How To Stay In the Driver’s Seat During a Sales Conversation

If you’ve read any book on selling, or gotten any sales training, you know the number one rule of executing a sales conversation is to listen.

When first connecting with a potential client, it’s imperative that you ask questions and listen intently to their answers to help you better understand their challenges and goals — we call this “discovery.” If you’re like my curious, consultative clients, performing discovery is the easiest, most joyful part of the sales process for you. 

However, you might sometimes encounter a buyer who isn’t interested in doing much talking — instead treating the meeting like a job interview, or expecting a presentation instead of a conversation. 

Both of these scenarios put you at a significant disadvantage in the sales process, so when this happens, it’s your job to shift the agenda back to discovery. 

Check out the video below where I respond to Rachel, a Sales Roundtable attendee, who asked: “How do you stay in control of the sales conversation and keep it from turning into an interview?”

In brief, to ensure you stay in the driver’s seat during sales conversations, be sure to do the following:

1. Set an agenda (which also sets a tone)
2. Respond respectfully, but succinctly, to questions you’re asked during discovery, but quickly turn it around to ask another probing question

Got questions? Bring them to the next Sales Roundtable! More details and instructions to register here.