The top 1% of sales people understand this skill....

Top Earning Salespeople Use This 1 Easy Strategy to Outperform Everyone Else

Taken from an article written by: Darren Marble/May 1, 2018

Sales is one of the most common jobs in the US. But top salespeople know a secret--that can make them rich.

Let's start with the obvious: salespeople have a bad rap. …

But there is another group of salespeople--the elite one percent--who are an entirely different breed. These salespeople make it rain…They often have entire teams dedicated just to them, such as executive assistants, pre-sales resources, or others, because a support infrastructure empowers them to spend more time doing what they do best--sell.

But the top one percent of salespeople know a secret--

These elite salespeople also repeat a behavior, over and over. Except it's a different behavior than the bottom 99 percent. What is their secret to sales success?

THE TOP ONE PERCENT OF SALESPEOPLE ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.

The best salespeople don't pitch--they ask questions. They ask smart, savvy questions, immediately on a first call or meeting. They don't interrogate, but they do ask calmly, methodically, almost in hypnotic fashion, and create a cadence where the prospect is responding to one question after the next.

This simple strategy is exceptionally effective. The more questions the salesperson asks--and the more information the prospect yields--the better equipped the salesperson is to sell the deal.

Top salespeople start with qualifying questions to determine if the prospect they are speaking with is even worth their time. They ask questions around personal or business pain points, decision-making process, timeline and budget. Within five minutes, they will know if there is a qualified deal worth pursuing, or if they should move on to the next.

They take notes and mirror back answers not only to confirm what they've heard, but to let the prospect know that are listening.

It's not uncommon for prospects to interrupt the salesperson and ask their own questions about the product, service, pricing, or delivery. But top salespeople are massively disciplined, and will politely push back in order to continue their line of questioning.

In some instances, the perfect first meeting is one in which the salesperson says absolutely nothing about their product or service.

The next time you're on a first call with a prospect, challenge yourself to not to talk about your product or service at all. Ask the right questions instead, and map out your strategy for the next meeting. When you come back, you might be pleasantly surprised as to how easy it is to seal the deal--and begin your transition to the top one percent.

To read the full article:

https://www.inc.com/darren-marble/top-earning-salespeople-use-this-1-easy-strategy-to-outperform-everyone-else.html