Ahente 5.0: The Ultimate Ahente A Complete Guide to Becoming a Sales Superstar: Ahente Series

By Emmanuel N. Santos

Ahente 5.0: The Ultimate Ahente contains updates on the most practicable contents from the first four books, and introduces loads of new topics and sure-fire techniques that will give you the edge you need to beat your quotas. The topics include: goal-setting and developing a winning attitude, sourcing high value and high probability prospects, advantage selling, sales approach that impresses buyers, delivering powerful sales presentations, advanced closing techniques, and so much more. This is the comprehensive conclusion to the bestselling Ahente series, guaranteed to turn you from a struggling ahente into a sales superstar.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anvil Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9789712736858

Book preview

PREFACE

Luctor et Emergo. I struggle and emerge. This Latin saying characterizes the journey of a salesperson from a neophyte to a sales superstar. Overcoming challenges, hurdling roadblocks, and experiencing drawbacks are part and parcel of the profession. More failures than successes characterizes the life of a seller. Majority failed, some survived, and a few succeeded. For those who failed, contentment resides in the lessons learned. For those who survived, a challenge to be better lingers. For those who succeeded, a dream is fulfilled. But they have one thing in common—all of them struggled. The intent of this book is to ease the struggle.

Ahente 5.0: The Ultimate Ahente imparts field-tested sales practices to improve the salesperson’s chances of emerging in a very challenging profession. It is by no means exhaustive as only those materials that can readily hasten sales performance were included. Some of the discussions were lifted from my earlier works (albeit modified) simply because they are still very relevant in today’s selling environment. They are my best practices in selling. New materials were also added to enhance the discussions. Content-wise, the book is composed of six chapters: Chapter One is about determining the right sales approach. Here, an attempt is made to solve the long debated query, Is sales science or art? The answer to this question impacts one’s approach to selling. Chapter Two is on sales attitude. The focus is on crafting of individual goals. This activity is essential as one’s goals affect one’s attitude. Attitude is considered to be the key ingredient to success in sales. As former British Prime Minister Winston Chruchill said, Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. Chapters Three to Six substantially discuss the four stages in the sales process: prospecting, approach, presentation, and closing the sale. Takeaways from these chapters include accessing an unlimited supply of potential buyers, successfully setting up appointments, delivering powerful sales presentations, and closing sales using a combination of closing techniques.

On a personal note, I would like to thank those who have supported my earlier books: Ahente: A Sales Professional’s Handbook, Ahente 2.0: 21 Tips to Deliver Powerful Sales Presentions, Ahente 3.0: Closing Techniques Sales Pros Use, and Ahente 4.0: Prospect Unlimited. I am emboldened to write another one because of your very encouraging feedback.

These are challenging times. But the challenge lies within ourselves. As sellers, our commitment to adapt to a changing environment spells the difference between failure and success. It is, indeed, a matter of choice. Choose wisely!

Chapter One

Determining the Right Sales Approach

The greatest scientists are artists as well.

–Albert Einstein

Is Selling Science or Art?

Finding out whether the profession of sales is science or art helps us ascertain how to approach our sales activities. Do we approach it systematically and methodically? Or are we going to rely solely on our ability to influence and persuade people? This is the reason why it is paramount that we arrive at an answer to the question: Is selling science or art?

Before attempting to answer this question, these two words need to be closely looked at. Let us examine science first. What is science? Definitions of science abound—some simple, some complex. However, if you go through each one, certain similarities that fully capture the essence of the word become apparent. These are:

Science is a pursuit of knowledge;

it endeavors to understand both natural and social world;

it follows systematic methodology; and

it is evidence-based.

If selling is a science, it needs to be consistent with the tenets enumerated above. Let us take them one by one.

First, is selling a pursuit of knowledge? Yes, it is. Learning how to sell is a continuous process. Aside from numerous seminars, workshops, and sales clinics that sellers participate in, they get exposed to different selling situations every day—customers of varying types, various needs and wants, different scenarios, what have you. So, whether they are able to close the sale or not, the experience always brings about new information that are processed at the end of the day. This undertaking is purposely done with the intention of acquiring valuable insights that can be used in the next engagement. And they appreciate this reality. They cope, adapt, and more importantly, anticipate.

