Let’s first start with the word “proficiency” – It could mean different things to different people, right?
Therein-lies the first challenge that any corporate sales team needs to deal with, says Sam Selim, the Author of the Best How To Sell Book, Think the Think, and Creator of BRASS, the new Acceleration Selling System. Before we can improve anything, we need to take a step back, and identify what is working, and was is not. The book, and the system he created, help unveil some hidden keys to unleashing momentum and ongoing sales revenue impact. For example, the word “Proficiency” is actually the combination of two words, which likely go unnoticed – and therefore, unused. The two words are “Process” and “Efficiency”. When combined correctly, they give us “Proficiency”.
Okay, so now let’s forget all the cool salesy movies we have seen over the years – the catchy phrases, and the sharp suits, and instead, focus on the first word, first – Process. If we think of our sales career, as a series of many successful years of revenue growth, and an expanding customer base, with repeat clients and high retention, then we can look at what gets us there – in a steady repeatable way that possibly helps heal itself, and has a predictable flow of projectable revenue. Does that sound desirable? Yes, that is likely the big picture. If we think of it “backwards”, then it becomes clear that just merely changing or tweaking “one” thing, won’t impactfully change all three things needed – which are Pipeline Health, Customer Loyalty, and overall Selling Proficiency. This realization, is the first level of “awareness” we need to cultivate in our professional selling career. This mysterious level of expertise, is actually the most obvious and clear distinction, between average, and excellent. The best place to start is to help your team become more “Aware” of 1) What to do, 2) How to do it, and especially the following two – which most are unaware of, and that is 3) WHY do it, and 4) WHEN do it. The “Process” now ignites itself when we connect these four levels of awareness – and then through purpose, action and practice, we then cause the level of “Efficiency” to increase. So now we have identified the most unnoticed way to impact and improve Proficiency in Selling – Through Process and Efficiency.
The “WHY” and “WHEN”, help us increase Customer Loyalty, and Funnel Velocity – which directly effects Pipeline health. When we master this level of proactive awareness, we can also unleash the most prolific of all, in the realm of Professional Selling Acumen – that is being able to close the deal sooner, than our competitors - who are still unaware of what is going on. In his book, Sam goes on to say, there are two key pivots in this selling process – that create a natural and expected path, to a natural close, and when done correctly, at the right time, we create ongoing and lasting business results.
Author, Freelance writer