30 Years In Sales: What You Can Learn From Steve Schiffman
Anyone who thinks sales is about manipulating prospects into buying a product or service need only spend five minutes talking to Steve Schiffman. This 30-year sales training veteran, best-selling author and motivational speaker has spent three decades getting to the heart of the sales process - from cold-calling to closing the sale - and, contrary to popular belief, there is heart in it!
Sales is about helping people do what they do better, Schiffman explains in his sales training programs and executive business coaching. And helping people do what they do better means developing a genuine interest in prospects and asking the right qualifying questions, or what he calls "do-based" questions.
In "The Qualifying Question Sales Myth" - one of hundreds of articles he's produced on the subject of sales - Schiffman writes this:
"Elaborate 'qualifying' questions are not really based on what the buyer does. They're based on what we, as salespeople do. We have to share information about our company. We have to convey the benefits of our product or service. We have to set ourselves apart from the competition. Prospects, however, are not interested in doing any of those things. They're interested in their own situation."
So instead of asking, "Would you be interested in hearing how my widget can improve the efficiency of your organization," you might ask, "Have you ever worked with a widget wholesaler before?" As Schiffman explains, you're keeping the focus on what the prospect does - not what you do. Instead of subjecting your lead to a one-way presentation, you've suddenly engaged him in a two-way conversation. Best of all, the story the prospect tells will open the door for you to share how your product or service is different (i.e., better).
Of course, this is just one of countless sales lessons Schiffman has learned through the years, on everything from cold calling to closing the sale - thousands of details he shares in-depth in his sales training programs, newsletters, webcasts, webinars, books, articles and in his role as a motivational speaker and for executive business coaching. Reaching audiences across the globe, Schiffman's sales programs are integrated into the sales cultures of major corporations all over the world, including IBM, AT&T, Motorola, Sprint and DHL.
Steve Schiffman is the President of D.E.I. Management Group, Inc. - one of the largest sales training companies in the United States. More than 500,000 professionals have participated in Schiffman's sales seminars, representing more than 9,000 companies. He is a frequent guest on national radio and television programs, and his articles have been published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and INC. Magazine. Schiffman's more than 30 best-selling books include Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) and The 25 Most Dangerous Sales Myths and How To Avoid Them.
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