Selling IS something you DO TO a prospect.

In a previous thread it was revealed that...

... and I couldn't agree more!

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says selling ISN'T something you do TO a prospect but instead something you do WITH a prospect.

What's your take on the topic? -Seth

Proper selling as done by those that profess to be PROFESSIONALS would rarely ever sell TO someone.

EIRA.... Explore, Investigate, Recommend, and Agree... at the very least is a process a sales person should adopt, and the PRO'S go much further.

shds; ;bg -rattus58

To eliminate any concern over semantics, I am not saying that you are EITHER doing something TO a prospect or something WITH a prospect. Obviously, cooperation is important when working with a prospect and the desired outcome is TO MOTIVATE THE PROSPECT TO TAKE ACTION. -Seth

Maybe you should rephrase your question.... you're not making sense. -rattus58

I don't think there IS conventional wisdom advocating either stance.

Certainly, consultative selling is often viewed as a partnering WITH a prospect. I think many of the popular proprietary methodologies out there are also of that mindset, i.e., Action Selling, Spin Selling, Buying Facilitation, etc...but those don't represent "conventional wisdom" because the majority of salespeople are not familiar with those systems.

My take is that good selling is partnering with the prospect, not DOING something to him/her. -Ace Coldiron

Isnt selling about proving a solution to a customer with a problem? -motleymaiden

I think the challenge here is that different people have different meanings for "selling". What I find striking is that a good salesperson of all people should understand that words have different meanings to different people and seek first to understand usually through questioning (clarifying). That hasn't been happening. Consider the source I guess. -Seth

Whats your take on SPIN selling? I find the technique and the principles behind it very good. Its that sort of consultative approach that works in my industry. I think if used as a guide rather than 'to the letter' it can work very well with a customer.

But I'm told a lot of people frown upon it. -motleymaiden

SPIN SELLING is a very viable system. -Ace Coldiron

Yeah I like it, it seems to work well and I guess it calms you down from trying to offer a solution too quickly. A good technique for adding value also. -motleymaiden

What do you mean? -Ace Coldiron

This thread appears to have ran its course. I am going to close it down. -Jeff Blackwell