The Truth Behind Linear Selling: Why It Can Make Prospects Run The Other Way

Sean works for a major telecom company.

During one of our coaching sessions, 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 consider a different way of thinking.

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.

Other articles by this author »
About Ari Galper

With a Masters Degree in Instructional Design and over a decade of experience creating breakthrough sales strategies for global companies such as UPS and QUALCOMM, Ari Galper discovered the missing link that people who sell have been seeking for years.

His profound discovery of shifting one's mindset to a place of complete integrity, based on new words and phrases grounded in sincerity, has earned him distinction as the world's leading authority on how to build trust in the world of selling.

Leading companies such as Gateway, Clear Channel Communications, Brother International and Fidelity National Mortgage have called on Ari to keep them on the leading edge of sales performance. Visit http://www.unlockthegame.com to get his free sales training lessons.


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Preventing Identity Theft : What Can You Do?

Identity theft is becoming an increasingly used buzzword in today's high tech world of online banking and bill paying, and with the advent of services like Paypal and shopping cart.

We hear about identity theft in the news all the time, and we think we very well may be at risk, but we're not sure what to do to help prevent it. Well, there are some things you can do that are very simple that will help prevent you from ever becoming a victim of this potentially disastrous crime.

Unfortunately, even though identity theft is a federal crime, that still doesn't scare theives away from bilking millions of dollars of year from unsuspecting, hard working people like you and I. It's not something that any of us want to deal with, but it is prudent to exercise caution whenever possible to reduce your risk.

At this point, we may all have a story about a friend, acquaintance, or family member who was an unwitting victim of some form of identity theft, and the good thing is, these bring the reality closer to home, and have made more people aware that is a growing problem. There are a few types of identity theft, and I'm sure there are even more than I am listing here that not a whole lot of people are aware of.

The types of identity theft are :

1.) When one's personal information is stolen from their person, such as a wallet with credit cards and other identity revealing financially negotiable instruments.

2.) Something called "phishing" where bogus emails are sent from a scam artist claiming to be a bank or some other type of financial institution, claiming they need you to "sign in" and provide personal information that can allow them to filter money from your account, or charge purchases to a credit card.

3.) Mail related identity theft is where a thief can either intercept your mail and get your personal information or even fill out a change of address form for you so they may receive your mail and do with it what they please.

4.) Internet fraud through unsecured websites when you provide credit card or personal information, a thief may be able to hack sites that are not secured and gain your personal information, or even infect your computer with a virus which hijacks personal information.

Like I said, the four mentioned above are probably not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to identity theft, but they are the main categories of ways that these savvy and increasingly sophisticated scam artists are getting away with stealing money from people. So, what can you do to help prevent being a victim of these types of identity theft? Well, the good thing is, there are several ways you can help reduce your risk.

First and foremost, make sure you do not ever respond to an email that is requesting you to log in somewhere to verify your information, even if it appears to be from a company you do business with on a regular basis. Spammers skilled in the art of "phishing" are very adept at making these emails look like the real deal, and unfortunately many people have been duped into disclosing important personal information.

What you can do to help combat this problem is visit the company's offical website on your own, not through any links in the email of course, and report this suspicious email to them. Most large companies have measures in place to protect their clients, and they want to be aware of any bogus emails going out to people with their trusted name attached.

There are also large efforts in the making to prevent these types of emails from coming through to your email inbox, and instead going to your spam bulk file, making them more idenitfiable as a potential security threat, and also reducing the likelihood that one will be defrauded by them.

I saw an improvement in this, but just recently, my inbox has been indundated with spam emails requesting personal information, so it seems the scam artists have found a loophole and are taking advantage, although it may not last long.

Another important prevention measure is to not only be aware of bogus emails, but also to make sure any website that asks for credit card information for a purchase has a security seal of approval. These secured sites usually will have some sort of symbol that they are secured by Verisign or another online security system that signifies it should be safe to pay with. If the site looks fishy, stay clear.

Whenever you receive mail that has credit card information, or is a solicitation for a credit card offer, make sure you tear it up into pieces. Another scam to gain access to your credit or accounts is for thieves to go through your garbage and fill out your credit card offers with a change of address, get the new credit card mailed to them, and start using it to make purchases. Also, it is wise to always have up to date virus protection on your computer, as some viruses are designed to hijack your personal and credit information.

When making purchases with credit or debit cards in any retail establishments, if your credit card number prints on the receipt that they keep, ask to scribble out the whole thing.

Workers or other people may have access to your credit card information, or have just enough information to make online or over the phone purchases with your credit, and this is yet another way your identity can be stolen for the financial benefit of thieves.

While this list of measure you can take to help prevent identity theft is not all inclusive, it is a good start to ensuring your security and making sure your hard earned money stays in your pocket only. They are good principles to live by in this day and age of online banking and financing.

Other articles by this author »
About Danna Schneider

Danna Schneider is the founder of http://www.primeratecredit.com for information on low interest credit cards, loans and mortgages, as well as financial news and personal finance tips. She also manages an online entertainment magazine http://www.flickwiki.com .