Right now, more so than ever, it is critical for salespeople to learn how to navigate in a tight economy. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host, Donald Kelly, talks with the co-founder of DocSend, Russ Heddleston, about how to listen more, use the prospect's language, and how do ONE thing well for them.

Why won’t order-takers survive in a tight economy?

Over the last few years, more and more order-taking roles are being pushed to automation. The role of the salesperson is changing because of the amount of competition and vendors. What can we do?

Be curious and listen more

Your first job is to listen and understand why you are having a conversation and how you can help your customer.
Look up who you are talking to ahead of time. Russ says that very few of the salespeople he talks to have done their research ahead of time.
The process will move faster if you are more patient on your first calls.

Bridge the gap between value and the company's goals

Companies have been through the ringer in the past year, so have empathy for your prospect.
Your best bet to get them to buy is to understand their business. Understand what they are trying to solve so that you can become a partner to them.

Use their own language

The person you are talking to is not the only person involved in the buying decision. Even if you convince them, they need to convince everyone else in the company.
To help your champion save time, recognize their language and use it so that they can turn around and explain it to their company.
If you are not versed in their industry, talk to product marketing and your support team, then document it for the next person.

Do ONE thing well for them

Make it simple, not complicated, for why they should buy.
Take all the value propositions your product has and boil it down to one thing. The discovery is key in this process so you know what is important to them.

Episode resources

Connect with Russ on Twitter and Linkedin.
Check out DocSend here.

This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

The sales landscape is totally changing. The way that we are selling is out of line with the way our prospects are buying. You need to adapt to succeed. Imagine if you could use data that could give you insights into when somebody is ready and the challenges they are facing so you can fine-tune your message specifically toward them. Deep Sales, a part of the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can help you do just that. Check it out yourself and get a 60-day free trial at Linkedin.com/TSE.

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