I’m pleased to share this week’s newsletter contribution from Jeret Unger, Associate at Kison Inc. & Growth Through Learning. Jeret’s experience in strategic business development and connective branding brings a grounded perspective to what it means to sell with client curiosity, clarity, and collaboration.
Releasing yourself from the pressure to sell is one of the most powerful ways to grow your sales revenue, though it sounds counterintuitive. How does a low-pressure sales approach work for success?
As a young marketing graduate in my early twenties, I found myself plucked from a comfortable marketing role into an outside sales position, selling to developers in the multi-residential and hospitality building sectors. My CEO at the time was convinced I belonged in sales, not marketing.
I was inexperienced, nervous, and working with the face of a teenager. I was out of my league, but I had one attribute on my side: curiosity. I was genuinely interested in the humans that sat across from me. I wanted to learn about them, how they differentiated their offering, what they had in place for their own sales plans, and why they agreed to meet with me in the first place.
Here’s what I learned: Sales success without the pressure to sell is possible when you truly focus on the needs, wants, and desires of the other person. This may mean finding that you’re not the ideal client fit, but this doesn’t matter. You will find the ideal customers, you’ll connect meaningfully, and those who aren’t the right fit at first may become the ideal clients moving forward.
Introducing the Sales Diamond™
Fast forward a few years, and I was tasked with helping a North America-wide distribution network become more effective at selling for an architectural products manufacturer. I was introduced to Ralph Kison’s Sales Diamond™, cementing the process for me to build client alignment and mutually beneficial sales partnerships.
Independent business owners, who had no interest in being told what to do, were willing to invest 2-3 days of training for their teams to learn the Diamond framework. We heard their success stories and received glowing reviews from what were originally reluctant participants. What did they take from the Sales Diamond?
The end goal of the most successful sales contracts is knowing your clients better than anyone else. This allows you to tailor your solution to what the client most needs, wants, and desires. Situations where this isn’t possible typically come down to the capabilities of your offering (rather than you) that don’t fit what the client requires. However, uncovering the misalignment early will save you time, helping you focus on clients with the greatest chance of mutual success.
What is the Sales Diamond™? Although the comprehensive model encompasses a two-day course, let me share the stages that you can put into action today.
As per the illustration below, the diamond shape represents the percentage of time spent at each stage of the sales process. For the first half of the diamond, you’re “earning the right” to determine a potential business fit with the client, both for yourself and them. For the second half, you’re “securing commitment” by tailoring your solution to what the client most needs, wants, and desires.
The Six Stages of the Sales Diamond™
Here’s a quick summary of the steps:
- Engage: Pre-collect intel on your prospect to understand them as best you can, and determine the most effective way to engage them in an initial conversation. This is all about establishing rapport and interest.
- Qualify: Ask powerful questions around their buying factors, decision-making considerations, and budget. Determine if you both see a potential fit.
- Discover: When you’ve confirmed the business potential, dig deeper into their requirements. This is where you uncover (and therefore avoid) what could be future surprises or objections.
- Solve: Based on everything you’ve learned and uncovered, tailor a powerful solution that meets client needs, wants, and desires; nothing more and nothing less.
- Align: Confirm that what you’ve presented meets the needs, wants, and desires from the client’s perspective. If not, not all is lost. You’ve probably missed a requirement, and there are powerful steps to re-establish alignment.
- Commit: When both you and the client are confident in the business fit of your solution, commit to doing business together. There are several approaches to ask for the business, but it will feel natural based on the stages of the diamond.
Selling With Alignment, Not Pressure
Conducting a strong sales process may be simpler than you think, but it’s not easy. It takes practice. However, as you become more comfortable with a sales-aligned approach with clients, you will decrease the pressure on yourself, uncover what the client is truly after, find a solution that mutually benefits you both, and build meaningful relationships that sustain and expand your sales network.
As Ralph Kison puts it, “An effective sales approach is not about you, it’s about your client’s world and reality. Become more than just a bidder, serve as a true thought partner.” All of us at Kison Inc. are here to support your success and leadership in business development. We welcome your questions and the opportunity to share how the Sales Diamond™ can grow your business.
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