Xerox Professional Selling Skills

Jim, it's unclear to me how I've survived in sales by ignoring politics and preference (your inference).

From a mulitude of threads to date, the implication from numerous (Junior?) members seems to be that "whatever the sales course says is real" (ie. no room for personalities, no room for - in this case - customer preference, etc.). PSS/SPIN-trained Xeroids covered the globe and, throughout, they excelled against the competition. I'm not sure where your comment originates ...

In business, I am not a strong believer in following the writing of any single individual. In fact, it's been decades since I opened a business-oriented book.

Nowhere in any of my training did it say, "crank down the listening skills"! There simply isn't a successful SR out there who has ignored what's transpiring across the desk during their calls.

In my 30 plus years, NOT a single client would call our interface "mechanical". I don't consider myself an "exemplary" example of a PSS-trained SR (many were ahead of me then and now). But I certainly have done well with the fundamentals provided by this type of training. It's uncertain where your comment originates ...

Interestingly, wrt your comments about "older/newer" styles and the advent of the internet impacting selling cycles:
1. as an individual, I never failed to exceed plan; and,
2. my team(s) have over-achieved consistently throughout;

The style which I have evolved include listening skills at the top, a touch of my sense of humour (somewhat dangerous), excellent skills at qualifying/probing, great presentation skills, and superb closing skills. Years of experience added business acumen (I was quite naive on this topic through the initial period). As the gray hair takes over, I've morphed into a strong mentor/motivator.

I do not believe that any sales training course is measurably "better" than any of the others. I do, however, believe that not all training courses are meant for all SRs. This is a niche which fits well within the scope of OUTSource Sales Consulting (ie. assisting organizations to find the right training for their specific needs).

Sorry Jim but I think you need to see the sales skill training landscape for what it truly is: broad, competitive and multi-faceted.

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUTSource Sales

Jim, it's unclear to me how I've survived in sales by ignoring politics and preference (your inference).

You don't need to be catty, Pat. I didn't say I ignored politics and preference. I said that the sales methodologies I mentioned did not account for politics and preference in their approach.

Quote:

In fact, it's been decades since I opened a business-oriented book.

I would love to make some recommendations for your reading list.

Quote:

I do not believe that any sales training course is measurably "better" than any of the others.

I disagree. I think that a sales methodology that actually helps a salesperson close deals; is easy to use; doesn't just exist as a tool to produce information for upper management; and 'sticks' (i.e., is used for more than the 30 to 45 days that most sales training actually lasts) IS better than those that don't. Now, that said, if a particular method works for you (collectively) then that method is the best one for you (again, collectively).

Quote:

I think you need to see the sales skill training landscape for what it truly is: broad, competitive and multi-faceted.

Agreed.

Jim

Jim, no "cattiness" intended, however, you must admit that your post was directed at those with my background. So, rather than cattiness, I would have preferred that you see my comments in the context in which they were intended.

Your comments about sales methodologies "ignoring politics & preference" infers that people who are founded in those methodologies would suffer some difficulties ... it's simply untrue in real life, Jim. I am a successful example and I could point out my peers who "went thru" with me.

With regard to business books, I have a shelf full of unread material. Thanks anyway. My point wasn't that there aren't good ones out there, rather, I get concerned when I hear junior SRs re-reading phrases and throwing them out in meetings. It also concerns me when SRs feel that any single book on selling skills has "changed the world". I frequently read epic novels which span generations because they are complex and entertaining.

Your selective quote about one course being better than the other is somewhat demeaning as you've chosen to ignore the point which I was making: sales skills training is VERY dependent upon the individual/org'ns specific needs. In this regard, there is NOT a course which is "better" (ie. my comment taken out of context). In point of fact, you're re-phrasing the essence of my comments in this area.

Jim, this isn't being catty and it's not delivering a spanking. But you've struck a nerve with your selective use of my well considered comments which were based on 30 plus years of experience. I'd like to think that my input to these forums is both enjoyable and the content is meaningful. If that is not the case, I'll move to another thread.

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat

Pat,

My guess is that we are closer to agreeing on this than either of us will admit. However, I agree that we've beat this horse to death. I'll move along, too.

Good Luck and Good Selling to you, as well.

Jim

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcundiff

Buyers don't want to be put through some mechanical process. They want someone to come in, identify a problem and provide a cost-effective solution.

Could not agree more. Business people do not have time to waste. They want you to get to the point and discuss what is of interest to them. And, ultimately, money is behind most decisions, for instance; even if the benefit is employee moral. Staff can certainly be said to be more productive when they are happy and thus the company makes more money.

No argument in that regard, none at all.

What I do not see in your post Jim is what it is about PSS that does not hone in on exactly this very importance. It is a Need Satisfaction Process, what you apparently refer to as Solution Selling, in that you are going to uncover or identify a problem. This is the very core of the training.

I am sorry, I am sure your company and it's training is outstanding, that anyone taking it would benefit tremendously but the two things that I cannot go along with are; (1) for training to STICK it needs to be practiced, and; (2) Need Staifaction Selling definetly does uncover or "identify a problem and provide a cost-effective solution".

Furthermore, I wholeheartedly agree with OUTSource Sales. "It's unclear to me how I've survived in sales by ignoring politics and preference." And, having spoke to him on the phone, I do not think he intended to be "catty" at all. I think he truly believes 100% what he stated in his post.

Jim, I would love to study some of your materials. I am the most open minded sales professional and sales trainer on the planet. I just cannot see a difference nor place much weight on politics. I think what you said was absolutely correct - "They want someone to come in, identify a problem and provide a cost-effective solution." With the key word in that sentence being WANT. WANT as in NEED ... as NEED SATISFACTION.

We can call a spade a shovel, it does not change what that tool does. It simply another name for it.

The only significant changes I have seen in sales training in three decades of studying the subject is the industry has renamed the spade (several times)!

Jim, thanks for the post (we are beating it to death ... you're right)! I'm probably a little touchy as I'm a week out of some surgery (this time last week, the epidural & catheter were still in). Apologies if I was a little heavy!

Gold, where did you find that line:
The only significant changes I have seen in sales training in three decades of studying the subject is the industry has renamed the spade (several times)!

Keep the faith, guys!

Regards,
Pat

Hey OUTSource Sales ... in answer to your question ...

Quote:

where did you find that line?

It came from a fit of desperation, brought on by the frustration of having to read a pile of crap from people who could not hold a candle to my ... seriously. All I can think of this evening is that line from Death of a salesman, the one that goes; "Why I could out box ..."

To everyone, OUTSource Sales is certainly more politcally correct than I will ever be. My hats off to him. A good man and a great sales guy, no doubt.

As for me, I am completely convinced that nothing has changed that would make Og Mandini's Biblical Carpet Salesman, the hero of "The World's Greatest Salesman", unable to excel on the streets of Chicago, New York, Toronto or L.A in today's world.

The only significant development in sales since I began is the Internet. And it is hugely negative in most aspects except the ability to demonstrate live (your desktop) without having to travel to the prospect.

And the sales training benefits ... which could be positive. But most of what is online is lousy.

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