Selling With Noble Purpose, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 5The Leadership Question That Changes Everything

When you know better, you do better.

—Maya Angelou, poet

How will this customer be different as a result of doing business with us? It's the question most sales managers don't ask. The few who do ignite a chain reaction that drives outstanding sales performance.

Imagine two salespeople who are about to go on a big sales call. They're both meeting with their managers beforehand. One manager asks their seller the usual questions: When are you going to close it, how much will it be? Are you dealing with the decision‐maker? Who else do we need to get involved? They're good questions; they reveal where the sales rep is in the sales process and the likelihood of closing.

Now picture the second salesperson. Their manager asks all the usual questions, but goes one step further. Their manager also asks, “How will the customer be different as a result of doing business with us?”

This question changes everything. Now, instead of only thinking about their deal, the rep is thinking about the impact on the customer. If they know the answer to this question and can articulate to their boss, it becomes the centerpiece of the story they carry forward to the customer.

If the seller doesn't know how the customer will be different as a result of buying from them, there's a problem. A seller who can't answer that question for their boss ...