Gap Selling is more than a new set of tactics for a seller. It is a profound shift in sales mindset that separates the good from the great. Having read the book, following our newsletters, or watching the weekly Gapinars, many sellers are making strides in understanding the strategic approach to Gap Selling, however, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that many are yet to embrace this mindset shift.
Escape the predator sales mindset
The sales world has engrained a mindset into sellers. We’ve been conditioned to accept a predatory mindset, to the point that we call outbound sales “hunters.” Traditional approaches commonly enter into a call like a hunter waiting for trigger words to pounce with a product feature. This dangerous mindset treats a sales call as an opportunity to sell aggressively, guided by a predetermined agenda. Knock it off.
Curious as a kid
Sellers need to shed this agenda’d approach. Start approaching a sales call with the curiosity of a 5-year-old encountering something new. Abandon the relentless pursuit of product pushing and instead, focus on understanding everything there is to know about the customer. Shift from a seller-centric attitude and mindset to a customer-centric exploratory one.
Your agenda is killing you
Problems arise when sellers cling to their preconceived agendas. Your brain is wired to seek connections between what the buyer is saying and the features or benefits of your product. It wants to connect those dots, thus hindering your curiosity.
Embrace the unknown
You don’t know everything about your buyer’s business. That’s okay, you’re not supposed to. You’re not there to sell, you’re there to learn and understand.
Improvise
Once you ditch the agenda, you open your brain up to making the connections between the technical problems the buyer is mentioning and the broader business problems and impacts. True Gap Sellers don’t follow a routine, they improvise and respond to the unique challenges of each customer.
What happens when you stop selling
Being a curious learner in a discovery is what sets Gap Sellers apart, customers let their guard down and answer questions candidly without the fear of being puked on with features.
This week’s episode of Gap Sell Keenan is one of the greats. Marc attempted to sell Keenan nearly 3 years ago. His questions and process has improved but his is still hindered by his seller’s mindset. Watch as the lightbulbs go on time and time again in this episode as Marc earns a second call.
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