If you want to find common ground at work, learn the power of conversations that win. I was recently in a meeting where we were discussing a new project. One person on my team suggested a course of action that I thought was risky. Another person chimed in and said that they agreed with the first person.
I felt outnumbered and outgunned. I took a deep breath and reminded myself of something important: it’s not about winning or losing. It’s about having productive conversations that lead to the best possible outcome for everyone involved. So instead of getting defensive, I asked questions and listened carefully to what my colleagues had to say.
We ended up finding common ground and came up with a plan that we all felt good about – one that would ultimately benefit our company and each individual on our team.
Conversations That Win
Conversations that win can persuade the other person to see your point of view and come to an agreement.
This can be done through active listening, showing empathy, and being able to articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely.
Messages
Most businesses use the same message for new customers as they do for existing ones. But there is a huge difference between the two.
And your ability to deliver value is in knowing both how to execute against and what to say.
Content
Your message will be forgotten by 90% of your audience in 48 hours after you deliver it. You can ensure that your content is remembered and acted upon by following evidence-based techniques.
Skills
Don’t just mimic what everyone else is doing. Instead, tailor your approach to each prospect and conversation.
Your sales, marketing, and customer success teams need to anticipate the questions your buyers will ask and have the skills to answer them. This way, you can keep your buyers engaged throughout their lifecycle.
Coaching
Coaching is the most important factor in sales success, but it’s often overlooked or not given the attention it deserves.
If you want to change the behavior of salespeople in the field, you need to be relentless in your focus on application, practice, coaching, and reinforcement. This process needs to be tailored around the way they learn for it to be effective.
B2B Sales and Marketing Book Club Review
Some of the world’s foremost companies turn to us for sales training.
Recently, we reviewed the Conversation that Wins the Complex Sales, a book that aims to help salespeople improve their communication skills.
The key to success is differentiating yourself from the competition. The best way to differentiate yourself is through customer engagement.
How can you win more conversations with your customers? According to Tim and Erik Peterson of corporate visions, the key to this is to rethink your messages to your sales lead. They should know their consulting firm specializes in teaching power messages, which is all about how to win more conversation.
One of Corporate Vision’s core services is teaching clients how to use Power Messaging. This technique is all about having conversations that win by focusing on the buyer’s perspective instead of your corporate message.
What is power messaging? It’s a technique that focuses more on telling a sales story from a buyer’s point of view rather than a corporate one. This establishes a connection and builds rapport.
You can craft more persuasive messages that close more sales by following this method.
What stood out to me most about chapter one was the message from the book that going with your instincts may not always be the best path to take.
In an industry as personal as selling, it may seem counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense in actual practice.
The authors of this article point out that:
The chapter “The Call” starts off with a story about Babe Ruth, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. It explains how he went from being a decent hitter to becoming the best in the world once he started using a lighter bat.
Sometimes, what you think is your best route to success isn’t actually what it appears to be.
Other CEOs at Chicago-based businesses, including myself, read “The Conversations that Win the Complex Sales” by Tim Riesterer.
How to Create Winning Sales Conversation
Decision-making sciences, such as behavioral economics, have become increasingly important to marketers.
If you want to understand the science behind why people make the choices they do in a buying process, then you need to check out Conversations That Win The Complex Sale. This book dives into the research and provides insights that can help you improve your marketing strategy.
Did you know that 60% of buyers have already decided what to buy before contacting you?
What if there was a way to get everyone on the same page and avoid a status-quo result?
If you want to learn how to have better customer conversations that will help you grow your business, this book is for you. You’ll learn how to revamp the way you do marketing and recharge your toolkit with new ideas.
B2B Marketing Week 1: Conversations That Win the Complex Sale
“The Conversation that Wins the Complex Sales” is a must-read for all B2B marketing professionals.
As a B2B marketer, it’s important to focus on crafting your message to align with customer needs and company goals. This helps to fill the communication gap between you and your sales reps, which can help them build better relationships with prospects and customers. Your sales people can more effectively connect with leads and close deals by being better prepared for customer conversations.
Week 2:Conversations That Win Part 2: Power of Change
All sales processes end with a decision-maker. If you prepare to have the conversation, you can close the deal.
If your message isn’t on point, you could lose the sale. In fact, most sales cycles (60%) end without making a decision. Don’t miss out on potential business by not having the right conversations!
However, most salespeople miss out on this new market full of companies that need help. You have the power to change your message and break from the mold.
Power of Story – Week 3
There are a lot of companies that do what we do, but our unique selling proposition is that we can do something our competitors can’t.
Even the smallest thing can be valuable if it’s unique to you and important to your customer. It’s what makes you different and sets you apart from your competition.
Week 4: Conversations That Win, Part 3: Power of Message
Learning how to have unique prospect conversations can be difficult. Once you identify your prospect’s Uniqueness, Master the Value Wedge, and Build a Message Pyramid, the conversation becomes much easier.
Now, you need to make your messages memorable. This is where using big pictures comes into play.
Conclusion
If you want to find common ground at work, learn the power of conversations that win. It’s not about winning or losing but about having productive prospect conversations that lead to the best possible outcome for everyone involved. So next time you’re in a meeting, take a deep breath and remember: it’s all about finding common ground and coming up with a plan that everyone can feel good about.
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Go through a variety of filters to zero in on the leads you want to reach. This is crazy specific, but you could find all the people that match the following:
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- Who have more than 10 employees
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- Who currently have job openings for marketing help
- With the role of HR Manager
- That has only been in this role for less than 1 year