Louise was a different kind of salesperson because she was always a student of her client’s problems looking for scraps of data to help her understand the client’s challenges. She never quit but, it was her methodical approach to empathizing that helped her become successful. She was an ordinary businesswoman, but with an exceedingly curious mind and the remarkable ability to consistently beat her sales quota.
You probably know someone like Louise, who is always asking questions or doing extensive research well before that first meeting. She studies her prospect like a wild cat tracks her prey, patiently observing.
Before walking into her customer’s office, Louise had a series of hypotheses that she wanted to test – as she gets to know more about the client’s pain points.
She described herself as a student of her client’s problems in her LinkedIn profile.
Beating Quotas Through Curiosity
I know of seven qualities that quota busters have and demonstrate them in every sales call:
- They study their prospects – rigorously, never just winging it.
- They learn everything they can before making that first phone call or sending an opening email.
- They have a process, and they follow it consistently and persistently.
- They only ask questions in meetings, never wasting time describing their companies’ products or services unless requested.
- They look for patterns in problems so that they can find opportunities.
- They follow up when promised and with urgency.
- They build common bonds.
Death of The Incurious Salesman
Salespeople who are pushy, overly aggressive, and talk too much have difficulty succeeding in the twenty-first century. Those skills have lost value and have been replaced by emotional intelligence, empathy, and an unswerving desire to be helpful.
The best salespeople don’t sell. They are students of their client’s problems and use hard work, empathy, and research to deliver value.
