Have you ever been driving and come over the top of a hill and said “ohhhhhh WOW” either out loud or to yourself?
The danger is in the desire to be distracted by whatever gave you that feeling.
It’s happened to me in sales calls as well, I become mentally distracted by something that is said in the call.
This is one of the many reasons having multiple people on your sales call is important.
The Driver
I will say that the majority of the time, the salesperson will be in the driver’s seat. Taking the prospect/customer to their destination.
This of course means your sales eyes need to be on the road:
- Watching for speed limit signs; speeding up and slowing down accordingly
- Eyes peeled for wildlife or pedestrians darting into the road
- Making detours as needed
- Safely navigating from where you are to where you’re going
The flow of a call journey requires the same attention as driving somewhere new – don’t assume you’ve gone this way before and can relax.
Passenger
The prospect/customer is in the passenger seat – it’s no different than being on a road trip with someone. Although you’re driving, the passenger certainly has a say in how you’re doing.
They may:
- Ask you to slow down
- Need to make a pit stop
- Know a better route to the destination
- Get car sick
Your sales calls are a journey together – make sure your passenger is comfortable with the ride.
In The Back Seat
Any time you can, make sure to include a subject matter expert on your journey. It’s great to have someone listening in from the back seat AND to offer information to make the trip go smoothly.
They can also listen to your prospect/customer unincumbered by driving, so only have three responsibilities:
- Offer critical information and insight
- Listen
- Redirect if the salesperson gets distracted
Perhaps for part of the call your subject matter expert jumps into the driver role with the salesperson taking the back seat observer position.
Although everyone has their job on a road trip – it is also ok to pull over to the side and switch roles before you finish your journey. Just make sure it doesn’t feel like a clown car fire drill to your prospect/customer!
Zooming along,
Lynn