to respond to them.

To inculcate a new behavior, establish “behavioral triggers.” For example, if you eat cereal for breakfast every...