High Probability Selling

They’re narrowing the streets in my neighborhood, and everyone is up in arms. People are freaked out, saying that narrowing from sort-of-1.5-lanes to 1 lane+bike lane is going to cause huge traffic snarls.

On the face of it, this sounds reasonable. After all, won’t fewer lanes mean less space for traffic, so traffic must go slower?

That depends. If all drivers simply stayed in their lanes, never made turns, and drove at constant speeds, yes. But they’ve been doing a *lot* of experimenting in Boston with alternative configurations. They’ve compared the results and found that sometimes narrower streets with curb cut-outs and bike lanes result in all kinds of unexpected benefits.

It’s long been known that widening a street won’t necessarily ease congestion because people simply drive more, until the congestion reaches prior levels. “Archie, it’s such a nice day, let’s go drive down the nice, new freeway.”

This is called science. We measure what happens, we compare and contrast, and we learn the world doesn’t always work the way we think it will.

If science always matched up to our intuition, we would have invented high technology 10,000 years ago. We couldn’t have technology until a relatively small number of people invented the scientific method and were willing to believe it’s results over what their intuition said. Intuitively, a 10-pound ball falls faster than a 1-pound ball, the Earth is flat, and the sun rises and sets. Science, however, shows that the balls fall at the same speed (acceleration, actually), the Earth is round, and it spins, rather than the sun moving.

Next time you find yourself getting defensive over some scientific study, stop. That’s a good thing; it means that maybe you can revise your beliefs to reflect reality. Read the study, consider with an open mind, and find out.

Science gave us Ziploc bags. Who knows what might be next?

Stever Robbins is a serial entrepreneur, executive coach, and top-10 business podcaster. He consults and speaks extensively on productivity and profitability. You can find him at www.SteverRobbins.com.

Original blog post is at www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2011/06/powerofscience/

© 2011 by Stever Robbins. All rights reserved in all media. Reprinted with permission.

I got a call from someone named Ed.  “I’m interested in your sales training programs,” he said.

“What does it mean when you say you’re interested,” I asked.

“What would happen if I took your sales training courses?”

I said, “I don’t know.  Why do you ask?”

He said, “I’ve been in sales for over twenty years, and I’ve made a decent living.  But now we have a son who’s a freshman in college and a daughter who’s sixteen.  Tuition for both of them, even with student loans, might break us.  Frankly, I need to make more money.  What can you do for me?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I have been reading up on all kinds of sales training and yours seems to be the only one that is entirely different from the way I’ve been selling all along.”

“Why is selling differently important?” I asked.

“It’s like the difference between a tricycle and a Harley.  I need something with a lot more power.  And, your book describes a way of selling that has a lot more power.”

“Isn’t it a lot more difficult to learn to ride a Harley than a tricycle?” I said.

Ed said, “I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

“I suggest that you fill out two questionnaires that will give us an estimate of how likely it is that you will be successful with High Probability Selling.  If they indicate that you are a good candidate for High Probability Selling, then you might want to take the starter course called ‘Powerful Listening.’  Does that work for you?”

“What does that cost?”

“There’s no charge for the questionnaires,” I said.  “The cost of the Powerful Listening Workshop is $165.”

“I’m in a hurry to get started, said Ed.  “Is there any reason you don’t want me to just sign up for the training immediately?  I’m at your website and I know what the costs are.”

“We would rather be confident that High Probability Selling is a good fit for you before you enroll,” I said.  “That would be better for us.  How would it be for you?”

“How long before I’ll get results from those questionnaires?” Ed asked.

“Between three and four working days is normal.  What do you want to do?”

Ed said, “If you tell me how to find your questionnaires I’ll answer the questions immediately.  And, thank you for being so helpful.”

I said, “You’re welcome.”

He said, “This whole conversation has been just like what’s in your book.  I can’t wait to learn how to do that.  Thanks again.”

I said, “You’re welcome, again.  Good bye.”

Links:

• How to find the questionnaires:  www.HighProbSell.com/compatibility
• Where to read about or sign up for our Powerful Listening Workshop:  www.HighProbSell.com/workshops/listening.html
• Article on our blog:  Will High Probability Selling Work for Me, or Not?

The most difficult aspect of High Probability Selling is the change from conventional selling to non-persuasive selling.  The process requires a strong desire, a knowledge base, and practice (skills).  The awareness level of the average salesperson is a stumbling block because s/he only knows conventional methods.  As a result, the salesperson wants to combine what is comfortable with what is new.

The only way to arrive at destination B is to leave station A.  The successful application of High Probability Selling can appear simple and even similar to conventional sales because it comes off very natural.  The practice, however, is dramatically different.  Your starting point, your aim, and your goal are different.

The process of acquiring High Probability skills is incremental and must be practiced everyday at work, home, and play.  Because most salespeople have yet to fully leave the station, and they don’t practice everyday, there is a continual request to have it both ways.

High Probability communicating is a way of life. It isn’t only for work and then turned off before you get home.  It’s a parenting tool, a marriage enhancer, and it develops long-term relationships.  It’s not designed to be diluted with one part manipulation, one part persuasion, and one part High Probability.

By definition, it’s called High Probability because the process gives you the highest probability for success.  Diluting it requires a different descriptor like:  “Mostly High Probability but not exactly” or “High Probability except when it’s not.”

Almost everything that a top producer does is the opposite of what the average salesperson does.  Learning how to sell like a top producer starts with learning how to STOP doing what the average salesperson does.

Average salespeople tend to be frustrated and disappointed with their work, but don’t know how to change what they are doing.  Top producers tend to be happy with their work and are always looking for more efficient, more productive, and more enjoyable ways of selling.

In my second sales job, at the age of 24, I was about to get our company’s first order from IBM, when I received an answering machine message from our president saying that he was going with me to IBM to help me close the sale.

I called the top salesperson in our company and told him about it.  He said, “You probably won’t get the order if he goes with you, and he will blame you for not getting it.”

I said, “I don’t understand.”

“You’re dealing with the assistant manager and a small group of design engineers in a department of IBM that has over three hundred people.  You’ve been working on the project for over two months and they feel good about doing business with you.  You trust and respect each other.  If our president goes with you, it will imply that he doesn’t trust or respect you.

“He is neither an engineer nor a salesperson.  He’s ‘The President’ of a small company that isn’t even as big as their department at IBM.  He’ll probably dominate the conversation and do his best to impress them about our company’s great capabilities.  Suppose you owned our company.  Would you let him go out on a sales call?”

“No, but what can I do?” I asked.

“Don’t respond to his message.  Contact your customer at IBM and say, ‘I need your help.’  Then, tell him about the situation.”

I did as he advised and, at the suggestion of their assistant manager, I immediately drove up to the Poughkeepsie, NY campus of IBM and checked into a hotel.  The next morning I left IBM with the purchase order in my briefcase.  Then, I returned our president’s call.