Adapt Your Sales Process with an Audible
From Sales Development Expert, Mark Trinkle
Like an elite quarterback, an elite salesperson must be willing to change things up when they’re not working, and must be open to trying something completely different in the field. So, what can you do about it when things aren’t going your way and you need to increase sales?
By definition, an audible is, “A change in the offensive play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage.” If you ever watched Peyton Manning play in his day, you would know that he was the King of calling audibles.
A few years ago, I thought of that definition in Chicago, IL, as my Uber driver made several deviations from her GPS directions in transporting me from the Midway Airport into downtown.
As I rode along with the windows down on a beautiful and sunny day in the Windy City, my thoughts turned from sightseeing to salespeople—specifically, the need for salespeople to make changes on the fly, whether that be during the initial phone call, the first meeting, or even at the time they present their solutions.
Is there a better time than right now to try something different in your sales approach?
Anyone and everyone who has had any exposure to our company knows that we are completely sold on the importance of process. We have a table-pounding conviction around how important it is for a business driven by sales to have certain key processes in place regarding their sales infrastructure.
And, of course, we believe that sales training creates the most return on a client’s investment when the salespeople and sales managers are following a sales process, where opportunities are moving through the funnel in a stage-based and milestone-centric manner.
We believe that firms who lack a consistent sales process at first but eventually implement such a process can often see a 15% to 20% increase in new business sales.
But, here is something worth remembering—life is complicated. Ferris Bueller (I can’t come to Chicago and not think of him) told us to slow down or we might miss something.
And the same is true with selling. Sometimes you just need to slow down and do something unconventional. Sometimes you need to do something that is contrary to what even your training has taught you to do. Especially, in today’s times! With virtual selling becoming the wave of the future and many selling techniques and deliveries changing for the foreseeable future, is there a better time to change the play at the line of scrimmage and go for the touchdown?
Sometimes, you just need to call an audible.
To be clear, usually, your training is going to be correct. But, sometimes, you will need to remember that selling is both science and art, and the art part means you might need to listen to your heart and occasionally let that heart override your mind.
Of course, the best in the business know when to listen to their head and when to listen to their heart. And if they get it wrong every so often, so what?
They get back up and they keep going.
So, listen to your heart. Sometimes you will need to call an audible to get back on the saddle and to increase sales within your organization.
