Make That Sale ... Without the Sleaze!

What do you think of when you hear the word "salesperson?" For most, the images are not pleasant: polyester, used car lots, tacky, scripted closing techniques, and misleading statements.

From the IT professional's point of view, selling is even more unpleasant. Sell an IT product (be it software or Web development services), and you must deal with:

• Prospects who avoid talking to you, even though you know your service offering is excellent
• The frustration of chasing prospects for what seems like forever, yet never getting a straight answer
• Constant bargaining over price
• Fear that you've overlooked the one critical point that, if only you knew what it was, would have the prospect clamoring to sign the engagement letter
• Feeling lousy about your business because of the frustrations involved in selling

The truth is that selling is easy and natural. Best of all, you can be yourself when you speak to clients, and you can close all the deals you want without any of the traditional sales gimmicks and scripts. In fact, the more authentic and honest you are, the more clients and projects you'll attract. Selling can become a natural, easy process -- as we'll see through the course of this article.

The key to success is to understand that "selling" is no more than a series of conversations: a way to assess whether it makes sense for you and the prospect to work together, and if it does, to move towards an engagement.

This article focuses on the skills you need to sell more effectively and naturally. First, we'll look at a set of principles that will help you sell. I'll then explain the key method I've found to measure and improve my own selling effectiveness -- a method that will work just as well for you.

Make Sales -- and Maintain Your Dignity -- in 9 Steps

Following are 9 principles that top Web professionals follow to close all the business they need – without the indignity of traditional sales techniques.

Principle #1: Rely on Trust-Based Marketing

Marketing gets prospects interested and brings them to your door. Selling is the set of conversations you have with prospects to assess, fit and structure an engagement. As I mentioned in a prior article, A Revolutionary Marketing Strategy ...Trust Me, you'll attract plenty of prospects if you market your services on the basis of establishing trust and credibility within your target market.

When you provide valuable information, such as articles and seminars, or take the time to educate your prospects (for example, about how they can create a powerful Web presence), their perception of you improves automatically. Your target customers will begin to perceive you to be an expert and a strategic advisor -- not just another salesperson or vendor. And they will come to you for advice.

Suddenly, everything changes. You don't have to chase prospects, and you don't have to rely on tacky sales gimmicks and scripts to close business.

Principle #2: Don't Sell, Talk.

If you follow the first principle, chances are good that the prospect already knows about your capabilities, trusts you, and believes that you can help solve their problem.

Therefore, you can forget about selling. All you have to do is be yourself, and work collaboratively with the prospect to find out whether it makes sense for you to work together – whether there's a fit between the client's needs and your offerings. If it does make sense, fantastic! If it doesn't, shake hands, ask him or her to call if anything changes, and ask who else they know that might benefit from your solutions.

Principle #3: You Don't Need This Job.

I learned this principle from David Sandler's book, You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar. If you need to win an engagement, you probably won't. You'll be too tense, too desperate, and the potential client will notice. I've managed teams of business development professionals before, and know from experience that the person who needs to close the deal the most usually get the worst results.

Go in with the philosophy that you want the job, not that you need it.

Principle #4: Be Authentic.

Being authentic means expressing your concerns and issues openly. It also means setting realistic expectations about what you can and can't do for the potential client.

For instance, when budget issues come up, you might say: "Sue, I appreciate that you only have $1,500 to spend on this project. We can get some results for that price, but we can't achieve everything you want us to. What part of this project is most important to you?"

Principle #5: Ask Open-Ended Questions.

During a meeting with a prospect, many Web designers launch into a pitch about their capabilities, clients, and view of the world. Meanwhile, the client is thinking, "When's he going to ask about my needs?"

Questions are much more powerful than answers. That's why top business development professionals make it a point to ask lots of open-ended questions. They listen closely to what the potential client has to say. That way, they can understand the potential client's needs and criteria, determine whether there's a fit between the client's business and their own, and identify the best strategy by which to win the engagement.

It takes skill and discipline to focus on asking questions when you meet with prospects. Try it!

Principle #6: Show Empathy.

Empathize with potential clients by stepping into their shoes. Nothing is more powerful than being able to reflect back a prospect's frustration with a problem. For instance, "I know exactly how that must feel. I had the same problem when I…" Or, "That must be frustrating…"

Similarly, instead of saying, "Here's what you should do," say, "If I were in your shoes, I would..."

On a related subject, make sure that you show the potential client that their problems and concerns are valid. Some IT professionals have a knack for making people feel stupid -- obviously this is not a great way to win an engagement. By showing empathy, you show the prospect that you're on their side, and they appreciate that.

Principle #7: Make it About Them.

Treat these conversations as a way to begin serving the prospective client. In other words, make this process about them first, and you second. Yes, you can and should push back if certain terms of the engagement won't work for you. At the same time, be sure to show the potential client that you're willing to be flexible and creative to make the engagement work for them.

At this stage in your conversations, the potential client is assessing what it will be like to work with you in the longer term. By showing them up-front that you're committed to serving their needs and generating the results they want, you increase the chances that they'll hire you.

Principle #8: Drive Appropriately Towards a Decision.

Some IT professionals push too hard to close. Others don't push at all.

The top IT sales people drive appropriately towards a 'yes' or 'no' decision from the prospect. They show the prospect why it makes sense to move forward, and what it will cost if they don't. Then, they ask the prospect to make a decision.

However, they never use tacky techniques or push too hard for the prospect to sign a contract.

Principle #9: Assume the Best.

The top IT professionals I know assume the best of each sale. Even when others give up, they still assume that they can make something happen to create an engagement. They stay in touch with the potential client, suggest new solutions, and maintain a can-do attitude.

These people are not crazy. They don't pursue engagements that don't make sense. They don't stalk. But they do keep trying until they get a definite 'yes' or a definite 'no.'