The psychological aspect plays an essential role in the sales cycle. But what if the salesperson encounters blockages? That’s where sales coaching comes into play. Reprogramming beliefs, improving control of emotions – there are many techniques to changing a way of thinking and helping to improve. Meeting with Frédéric Lucas, president of Prima Resource and experienced sales coach.
What are a salesperson’s key success factors?
There are three: their desire to succeed, their sales DNA, and finally their skills. The first two relate to motivation, what the salesperson is ready to do to be successful. The DNA covers all the individual’s beliefs, their consumer habits which are reflected in the way they sell and influence their performance.
What is the psychological aspect of a sale? Which step is it in?
The psychological aspect of a sale is found in all steps of the sales process. The best salespeople adopt a consultative approach, based on transactional analysis, a theory of communication popularized by the psychiatrist Éric Bern. Selling requires a great deal of strategy and technique.
How do you work with a salesperson so they can master it better?
I begin by assessing him to have an inventory of his level of desire to succeed, his commitment and his sales DNA. I particularly examine his need to be appreciated by his potential customers, his beliefs, his buying habits, his control of emotions, his ability to recover from rejection, to talk about money, etc.
Can you give me an example?
If I train a salesperson to ask the right questions and to know how to behave throughout the sales cycle, but his DNA does not follow, he will not be able to achieve the desired results. In other words, if he needs to be appreciated by his customer to make the sale, his need to be loved is stronger, he will not ask questions that make him uncomfortable and will not make the sale. This is the psychological aspect that can guide behaviour and sabotage a sale.
Is working with the personal aspect of the individual essential to changing the professional aspect?
Yes, of course. In addition, during my conferences, I often say that the best books on sales are not found in the Sales aisle but in the Personal Development aisle. The more you know yourself and the more you perfect yourself, the greater impact it has on sales made.
How do you help a salesperson get ahead?
There are methods for reprogramming beliefs, being able to control your emotions, etc. In the context of coaching, the problem must always be put in the context of sales, because we are not therapists. Then you have to seek out the cause of the blockage. For example, a representative may not have asked a certain question during the meeting with his customer. We try to find out why. After identifying the cause, the salesperson must then acknowledge his need for approval and the fact that it interferes with the sales process. I then offer lectures as well as exercises to change his way of thinking. In the case mentioned, we will try to replace the need for approval with a need to be respected.
What are the qualities or strengths that the salesperson must develop to perform better?
He must develop his desire for success, his commitment and desire to be the best. He also has to know if he is willing to do things he is not comfortable doing, because coaching inevitable generates discomfort when working on a problem. All the work is to change the representative’s way of thinking so he can do things outside his comfort zone and move on to another step.
How much time does it need to reprogram a belief and change a way of thinking?
I would say eight to twelve months. But companies are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that the psychological component has on the performance of their representatives. They also understand better that training and coaching are necessary to remain competitive and innovative.
Related topic: What is the Role of a Sales Coach