July 14 , 2009
 |
 |
 |
|
That’s Not My Monkey
Matt Nettleton
Imagine walking into a prospects office and having them say, “I have a problem, there is a monkey on my back and I want to make it yours.” Any normal person would know better than to say, “Great, toss that over here and let me add that to the monkeys I am already working with.”
As a sales coach, I spend time with quite a few people who have big monkey collections. They have accepted that their prospects and client’s problems are actually theirs. Unfortunately, these monkey collections have some predictable consequences.
First, a large collection of monkeys generates a higher level of stress because they are not yours; and you can not control their constant chatter and it is often all that you hear. Second, a loud noisy troop of monkeys will keep any salesperson from focusing on the right higher priority tasks (typically this is the “I do not have time to prospect” excuse). Finally, because of the constant chatter and the lower level of productivity, a large monkey collection will create the perception that the salesperson is ineffective.
To get out of the monkey wrangling business, salespeople need to follow a simple process. Recognize the Monkey, Identify the Owner, Define the Impact, Discover Commitment to Feed or Shoot the Monkey.
Not every problem is your problem. It may not be your monkey. Not every problem needs fixed. Some monkeys are pets. If your prospect would rather feed his pet monkey than shoot the problem monkey, there is really no sale to be made.
Click Here to Sign-Up for our FREE Newsletter.
Trustpointe, Inc.
6666 East 75th Street, Suite 150
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Copyright ©2009 Trustpointe, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
