Saturday, January 20, 2007

Change

Change is a constant. Surveys indicate that confronting change is American's greatest fear. It's true that most of us are prepared to embrace change as a concept. But we actually shy away from change. Our attitude might be best expressed as, "Change is great . . . you go first." Perhaps that's because instead of change being linear and incremental, it is cyclical and, how else can I put it, gut-wrenching. Last week the nation observed the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. King said, "When you have an opportunity to change things, you do it." Change is not automatic. You must, like Dr. King, take a stand. The changing market many of us find ourselves in compels us to do things differently. Instead of focusing on essential closing strategies (that served us well in years past), why not spotlight Essential Welcoming Strategies? Let me introduce you to a new turn on the critical path, Reinventing the Wheel, I call it. When I learned the critical path fifteen years ago, it was Meet/Greet (10% of the process), Qualify (20%), Demonstrate (30%), and Closing (40%). But today's buyers become purchasers upside down from years past. Here's what works today: Welcome (40% of the process), Discovery (30%), Presentation (20%), and Closing (10%). They both add up to 100%, but focusing on identifying commonality, creating empathy, and building trust all combine to guarantee credibility. The sale takes place when a belief system is transferred. Next time we'll talk about the "other" 100%, Service.

No comments: