- September 29, 2009
- Posted by: Dave Kurlan
- Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Today I posted this article about Diagnosing and Overcoming Happy Ears on the Baseline Selling web site. And last week I wrote this article about Happy Ears and an empty pipeline.
Following are my thoughts about how you, the leader of your salespeople, can help them overcome Happy Ears. Slip into these five roles to help them be more realistic about and more comprehensive with their opportunities.
- Be their Doubting Thomas – Be more pessimistic than them.
- Be their Carpenter – punch holes in everything they tell you by asking, “how do you know?” or “did they actually say that or is that what you think?”
- Be their Elephant – remind them of the last time they told you this – and what happened late when they were caught by surprise.
- Be their Show Director – rehearse them for what they must ask – before the call – through role play.
- Be their Coach – Do less cheerleading and more challenging.
