Today's post is Part II of my recent interview with Jeff Thull, author of the newly updated book, Mastering the Complex Sale.
Jill: Many people believe that selling is both an art and a science. Your own opinion?
Jeff: As implied by the medical analogy we use in our core program – Diagnostic Selling – I believe a close parallel to the sales profession exists in the medical profession. Practicing medicine is both an art and a science, as is sales, and as are most professions.
I think what most people refer to as the “art” of a profession is a result of years of practice and experience in the respective profession.
Whenever you compare a really good professional, be that an artist, a musician, a pilot, an athlete – to someone not as good, it looks like magic, but it’s not.
There are three very specific dimensions that must be in balance for a professional to be successful. They are systems (i.e. a set process that leads to a predictable result), skills (i.e. the knowledge and ability needed to execute the system properly), and discipline (i.e. the mind-set or stance and an emotional strength to execute in a quality manner).
You are moving from science to art as you progress along the spectrum from systems to skills to discipline. In my teen years, I was a professional musician. I recently picked up the guitar again and have begun practicing.
My wife Pat recently bought me a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, literally the same guitar that Eric Clapton buys from Fender. There is no doubt that if my guitar had gone to Eric, he could do his “magic” with it, but my guitar will never see that level of play.
If you read Eric’s biography, he speaks of having a guitar in his hands sixteen to eighteen hours a day during his early years. Joe Walsh of the Eagles notes that he practices six hours per day, every day, even when on tour.
As in playing the guitar, to me the art of sales occurs when the process and the skill become one with you and it looks effortless. Some people will refer to this as the process being intuitive; I don’t think so. Spectacular success is always preceded by unspectacular preparation. Ask any Olympic medalist.
Jill: Creating a competitive edge can require a new way of thinking about the sales process. Where does this begin?
Jeff: It falls under the discipline component I just mentioned and it includes the mindset of the professional … the stance they take with respect to their customer.
The Hippocratic Oath of a physician – “First do no harm” – is at the heart of the thinking of the most successful sales professionals. They believe that their success will come from making their customers successful.
They approach their customer thinking, “How can I help them succeed?” rather than “What can I sell them?” They think like a business person, rather than a salesperson. They see it as a process done “with” the customer rather than “to” the customer.
Jill: In the foreword to your book, Wayne Hutchinson of Shell shares his experience working with your company. He says that their consulting/services business went from $150 million to $750 million in revenue in five years. During this time they had no new solutions and reduced their sales organization from 110 account managers to 42 account managers.
Those are incredible results and, of course, he’s giving a lot of the credit to your Diagnostic process. Is this a level of success that the reader can expect?
Jeff: Let me start by referring back to my answer to your science and art question. In the book, we lay out the system, we explain the skills, and we describe the discipline required. So the “how to” is there.
Another important ingredient is that Shell had a high value solution that they were not effectively connecting to their customers’ performance and were not quantifying the value impact.
So I would say, if you have a high value solution and you are not quantifying that value, your customer will not understand the potential of your value. So the answer is yes, the reader can expect that level of success with the qualification that they put forth the effort.
Jill: Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
Jeff: Jill, for giving me the opportunity to share my experience with your readers.
Jill: Truly my pleasure, Jeff. Your advice is always spot on. And one more thing ... Here's the link to download Chapter One of Mastering the Complex Sale.
_______
Jeff Thull is President and CEO of Prime Resource Group. He's also the author of The Prime Solution: Close the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale, and Exceptional Selling: How the Best Connect and Win in High Stakes Sales.
For more information on Jeff Thull’s books, articles and audio materials, visit www.primeresource.com.