Tom, a recent sales hire, was struggling. He knew his closing ratios were not what they could be. He asked his manager, Victor, for some help in figuring out why.
Victor agreed to sit in on some of Tom’s initial phone discussions with prospective buyers, and to accompany Tom on a couple of his sales meetings. After work, the two went out to lunch together to debrief on everything that had happened, and to see if Victor could offer Tom any insights that might improve his interactions with prospective buyers.
“What’s the most important change you think I could make?’ Tom asked. “If you were a prospect, what would make it easier for you to decide t buy from me?”
“Well,” Victor replied, “one thing did jump out at me. I’m a little uneasy about sharing it, though, because it’s something I have had a little difficulty with myself sometimes.”
This piqued Tom’s interest. “Really? What that?” he asked.