Many salespeople fail to make real progress because they are selling at the wrong time and don’t have context about the problem they’re trying to solve. What is gap selling and how does it solve this challenge faced by sales professionals? Why is identifying the impact of a problem just as important as identifying the problem itself?
On this episode, I’m joined by Keenan, the CEO of A Sales Guy Consulting and author of Gap Selling, to talk about why sales needs to change and how to make it happen.
"If you’re going to sell, you might as well build your selling methodology on the concept of change and how people decide." -Keenan
3 Things We Learned
How everything starts with the problem
It’s impossible to sell effectively without identifying and diagnosing the problem, but that’s just step 1 in the process. You also have to think about the impact of that problem so the buyer knows why they should even consider fixing it.
The definition of a “gap” in a sale, and why it’s important
When someone buys a product, they have assessed where they are now and where they want to be. The gap between those two spaces is where we should be selling them, instead of selling them on the future state.
The trap many entrepreneurs have created for themselves
Many entrepreneurs and agency owners believe they aren’t working for someone else. However, they have actually created a job that puts all their energy and motivation toward helping single clients. The problem is, all their value and impact ends with that one person. To avoid a job that will send you to an early grave, you should be spending time on processes that benefit all of your clients.
A great salesperson understands that sales is not product-centric— it’s problem-centric. You have to become extremely focused on the customer’s problem and the impact that problem is having on them. Ultimately, every action you take has to be informed by the problem. If you don’t know the nature, size, and impact of the problem, you won’t be able to justify your price, craft the right solution, or get that initial conversation to get you through the door.
Guest Bio-
Keenan is the CEO/President of A Sales Guy Consulting. He is also a keynote speaker, Forbes Contributor, Award Winning Blogger and author of Gap Selling: Getting the Customer to Yes: How Problem-Centric Selling Increases Sales by Changing Everything You Know about Relationships, Overcoming Objections, Closing and Price.
To learn more or get his book, go to https://www.asalesguy.com/
