The Sales Continuum
Have you ever heard of the Sales Continuum? Do you know when a customer is really sold? There are four stages in the Sales Continuum: you tell them, you sell to them, they tell you and they sell to you. Hitting each of these stages during the sales process can help you close the deal, increase your sales success, and ensure repeat customers.
The ‘You tell them’ stage
On the far left, you have the you tell them Internship. This is where you are communicating your value proposition. This is a mock of the goods and services you have to offer, but there is no passion. Remember, enthusiasm sells.
The ‘You sell them’ stage
Going from left to right, the next in the continuum is the you sell them Internship. This is a little better than the you tell them Internship. Now you are expressing your value proposition with passion and emotion, and the connection with the customer has improved.
The ‘They tell you’ scenario
Continuing from left to right, after the you tell them and the you sell them Internships, is the they tell you Internship. This is a good stage to be in, as the client understands her position well enough to communicate it to you.
The stage ‘They sell you’
And finally, at the far right of The Sales Continuum is the they sell you Internship. This is nirvana when it comes to customer acceptance. It is the point where the customer is drinking the Kool-Aid to such a degree that they are selling you your goods or services. THEY are passionate about it. And the chances are that they will not only sell to you, BUT they will probably sell it to others. This is the stage of the delusional fanatic.
When you get your customers to the point where they sell you your own stuff, WOW, that’s exciting. That’s when you know they’re actually sold.
How can you be sure to beat the entire sales continuum? Be passionate about what you are offering!
The #1 rule in sales is You have to drink the Kool-Aid. If you’re not passionate about your offer, how the hell is the customer going to be excited about it? Get passionate and make your customer passionate.
Where are you on the sales continuum? Do you and your sales team know solution selling techniques? Do you have the sales training and passion to constantly improve yourself and grow the business? No matter what you do, remember: Passion, Process and Execution. This is your path through the entire sales continuum and your path to sales success.
