“If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will not only be happier; we will have a distinct advantage over other people who fail to realize they are fighting an unwinnable battle…….” Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman … The Daily Stoic

What Holiday and Hanselman are telling us is the truth. As Persuasion Professionals (aka Professional Selling), we constantly push against it as we move leads, prospects, and customers through our sales cycles.

What we control

If we step back and examine what we control in the sales cycle, it comes down to three elements:

1. Ourselves – our perceptions, actions, and will
2. Our activities – what we do
3. Our command and mastery of the sales conversation – what we say

Beyond these areas, we have little if no control. We don’t control:

• the product
• pricing
• marketplace
• the companies we represent
• buyers’ thoughts or what they say or do

Master the Elements

How can we be successful as Persuasion Professionals with little control over all the moving parts of a sales cycle? Mastering these three elements will separate you from your competition and ensure success.

Ourselves

Control over ourselves is a personal journey for each of us. Furthermore, becoming aware of yourself and others and acting with intent can set you apart from your competition. To achieve mastery of this element, consider enlisting the support of a professionally trained and certified coach. One of the best sources for these professionals is the International Coaching Federation. The ICF is the gold standard for ethics and regulation in an unregulated profession.

What We Do

The activities for sales success are in your organization’s metrics and KPIs.

Sales activities and their process have a rigorous framework around them. They are all recorded and tracked in a CRM or other activity-tracking tool. With all the tracking and measuring around activities, you could argue that the individual salesperson has limited control of activities. However, even with all the monitoring, you can still choose how well you want to perform the activities that are essential to you and your business.

What We Say – Sales Conversation Mastery

The sales conversation is the other element where you have complete control. Activities are objective and easy to report, track and analyze; the sales conversation is a black box. Only you and the buyer know what was said and heard. The perception of the discussion will vary depending on whom you talk to, as we all will have our perspectives. Since no one controls what you say, how can you optimize this freedom to achieve your ideal outcome? It starts with optimizing your conversation skills.

Curious Listening

Perfecting your conversation skills is a study in human communication and can take a lifetime. The good news is that you don’t need a Ph.D. in human communication to improve your conversation skills and be more effective in your selling. You can set yourself apart from your competition if you practice the skill of curious listening.

Curious listening has three elements-curiosity, observation, and silence

• Being curious about the totality of what is communicated, not just what is said in words. Words only convey a small percentage of what is being communicated. We use other communication elements like tone and physical movement to communicate as well.
• Observing if the tone and physical movement match the words used adds more information about what is being communicated. Words are porous and take on a variety of meanings when you add elements like tone and physical movement.
• Silence is powerful. Giving your buyers verbal space allows them to reflect on your message. The same is true when you respond. A slight pause before and after you talk emphasizes what you are saying.

Takeaways

The hard truth is that in sales, we don’t control much. Ourselves, our activities, and our command or mastery of the sales conversation are the only things we control. Activities are up for debate, but we can still choose to do them well or not.

Our absolute control is found in ourselves, what we are aware of and our intent, and our mastery of what we say in the sales conversation. While being an exceptional conversationist takes time and practice, you can improve the quality of your conversations by practicing curious listening. Curious listening is that skill that blends curiosity about what is said, what we observe and gives space between the spoken words to achieve a deeper understanding and connection with others.

When you think about sales effectiveness at your organization, does it seem like you are close but just missing those unique elements that give you that competitive edge? Looking for a way to understand how your buyer thinks, decides, and reveals information? At The Nova Consulting Group, we believe that professional selling is a craft. With the Advanced Sales Conversation©, you have those missing elements that move your salespeople from competency to mastery. With our deep understanding of what makes and sustains high-performance organizations, we provide integrated solutions that do not replace your sales methodology and yet advance a progressive selling mindset. Be bolder, more insightful, and get results. To learn more about how to master the craft of sales and encourage sustainable high performance, call  (617) 933-7249 or email info@novaconsultinggrp.com.

Image: “Into the Light”, Zack Elwart