Will you be my champion? Are you okay telling me no? These are powerful questions that put you and your prospect on a level playing field. In this week’s edition of sales tips, Salesloft VP of Sales Derek Grant talks about the integrity behind asking your prospect real questions in the beginning of the sales process.
Sales Tips Recap:
The two questions Derek recommends asking your prospect early on in the sale:
1. Will you be my champion? Tomasz Tonguz calls this person the “Proponent of the Sale” in the list of five key players in a SaaS sales process. The champion’s job is to take what you as the rep sell to them, and turn around and sell it to the decisionmaker. They fight for the budget. They scrap against other vendor options. They are your number one ally in the sale, and it’s crucial to know that the person you’re selling to is willing to do that for you.
2. Are you okay telling me no? The time may come where your champion needs to tell you no — and you need to know up front that they are going to be comfortable doing so. No sugar coating, no ghosting — just honesty. If you establish that level of trust and openness up front, the process is going to be more conducive to a mutual solution.
Are you comfortable asking your prospects these kinds of questions? If not, practice being open (with yourself and your prospects) in your sales process, and know that the establishing trust in the early stages of a sale is going to be the guiding light throughout the entire process. Whether on the phone or in an email, the honesty and reality of these questions will resonate with people when you’re selling. Use that openness to your advantage.
—
Want more sales tips? Stay tuned each week as we continue our sales tips video journey into the new year!