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Today, I saw a license plate as I was pulling out of my office parking lot, and it gave me a thought.

No Pain, No Sale.

Sure, what this guy probably meant was No Pain, No Gain: A popular saying amongst people who work out in the gym.

No Pain, No Sale means something different.

When I go out on a sales call, I dig deep to find my prospect's pain.  What is bothering them about their process?  What is holding them back from achieving their goals?.  What is keeping them awake at night?  I am looking for their pain, and then, like a knight in shining armor, I will swoop in and fix the pain.  I will show them the "3 Wows", 3 things that my product does that can alleviate their ills so much that they say "wow!"  If I can do that correctly, I can earn the sale. 

If there is no pain, then I cannot possibly sell my product or service to them.

1. Before discussing yourself and your company, discuss their needs.  Try not it make it an inquisition, but make it a discussion. 
2. Ask insightful questions like "What do you find is the toughest part of your sales process" or "When you are looking to hire new sales talent, do you find that you get too many unqualified applicants?".  Follow up with questions like "If you spend that much time spinning your wheels with unqualified candidates, do you feel that this inhibits you from getting new business?"  Use silence to have them go deeper into the thought.
3. During this discussion phase, find three things that your company or service can do to alleviate their pain better than any other solution.  Keep track of these.
4. When discussing your product in the next step, be sure to address those pain points while discussing your solution.  Use phrases like "One of my current clients was having similar difficulties as you, and now finds that this feature has really changed his business for the better"
5. Always be conversational.  Too many times, I hear salespeople run through their questions like a list.  Nobody wants to be questioned. 
6. My favorite question is "You have seen our product before...why aren't you a current client?"  That elicits a great response, and a way for me to address an honest objection.

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A friend of mine, Stacy Martin once told a new salesperson that sometimes you have to "let the water boil"
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Last week, I was on a conference call with a prospect.  He was asking us about our product's capabilities.  He was throwing a lot of tests our way, and we were passing all his tests.

"One more test", he said...

Finally, in desperation Jeremy asked the key question.

"So if we pass this next test, do we have a deal?"

This is a make it or break it line.  The next thing that the prospect says is going to tell us exactly what his intentions are.

1. If  the prospect says yes, we have a deal, right?
2. If the prospect wavers, it would seem that he is not really serious. 

The prospect paused and uncomfortably explained that he would have to get back to us on that.

So we stopped talking.  We waited.  We let the water boil. 

That uncomfortable silence led the prospect to tell us what was really bothering him.  He was concerned about other issues, however he used the tests as a way to justify holding off.  Jeremy and I addressed the other issues, and we are proud to say that we have a new client.

1. Silence is your friend:  Did you ever get that uncomfortable silence in a conversation with a friend, where you are compelled to say anything?  This happens to me all the time.  On a sales call, this is when you can wait out a response by your prospect.  He/she may give you a nugget of information.
   
2. When you are quoting a price to a client, say it as confidently as you would say your phone number...and then wait.  Wait for your prospect to speak.  
3. When (there is no "if") your prospect tells you that your price is too high, don't waver.  In my long sales career, EVERYONE tells me my price is too high, even the ones who eventually buy.  If you believe in your product, stand firm.