What do highly talented salespeople have in common with great teachers?
If you're like me, someone who failed to pay attention in philosophy, you might not remember the Socratic method. However, the best in sales, coaching, and teaching all apply it every day. According to BYU, here are three basics to remember in order for it to be applied:
Don't give direct answers
Offer questions in placed of answers
There is never one "correct' answer unless all other solutions have been ruled out
Most of us see the Socratic method used as we go through school. Excellent teachers stand out because they ask questions that engage the minds of their students and draw out answers using the information and techniques that the students already posses. In business, excellent leaders will do the same, often realizing that their employees come up with much better solutions than they themselves had in mind when delegating tasks.
But what about salespeople?
Before I began my career as a professional salesman, I thought of salespeople as either slick used-car salesmen who are only there to gouge their customers, knowing that there are selling for far above the actual value of the vehicle. Either that or people in retail who are simply taking orders and not really doing anything to help the business, or themselves, thrive. I could not have been further from the truth.
Professional salespeople are similar to great teachers is that they ask fantastic questions. By asking the right questions a good salesperson can guide their customer to a buying decision without having to focus primarily on their wants and desires, but rather understanding the pain and desires of those they are selling to.
I have worked now for a little over 8 years in IT sales. Bear with me, don't leave just yet.
When I started in this industry I didn't know anything about tech. I could use a computer, but concepts like writing code, networking, and all the other geek speak that my industry is known for were completely foreign concepts to me. Simply out of the need to wrap my head around things I developed a natural curiosity about how things works, and the problems that my customers were facing. It wouldn't be until year 5 of my sales career that I would be trained in this concept which helped me to understand what I was actually doing, and to make it more purposeful.
As I observe those in the sales industry who are truly great, I see some a string of similarity. Their customers love them and are usually very loyal to them, even if they move to competing companies from where the customers met them. Great salespeople:
Asking questions, even about things that don't apply to what you are selling, will give you a deeper understanding of your customer and their needs
Understanding the challenges or pain that the customer undergoes may open opportunities to introduce a new product or service to address those pain points
Asking questions about your competition will help you to understand the alternatives the customer has available to them so you can demonstrate why your product or service is superior
There are also those on the other end of the spectrum, and they share some common characteristics as well. Poor salespeople:
Don't know what their customers do, or what their daily lives look like
Don't care about the customer's needs
Are focused only on closing the deal and making money
One of my colleagues has made the statement that "sales is the cheat code to a high income." I generally agree with that statement, but I'd add a caveat. Not all sales will yield a high income, but those who are genuinely curious and ask the right questions will have amazing careers.
For my teacher friends out there, thank you for sacrificing all that you do to bring your students to the next level. Ask great questions and you'll be doing them so much good it'll make your head spin.
For my sales friends, be like a great teacher. It's actually ok if you don't have all the right answers. Just turn it into a question and you may discover that you and your customers learn together. You can actually transform yourself into a highly paid teacher!
About the Author:
JP Bachmann began his professional career in electrical automation, and transitioned into professional sales in the IT industry in 2016. He is now a national sales leader specializing in account success and company growth. JP was awarded a Business Coaching certification in 2019, and has helped to lead the Toastmasters International volunteer organization by serving as a District Director in Colorado and Wyoming from 2022 to 2023 serving 140 independent clubs and 2000 members. In 2023, JP founded TheDashLegacy.net which is devoted to enriching the personal and professional lives of those around him through continuous growth, humor, and thought leadership. JP is a professional speaker focused on Career Health, and leads workshops helping people develop career and personal goals using his own unique goalsetting method. Connect with JP by emailing him at jp@thedashlegacy.net
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