ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.
Listen "Episode 152: We need to make sales more fun again ! (but we’re doing the opposite)"
Episode Synopsis
Sales is not easy, and all things not easy can be made fun. More on that later
What is not fun about sales now
Inherently disappointing : getting so many no’s for 1 yes’
We make it dull or frustrating in two ways
by the typical KPI management
Discussions about numbers
By throwing vague ideas around
Customer is key / our products have value
Can say that about everything at all times, it does not solve any problem
By justifying “the right way” all the time
“You should just sell like this and the business will grow”
If it doesn’t work, it is frustrating to having to repeat that all the time
It does not allow for alternative trials/ suggestions
What do we do to compensate, but what does not make it more fun
Coaching
Often analysis of who you are and what you should do to improve
At the level of your personhood, not ideas to can help you sell more
Also quite generic, simple tests, simple ideas (be more self conscious, we are all in this together)
What can actually make sales more fun ?
Approach it as a problem solving exercise
The problem of what to do or say so that the subjective valuation of your product by the customer goes up
You need a theory
About the valuation
About what to say or do
You need to improve your theory
Find better ways to convey
You can do that together with other sales people
Not as just sharing opinions
But really testing the theory “what is we did A instead of B, what would happen, and why ?”
Creativity ! new ideas / improved theories !
The role of data: to point to an issue / not something you derive conclusions about
All actions are a test of your theory. They provide useful information to change it or improve it. Don’t just celebrate succes, but more importantly learn from mistakes !
There is an objectively best theory about what to do to persuade a customer, it’s fun trying to seek it out, by throwing out ideas that don’t work and replacing them with ideas that might work
What is not fun about sales now
Inherently disappointing : getting so many no’s for 1 yes’
We make it dull or frustrating in two ways
by the typical KPI management
Discussions about numbers
By throwing vague ideas around
Customer is key / our products have value
Can say that about everything at all times, it does not solve any problem
By justifying “the right way” all the time
“You should just sell like this and the business will grow”
If it doesn’t work, it is frustrating to having to repeat that all the time
It does not allow for alternative trials/ suggestions
What do we do to compensate, but what does not make it more fun
Coaching
Often analysis of who you are and what you should do to improve
At the level of your personhood, not ideas to can help you sell more
Also quite generic, simple tests, simple ideas (be more self conscious, we are all in this together)
What can actually make sales more fun ?
Approach it as a problem solving exercise
The problem of what to do or say so that the subjective valuation of your product by the customer goes up
You need a theory
About the valuation
About what to say or do
You need to improve your theory
Find better ways to convey
You can do that together with other sales people
Not as just sharing opinions
But really testing the theory “what is we did A instead of B, what would happen, and why ?”
Creativity ! new ideas / improved theories !
The role of data: to point to an issue / not something you derive conclusions about
All actions are a test of your theory. They provide useful information to change it or improve it. Don’t just celebrate succes, but more importantly learn from mistakes !
There is an objectively best theory about what to do to persuade a customer, it’s fun trying to seek it out, by throwing out ideas that don’t work and replacing them with ideas that might work
In God we trust