Antonio Garrido is President and Founder of Absolute Sales Development – Miami’s own Sandler Sales Training organization that provides companies of all sizes with superior business-growth training. Visit: www.absolute.sandler.com or contact: (786)-527 0277
Twitter: @SandlerASDMiami

How good would you say you are at listening to your prospect?
Most salespeople we talk to rate themselves pretty highly in this area. Yet most, sad to say, fail the Tooth Fairy Test.
Let’s suppose a six-year old child came to you beaming, with a new silver dollar in hand, and said, “Look what the Tooth Fairy left me last night!” And let’s suppose that, when you saw that child smile, you noticed
there was a brand-new gap where a tooth used to be.
What would you say?
If you’re like most of the parents we talk to, the odds are that you wouldn’t say this: “Oh, honey, that wasn’t the Tooth Fairy. There’s no such thing as a Tooth Fairy. What happens is that your old tooth gets loose when a new tooth wants to come in, and the old tooth starts to wiggle. Then when it finally comes out, there’s a little blood, and that scares kids sometimes. So what we grownups do is make up a story to distract you. We tell you that there’s a fairy on the way. It’s fun, but it’s not true. When you’re asleep at night, we sneak into your room, move you without waking you up – that’s the trickiest part – and we take the tooth. We leave money in its place.”
The parent who said that would be a parent who flunks the Tooth Fairy Test. But you wouldn’t, right?
Of course not. Yet when a prospect says something that you know, as a result of your personal experience and/or your product and service training, to be factually incorrect, how do you respond? Do you instantly correct the prospect? Do you look for a chance to give a long monologue that shows how smart you are for knowing the “right answer”?
If you’ve ever done that – even once – then guess what? You failed the Tooth Fairy Test.
David Sandler didn’t come up with the Tooth Fairy Test, but he did teach us that the only reliable way to move forward through the sales process is to make sure that the prospect feels OK at all times. There’s a very simple reason for this. If the prospect ever doesn’t feel OK, we can count on the prospect doing whatever is necessary to remove the source of that not-OK feeling. All too often, that’s the salesperson who corrects a prospect’s mistake or misstatement!
So let’s take it as a given that you know more than the prospect does in your area of expertise. That’s wonderful. There’s a time and a place to share the relevant product knowledge – but it’s certainly not at the very beginning of the relationship, which is where most salespeople manage to fail this test. Instead of correcting every error you hear, treat your new prospect’s assumptions the same way you would treat that beaming six-year-old child. Assume, for the time being, that the Tooth Fairy lives! There’s plenty of time for solutions later. For now, experiment with “Tooth Fairy” responses like:

That’s an interesting insight.
What do you think caused that?
A lot of your counterparts had similar perceptions and experiences. Can I share what happened there?

These kinds of responses will allow you to transition more comfortably into a discussion where you can add information and value. They are far more preferable than telling the prospect, “You’re wrong.”
 
If you remind yourself that most salespeople fail the Tooth Fairy Test very early in the sales discussion, you’ll probably find yourself becoming more motivated to stand out from the crowd. Ask your next prospect “Tooth Fairy” questions whenever you are tempted to correct an error or set the record straight. You will step out of the spotlight, keep the prospect OK – and keep the lines of communication open.

Sandler Training is a global training organization with nearly 50 years of top-flight training experience. Sandler Training provides training and consulting services for small-to-medium-sized businesses, as well as corporate training for Fortune 1000 companies. With over 250 offices located throughout the USA alone, Sandler’s goal is to help clients initiate substantive, measurable and sustainable growth.

Antonio Garrido is President and Founder of Absolute Sales Development – Miami’s own Sandler Sales Training organization that provides companies of all sizes with superior business-growth training. Visit: www.absolute.sandler.com or contact: (786)-527 0277
Twitter: @SandlerASDMiami

Selling is not only about delivering quality products and services. And, it’s not simply about solving clients’ problems, or providing them with pathways for accomplishments.

Successful salespeople view client and customer interactions not as “transactions,” but rather, as relationships based on performance and reputation. They recognize that delivering what prospects expect is not enough. Sure, the clients- giving them what they paid for- is not the hallmark of exceptional service. Successful salespeople make it a point to deliver more than what is expected.

“New” isn’t always better. And, the “tried, tested, and proven” isn’t always the most appropriate.

Successful salespeople aren’t afraid to “shake things up” now and then. They are always on the lookout for ways to improve effectiveness and efficiency- for themselves and their clients. More importantly, they put their clients first. If they can provide the same service for a lower fee, or provide a greater service for the same fee, they do so… without hesitation. They understand the beneficial long-term impact of putting the customer first.

The marketplace is always changing. Competitors come and go. New products and services are introduced. Customer demands change. Economic, political, and geopolitical conditions influence buying patterns.

Successful salespeople invest the time and effort to keep abreast of developments affecting their industry, their marketplace, and the needs of their customers and potential customers. And then, they take action to preserve, protect, and enhance existing relationships, and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Intentions do not equal results.

Successful salespeople know that once the deal is “sealed,” it’s time to perform. And that means taking action- doing whatever it takes to deliver that which was promised. There may be hurdles to clear and detours around which to navigate, but there must never be excuses for lack of performance.

A scarcity mentality breeds scarcity. And, an attitude of abundance leads to opportunities…even during times of change and uncertainty.

Successful salespeople recognize that there are plenty of opportunities to go around. They don’t cling to an opportunity of dubious value for fear that there won’t be another to replace it. Neither do they make unreasonable compromises to close an opportunity because of the same fear.

Rewards are the byproducts of contribution. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote an essay on the topic of “Compensation.” The essence of his message is that the world is essentially in balance. And, what you receive is equal, measure for measure, to what you contribute.

Successful salespeople understand that to receive more, they must give more…not only to their customers and their colleagues, but to their family, friends, and community. When they give more, opportunities appear.

You cannot achieve success in a vacuum.

Successful salespeople realize that achieving high levels of success requires joining forces with other people who will not only hold them accountable for their intentions and actions, but also help them identify and develop new opportunities.
 
“SUCCESSFUL SALESPEOPLE MAKE IT A POINT TO DELIVER MORE THAN WHAT IS EXPECTED.”

Sandler Training is a global training organization with nearly 50 years of top-flight training experience. Sandler Training provides training and consulting services for small-to-medium-sized businesses, as well as corporate training for Fortune 1000 companies. With over 250 offices located throughout the USA alone, Sandler’s goal is to help clients initiate substantive, measurable and sustainable growth.