As the marketplace has shifted, the way people buy has changed and, because of it, the way salespeople sell has changed as well. The skills that once made salespeople successful aren’t as effective as they once were.

For this reason, more than ever, salespeople are more successful when they meet prospects where they are and navigate their sales conversations by helping prospects with their buying decisions. It’s about joining prospects where they are on the spectrum of their decision-making. 

Today’s sales environment requires salespeople to shift their sales focus to asking questions that help them discover where their prospects are with their buying decisions and what criteria their prospects are using to make those decisions.

The first step to sales improvement in today’s marketplace is to determine where you currently are with your updated sales skills. To identify what to focus on to become a better salesperson today, indicate how frequently you engage in the following sales behaviors:

1. Ask questions to discover prospects’ decision-making

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

2. Assist prospects with their decision-making

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

3. Inquire about your prospects’ decision-making criteria

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

4. Provide information in such a way that prospects retain it

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

5. Earn qualified referrals

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

6. Ask for referrals  

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

7. Spend more time listening than speaking

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

8. Demonstrate you have your prospects’ best interests in mind  

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

9. Engage prospects in what matters most to them

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

10. Sharing what is most relevant to prospects

Never          Rarely          Sometimes          Always

Look over your answers. Which behaviors do you “never” or “rarely” engage in? These are most probably your areas for improvement. Which behaviors do you “always” engage in? These most likely are your sales strengths and your best practices. 

Reflect on what you might be doing that is getting in the way of selling more in today’s marketplace. And, commit to improving one of your updated sales skills this week. When you leverage sales science to help your prospects with their buying decisions, the byproduct is you sell more. 

To learn more about sales science, join us on for Peri Shawn’s webinar, The Science and Emotion of Selling More.

Eager to learn more? Download our free e-book, Grow Faster with the Right Data, by clicking the link below.