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In today’s digitally-connected world, customers are empowered and information-rich. As a result, they’ve thrown down the challenge for sales reps to be faster, more intuitive, knowledgeable, and personal. Here’s why an agile selling methodology could be the answer, enabling salespeople to perform at their best.
The evolution of technology has changed buyer behaviour. Now, 61% of consumers – and 76% of B2B buyers – say they feel significantly more empowered than they did five years ago. The internet provides customers with the means to research products and services they wish to buy, so they’re not as reliant on the information provided by salespeople. You’re dealing with customers who want a conversation about the product, or service, not just a sales pitch.
So, to remain competitive, it’s important for salespeople to be quick on their feet. In the book Agile Selling: Get Up to Speed Quickly in Today’s Ever-Changing Sales World, internationally-recognised sales expert Jill Konrath introduces the well-respected methodology of ‘agile selling’. Could it help your team adapt to changing customer behaviour?
In her book, Konrath introduces readers to the concept of quick selling, and how it can help salespeople – both new and seasoned pros – sell better, and more effectively, while becoming more adept at working with customers.
Not knowing how to absorb information quickly can put a dent in a salesperson’s performance, but agile selling teaches the skills of chunking, sequencing, connecting, prioritising, reflecting, and practicing. These practices help salespeople quickly take in new information, learn new skills, and train their minds to react to any situation with resilience.
For most salespeople, agile selling techniques will help them be more successful, and adapt to a changing market. Here’s four of the key strategies and tips from Agile Selling:
Agile selling is not just about techniques, but also about developing a good mindset. It’s about being focussed on continuous development, and never thinking that you’ve finished learning. This is essential to personal growth. Techniques you can learn, but the mindset must develop and evolve over time. Additionally, it talks about the importance of setting concrete goals to encourage productivity, and eliminating distractions.
Agile Selling provides a framework for learning how to sell a certain product quickly, breaking it down into six steps: chunking, sequencing, connecting, dumping, practicing, and prioritising.
This framework allows salespeople to organise their thoughts in a 30-minute window, most likely used to prepare for the sales call. It begins with chunking all information into similar bits. From there, you sequence them, and connect them with each other. After that, you dump the information you don’t need, and start practicing. Finally, you prioritise what is needed for the sales call.
Minimum Effective Dose (MED) is a concept of taking in only what you need. Many salespeople cram all the product information and sales concepts into their minds right before a call. However, this may confuse you, and cause information overload. MED encourages salespeople to research only what is necessary for a sales call, deleting all other information. This makes things clearer in your mind for your sales call, and therefore you’re able to be more effective.
With agile selling, and selling in general, experts recommend practice, and a lot of it! Role-playing with more experienced salespeople will vastly improve a salesperson’s performance. Practice is ultimately key to making your technique more effective over time.
Uncover more strategies for selling in the age of the empowered customer. Access the 4 Steps to Transforming Your Sales Process eBook.
