Hone Your Superpowers
"On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Traditional media sales is going through a rough patch that is causing sellers and sales managers to question everything. Ultimately, the question that is most pressing is, "How do sellers get better in such a way as to impact business right now?"
I say that you should be honing your superpowers.
You say you don't have superpowers? Sure, you do. Just think about what you can do better than 10,000 other people and you will have identified a superpower. Accomplished sellers always have at least one superpower and probably two or more. Most of us don't think of our abilities as superpowers because we've always been able to do them and we think most people can do what we do. But, the truth is that if you are successful in sales there is something about you that is hard to replicate and that is the attribute that must be sharpened until it is your very best weapon.
While you may not be faster than a speeding bullet, you might be able to cold call fifty prospects an hour without ever letting rejection derail your positive spirit;
Or, you might be able to make a presentation that makes people laugh or cry;
Or, you might be able to explain something very complicated in simple, easy-to-understand terms;
Or, you might have a knack for getting busy business owners to return your phone call or e-mail;
Or, you might be able to get strangers to open up to you as if they have known you for years;
Or, you might emerge as the leader in every group you join - even your Thursday night bowling team;
Or, you might inspire hope among the desperate;
Or, you always look at the bright side;
Or, you love to try something new;
Pick any one of these superpowers and break down the activity associated with it into component parts. Then, you'll know how to improve your superpower.
For example, let's say that your superpower is getting decision makers to return your phone calls. Break it down:
1) Have somebody watch you do it and then ask them for an evaluation:
a. Do you affect a particular tone?
b. Are there specific words you use that seem more powerful than standard words?
c. Do you offer a call to action that is more compelling than normal?
2) Watch an ordinary person do the activity for which you have a superpower
a. Can you see the differences between your execution and theirs?
b. Which parts of what they are doing do you inherently know need to be changed?
3) Try to analyze the emotions you are feeling when you are doing this activity well
a. Would it be possible to put yourself into this emotional state on purpose?
b. Do other people report having these same feelings when doing this activity?
4) Is there a posture that goes along with the activity when you are doing it well?
a. Do you close your eyes?
b. Are you smiling?
c. Is it quiet around you?
When you figure out the conditions or circumstances necessary for you to display this superpower consistently, you'll be in command of it. Imagine being able to wake up in the morning and say to yourself, "Today I will get eight decision makers to return my phone calls."
Imagine how powerful you will become when you can harness and summon your superpower at will!
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Friedrich Nietzsche
Traditional media sales is going through a rough patch that is causing sellers and sales managers to question everything. Ultimately, the question that is most pressing is, "How do sellers get better in such a way as to impact business right now?"
I say that you should be honing your superpowers.
You say you don't have superpowers? Sure, you do. Just think about what you can do better than 10,000 other people and you will have identified a superpower. Accomplished sellers always have at least one superpower and probably two or more. Most of us don't think of our abilities as superpowers because we've always been able to do them and we think most people can do what we do. But, the truth is that if you are successful in sales there is something about you that is hard to replicate and that is the attribute that must be sharpened until it is your very best weapon.
While you may not be faster than a speeding bullet, you might be able to cold call fifty prospects an hour without ever letting rejection derail your positive spirit;
Or, you might be able to make a presentation that makes people laugh or cry;
Or, you might be able to explain something very complicated in simple, easy-to-understand terms;
Or, you might have a knack for getting busy business owners to return your phone call or e-mail;
Or, you might be able to get strangers to open up to you as if they have known you for years;
Or, you might emerge as the leader in every group you join - even your Thursday night bowling team;
Or, you might inspire hope among the desperate;
Or, you always look at the bright side;
Or, you love to try something new;
Pick any one of these superpowers and break down the activity associated with it into component parts. Then, you'll know how to improve your superpower.
For example, let's say that your superpower is getting decision makers to return your phone calls. Break it down:
1) Have somebody watch you do it and then ask them for an evaluation:
a. Do you affect a particular tone?
b. Are there specific words you use that seem more powerful than standard words?
c. Do you offer a call to action that is more compelling than normal?
2) Watch an ordinary person do the activity for which you have a superpower
a. Can you see the differences between your execution and theirs?
b. Which parts of what they are doing do you inherently know need to be changed?
3) Try to analyze the emotions you are feeling when you are doing this activity well
a. Would it be possible to put yourself into this emotional state on purpose?
b. Do other people report having these same feelings when doing this activity?
4) Is there a posture that goes along with the activity when you are doing it well?
a. Do you close your eyes?
b. Are you smiling?
c. Is it quiet around you?
When you figure out the conditions or circumstances necessary for you to display this superpower consistently, you'll be in command of it. Imagine being able to wake up in the morning and say to yourself, "Today I will get eight decision makers to return my phone calls."
Imagine how powerful you will become when you can harness and summon your superpower at will!
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Great advice,
Now take the same approach with your buyer’s buying process.
We are paid to be experts in the buying process. Are there areas in the process that take longer? Have you tried some new approach that seems to speed buyers through what used to be roadblocks? Are there common places sales stagnate?
For years we have been told sales is an Art, however adding science only improves your odds for exceeding quota.
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