Buyer, will you remember me? It is a curious thing. Most B2B buyers do not perceive sellers as different from one another. Given how much work goes into the development of products and services, this feels like a bucket of cold water over the head. In our work with sales teams, we hear, “but [...]
In a business-to-business (B2B) selling situation, persuading potential buyers to purchase is essential to the sales process. However, the methods used to persuade can have different impacts on the ethical implications of the sales pitch. In this blog post, we will compare ethical persuasion to traditional methods of persuasion in a B2B selling situation. [...]
Ethical Persuasion Has Arrived Persuasion often seems to be about someone else trying to convince you. This does not always feel good. However, in the current business environment, organizations are looking for more. Customers know their power and seek companies that take an ethical stance regarding their interactions. Could ethical persuasion effectively drive sales [...]
How do you define "crisis?" A turning point, a moment of danger, or a death knell? And what do you do when you define that there is a crisis? The way forward can be murky with events like COVID-19, industry disruptions, or economic downturns. You still have to meet your revenue goals, and the [...]
We must "find and solve the pain," to be told by traditional sales pontiffs. Sellers who leverage behavioral science in their methodology know that two equal and powerful motivators are at the core of every buying decision. Loss (pain) is one. Gain is the other. However, getting to the real reasons that motivate a [...]
What sales approach do you use the most? Most salespeople are inclined to build a relationship with the buyer through the adaptive selling approach. Adaptive selling is one of the best ways to build a relationship with the buyer and gain their trust. There is, however, a subtle and potential pitfall when using adaptive [...]
The sales reps looked really uncomfortable. No, it wasn't the furniture, the room temperature, or environmental things. It was the topic. We were training them to use a Sequence of Events with their buyers. Their sales manager was ready to tear his hair out because he requires them to use this tool and update [...]
Employee engagement numbers remain pretty bleak. The Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report noted that only 21% of all employees are engaged. The engagement level in 2022 is well below the 32.5% engagement we first reported in 2016. While these numbers refer to people across organizations, it does beg the question...what about sales [...]
In negotiations, our previous discussions emphasized the significance of "who speaks first." However, recent groundbreaking research in negotiation science has shed light on a new aspect: the divergent impact of pre-negotiation "small talk" on men and women negotiators. Brooke A. Shaughnessy, Alexandra A. Mislin, and Tanja Hentschel, esteemed researchers in this field, delve into [...]
Working with our client sales teams, the topic of selling "style" is typically something we encounter. "That's my style," "what I am comfortable with," or "I am just that kind of person"….is usually part of the description. Influence style "Selling style," or Influence Style, is critical to successful sales outcomes. It is that mix [...]
