Strengths Based Selling: #8 Negotiating and Closing

Negotiating and Closing: Getting the sale is the objective of selling. But I’d say that the authors would contend that negotiating a win-win solution with customers is the secret to great selling. And, using your strengths can make the process work for you individually. So if you’re strong at Input, you’ll naturally want to do a lot of research about your clients, their needs, and possible objections. An “achiever” will focus more on the closing process and delight in the “ask.”

Strengths Based Selling: #7 Building Advocacy

Building Advocacy: Using your strengths to build advocates for you and your business is quite necessary for success. Having others with a strong emotional tie to you ensures that they’ll not only sing your praises but even defend you when you’re not around. What’s the old saying…”It takes a village to raise a child.” The same might be said for an emerging business, product, or service.

Strengths Based Selling: #6 Identifying Solutions

Identifying Solutions: I particularly liked this chapter because the authors basically describe a coach-approach to sales. Here’s what they say: “To find a solution [for the client], you don’t need to know all the answers, but you do need to know how to ask the right questions” (p. 59). Asking for a deep description of the problem and further issues surrounding it—like what the CEO’s priorities are— can really help you to bring true value to the sales conversation.