Page 28 - The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million - PDFDrive.com

top universities across the United States. One of my favorite ways to start the
class is to ask the students, “What makes a great salesperson great?” The most
popular answers are consistent across venues and audiences: “aggressive,”
“convincing,” “great presenter,” “money-hungry.”

I don't think anyone has ever given me the answer I am looking for. Great
salespeople are naturally curious. They ask great questions, listen intently, and
probe into points of interest.

Great salespeople ask questions of potential customers in a manner that does not
feel interrogative. Instead, potential customers feel like great salespeople are
genuinely interested. After all, if the salespeople are truly great, they genuinely
take interest in the responses of their prospects.

Great salespeople educate potential customers through the questions they ask.
Their questions are thought-provoking and elicit introspection. “You know,
nobody has ever asked me that before. Now that I think about it.…”

Great salespeople quickly build trust in order to earn the right to ask personal
questions and to receive honest answers in return.

Great salespeople seek to understand customer goals, aspirations, fears, and
struggles—all through tactical questioning.

Students often ask me, “Mark, how can I prepare myself to be a top performer in
sales?” I offer the following advice: the next time you are at a wedding
reception, a school networking event, or a party on a Friday night, approach a
stranger and ask them questions. See how long you can question that individual
without mentioning anything about yourself. If the individual walks away from
the conversation feeling interrogated, you need more practice. If the individual
walks away thinking, “Wow, that was a really smart and interesting guy,” you are
on your way to becoming a great salesperson.

So how did we test candidates for curiosity? There are many areas in the
interview process, but I will highlight two especially important opportunities.

The first test of curiosity happens the moment I meet a candidate in the lobby.

“Hello, Jess. My name is Mark Roberge. Thanks for coming in today.”

Does the candidate start with a question? Does the candidate ask me about my
day? Did the candidate research my background and does she take the
opportunity to reference an observation from her findings? Based on my
responses, does the candidate follow up with smart, open-ended questions to