Second, is sales an attempt to understand the natural world? Indeed it is. Sellers operate in a society. Like sociologists, they need to understand not only human to human interaction, but human to societal interaction as well. They are able to do this endeavor with relative ease because they like what they are doing and know why they are doing it. They are comfortable with people. Also, they are trained to be astute observers. Sellers discover the social dynamics involved in encounters with buyers and test them the next time they sell. Learning happens right in front of their eyes—and it happens every day.

Third, is selling a process? Yes. Selling is composed of a series of graduated steps that need to be handled successfully to close a transaction. Indicators are also used to measure performance and analyze data, ensuring that each step is accomplished well. They embrace an evidence-based, logical, and analytical approach to selling.

These are the main points of those who posit that selling is a science. However, others have an opposing view. For them, selling is pure art. Let us get to know their argument.

As with science, definitions of art abound. But I subscribe to Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy’s. He says:

Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that others are infected by these feelings and also experience them.

Tolstoy’s take on art is spot on. Since the foundations of selling are influencing (winning people’s hearts without force or coercion) and persuading (presenting a case in such a way as to sway the opinion of others), the external signs or sales activities (developing relationships, creating a positive first impression, asking questions, purposeful body language, a customized and convincing presentation, win-win negotiation, and closing the sale with carefully selected closing techniques) are meant to hands on or transfer to the buyer what he feels about the product or service being offered. The objective is to make a believer out of the buyer. For a lot of salespersons, this is what selling is all about. A former boss once told me, Go sell and make him a believer. Once you have done that, closing the sale becomes a predictable outcome. This is the reason why salespersons strive to develop their communication skills. They prepare for what they are going to say, how to say it, and amplifying the message with the appropriate body language.

Therefore, influencing and persuading people are critical skills that all sellers need to possess. As countless studies reveal, information alone cannot move a client to buy. How that information is communicated is just as critical. Professors Ben Shapiro and John J. Sviokla of Harvard Business School believe that despite the tremendous contributions of information and communications technology, selling is still largely a function of interpersonal relations, which are guided by the artful ability to recognize motivations, need, and perception.

So back to the question: Is selling science or art? The answer is both! In his book titled Virtual Selling, Jeb Blount states:

Sales is a blend of art and science. The science is influencing the right people, at the right time, with the right message, through the right channel to give you the highest statistical probability of inking the deal at the lowest cost. The art is influencing people to comply with your requests.

Considering both sides of the argument, the ability to successfully influence and persuade buyers depend on a careful selection of potential buyers or the right people. Here, the science part begins. To do this, an efficient sourcing methodology coupled with a carefully prepared data gathering plan are used to come up with a list of individuals whose characteristics best fit the profile of the ideal buyer or the right people so to speak. Supplementing the information gathered at this stage also reveals important details such as:

need for the product or service;

reasons behind the need;

urgency of the need (the right time to offer the product);

messaging (conveying the right message); and

means to convey the message (right channel).

The seller’s initial engagement with the buyer marks the beginning of the art of selling. Using all available information as basis, the salesperson attempts to influence the buyer to comply with his requests for a first meeting, a full product presentation, and consequently buy the product or avail of the service being offered. In so doing, the salesperson carefully manages his impression, builds a relationship, offers a solution, and judiciously determines the right closing techniques to finally seal the deal.

In conclusion, sales is a blend of art and science. A system wherein each part is indispensable from the other forming an integrated whole.

Activity-Based Selling System

By definition, Activity-Based Selling is a selling system that tells you in a measurable way if you are doing the right sales activities to lead you to the desired result. The definition suggests that selling is a system—a set of rules, an arrangement of things, or a group of related things that work toward a common goal. A system has a process. In sales, the process is composed of the following activities: prospecting, approach, presentation, and closing.

Selling starts with prospecting. It is composed of two tasks: sourcing (opportunity development) and qualifying. Sellers need to be proficient in generating as many leads as possible and carefully filter them based on a well-defined set of criteria. As they say, collect and collect, then select. This ability to separate the chaff from the grain enables the salesperson to sell only to high value and high probability buyers or clients who prefer the more expensive products or services (this means more commission!) and most likely to buy at once. Selling thus becomes less painful. The tendency of a lot of sellers is to sell to leads that have not been properly qualified. Then they will wonder why they were not able to close the sale. This predicament leads to frustrations. And when frustrations mount, the tendency is a serious consideration to quit.

The second stage in the sales process is the approach.