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What does your client actually need to know?
STOP TALKING…when you present a solution.
Think about the problem your client is trying to solve—or the priorities they shared when they first described what they want to accomplish.
Those are the things you need to discuss.
When selling upper-end products, there can be a tendency to justify the price by sharing everything we know. We tell the product’s story, explain how it was made, list its features, and keep adding information in the hope that more details will create more value.
But inf…
The quickest way to make a client feel unheard
STOP TALKING…about yourself.
This is a tough one, and it might sound a little harsh.
When a client starts talking about their German Shepherd, it’s not necessarily an invitation to talk about your French Bulldog.
Even when you have a strong connection with the client—and even when you’re intentionally looking for similarities that might deepen that connection—resist the temptation. Instead of talking about your dog, ask more questions about theirs.
This can be challenging because sharing our…
The sales skill most people rush past
You ask the client a thoughtful question.
They begin answering—and somewhere in the middle of their response, you hear something familiar. You know exactly what they need. You have the solution. You’re ready to help. So you jump in. The problem is that they weren’t finished. You may have answered the first thing they said, but missed what they were actually trying to tell you.
The most useful thing you can say after asking a good question may be nothing at all.
This month, we’re looking at on…
DISC only works if you actually practice it
Practicing DISC adaptation is key to mastery. And you do not have to wait until you are standing in front of a customer to practice. Practice with EVERYONE: on the phone, listening to the radio, waiting in line at the grocery store, or watching people interact.
Watch and listen to people and notice their pace, their words, their energy, the level of detail they give, and how quickly they respond. Also notice when your assessment of their DISC style gets overshadowed by your judgment of their be…
Stop selling the way YOU like to buy
Serve Customers the Way They Want to Be Served
People buy based on how they experience the world: their emotions, their pain, their preferences, and their motivations. Those preferences often align with their DISC style, which means HOW they want the interaction and process to go matters just as much as what they are buying.
Dominance: Move quickly, give fewer details, present the best option, and make transitions efficiently.
Influence: Bring energy and enthusiasm, engage with them, and compli…
The uncomfortable part of adapting
Adapting behavior works because people notice difference, not similarity. As you begin to practice adapting to other DISC styles, I want you to pay attention to something else too: your own resistance to doing it.
Some of that resistance comes from how we interpret certain behaviors. If you are adapting to someone with a Dominance style, for example, their direct, abbreviated communication may feel harsh to you because you are more comfortable with descriptive or inclusive communication. If you…
Can you sell at your customer’s pace?
,
Identifying the DISC style of others is the first step to building rapport and connection. The next, and crucial, step is consciously and intentionally pacing your energy and rhythm with the person you are speaking with. This is practicing behavioral flexibility.
People notice difference, not similarity. When we have rapport with someone, we naturally adopt some of their pacing and adapt to their style. The more intentional you become about doing this, the better you can create an interactio…
What is your customer telling you before they buy?
Your customer’s DISC style influences how they buy and how they want the interaction to go. Every DISC style has identifying behaviors that are classic to them. These behaviors might show up in gestures, facial expressions, pace, or the way someone communicates.
Communication is one of the best identifiers because it is natural and often a knee-jerk reaction. Both the content and delivery of what someone says give you clues. Rather than waiting for someone to offer information, prompt them by a…
Stop trying to sell like someone else
Are you so focused on correcting your weaknesses that you have overlooked what you naturally do exceptionally well?
You do not need to become a different salesperson to become a more effective one. You do need to know what you naturally do well, where that strength can work against you, and how to use it more intentionally.
DISC is a behavioral assessment that identifies four primary Styles—Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance—and I use it to help salespeople and leaders recognize,…
DISC for Sales Professionals: Understanding Yourself
Before you can adapt to your customer, you need to understand yourself.
That was the focus of this month’s Sales Skills session: using DISC to better understand how your natural behavioral style shows up in the sales process—and where it may be helping or hurting your results.
DISC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Each Style reflects different behavioral preferences in areas like communication, decision-making, pace, relationships, problem-solving, and response to r…
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