Sean works for a major telecom company.

During one of our coaching sessions on how to master
Unlock The Game™, he told me, "I've been diligent about
following the sales process that my company believes is 
required to make a sale -- but, for some strange reason, 
my prospects don't want to fit into that process. What 
am I doing wrong?"

Sean's comment struck me because it spoke to years of 
traditional selling programs that promote linear selling 
-- moving prospects along from one step to another until 
they say yes -- as a "guarantee" of sales success.

But there's an inherent conflict here.

Linear selling says that you have to impose a predetermined
structure on building a relationship -- but that's by
definition an unstructured process!

Suppose that the "next step" isn't what the prospect wants?

"Wait a minute," you might say. "What matters most is that
I put as many prospects as possible into my sales process,
and hopefully some of them will turn into sales."

If you're thinking that way, it's definitely time for you to 
experience the Unlock The Game™  Self-Study Program.

Of course you can make sales using linear selling -- but you'll 
never know how many sales you're losing week after week because 
you're wearing the "blinders" of traditional selling.

If we fail to tune in to the natural rhythm of trust-building 
when two strangers become involved in developing a relationship..
or if we try to force prospects into our process, we make the 
relationship about us and not them, whether we intend to or not.

And prospects sense that and pull back, because structured, 
linear sales processes don't recognize the human elements 
required to build the relationships that ultimately lead to 
sales.

Before a sale can happen, prospects need to feel that you're
comfortable moving at their pace and their process.

If you try to force changes in that process, you'll only set off
alarms that will pigeonhole you with the negative stereotype of 
"salesperson."

That's why I advised Sean to work on becoming aware of the
milestones that prospects set and that will guide his path 
to a sale.

He needed to learn to build enough trust with prospects that 
they would feel comfortable telling him the truth of their 
process and their decision making path.

"I totally accept the principles behind what you're saying," 
Sean then told me, "but I need to know more specifics about 
what to say and do in a sales situation." Here are some 
suggestions I gave him:

 * Integrate trust-building language into your conversations 
   with prospects so they'll feel comfortable telling you where 
   they are at in their process. For example, saying "Where do 
   you think we should go from here?" invites them to tell you 
   the truth, while "Why don't we set up a next appointment to 
   discuss our next  steps" gives the impression that you're 
   trying to take control.

 * Rather than asking prospects overtly what their decision 
   making process is, use softer language that they can 
   understand from their perspective, for example, "What 
   specific gates do you anticipate you'll need to go through 
   as you consider the proposition of purchasing the software 
   to solve the business issues we discussed?"

 * Don't probe or "fish" for prospects' "pain" as part of 
   your sales process. Prospects have learned through long 
   experience that the appearance of caring is usually a verbal 
   ploy designed to move the sale forward according to the 
   salesperson's agenda. Instead, speak genuinely and with 
   sincerity to what you know their core business issues are. 
   You can find out what these are by getting in touch with 
   customers who have already bought your product or service 
   and asking, "What three or four business issues drove your 
   decision to buy our product?" Chances are, your new prospect 
   will be dealing with similar concerns.


Consider these ideas, and try these practical suggestions. They 
helped Sean feel better about letting go of the old ideas he'd 
been taught. Maybe they'll do the same for you. 

Ari Galper is the founder of Unlock The Game™, the only selling 
program completely focused on eliminating pressure from the 
sales process. His best-selling Unlock The Game™ Self-Study 
Program continues to make in-roads in the U.S., UK, Australia 
and Canada. Visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com to take a 
Free Test Drive!