I’m always surprised how few salespeople have a plan. I mean, they know what their targets are and they’re aware they need to reach them, however, they’re not always clear on the steps they should take to get there.
Cue the ‘sales methodologies’. A sales methodology is the ‘how’ in the sales cycle. It turns the goals of certain parts of the sales cycle into actionable steps – “do A, B and C to achieve X, Y or Z.”
You may have heard of ‘Spin Selling’, ‘The Challenger Sale’ or ‘Snap Selling’ to name a few. Companies spend a fortune hiring trainers who push a specific method, and if you speak to the creator of each, they’ll tell you why theirs is the one-and-only.
But while sales trainers wage wars on each other’s methodologies, I think it’s a mental trap to believe that there is any-one-way to achieve your sales.
What works for one person can bomb for you, and vice versa. The real secret lies in knowing how to develop a personal methodology based on your industry, your customers and how you personally operate optimally.
The buying landscape is evolving so quickly, you need to be agile and adapt to the market. When you’re over-committed to one specific methodology then you fall victim to change. Because you don’t know how to tailor your process to become better, you end up becoming bitter.
I’ve created a special action sheet that will guide you through a simple three-step process of developing your own sales methodology. Download it here.
