Welcome to issue 84! Did someone forward this to you? If so, Subscribe here!

Have you ever been in a presentation, meeting or class where you were confident you knew the concept or answer being discussed but turned out that you were wrong?

This is precisely what happens on sales calls all day long.

We feel we know the problem so well that we don’t ask a “general question” at the risk of looking dumb in front of the buyer.

Or worst, we simply assume what someone meant without actually clarifying if that was actually it.

Good news, both of these scenarios are super easy to fix.

There are two levers you should be pulling on every sales call.

Confirming and Recapping.

We confirm throughout. We recap at the beginning and end (if it’s a first call you’d only have to recap at the end.)

When I roast sales calls, it’s almost inevitable that I’ll see one or both of these levers not pulled.

Partially, because you don’t want to come off like you’re being “nosy” or “salesy” by asking questions.

But, more than anything, it’s that you’re not taught to be a leader on these calls so it doesn’t really cross your mind.

And, that’s okay, that’s why you’re here.

So let’s bring that awareness to the forefront.

When we confirm, we are seeking to understand.

There are two parts to it.

First, you remove ambiguity by asking deeper, clarification questions when responses are vague. Things like “We want to do this better.” or “We’ll probably make a decision in a few weeks.” Those types of phrases leave a lot to be desired. So we have to ask for further information.

(ICYMI: Read issue #72 that goes deeper into this topic.)

Second, after we ask, we have to confirm.

And confirmation is really just playing back what they said in a condensed version so we know we captured correctly. And, more importantly, so the buyer knows we know.

It might sound like:

“Just so I am clear, you’re looking to make a decision by the end of August because you want to start project kick-off in September with the goal of having this go live by November?”

or

“You’re going to be looking at three other vendors over the next 2 weeks and then meeting with your evaluation team on August 19th to narrow down to two vendors, did I capture that correctly?”

We don’t need to do this after every question but we do need it after important information is shared that can be critical to the problem they have or how they intend to solve it (budget, timing, decision criteria, etc)

After we’ve confirmed key details throughout the call, then we need to recap it.

Recapping is crucial to keeping momentum, especially at the end of the call.

Depending on the type of call you are on, recapping may include different items.

→ After a discovery call, you may be recapping their main 3-4 problems

→ After a demo, you may be recapping several areas you showed them that aligned with their goals

→ After a proposal call, you may be recapping what you understood about their timeline and next steps.

Recapping is taking the main items you’ve been confirming throughout the call and sharing them with the buyer.

Think like a bulleted checklist.

“Tom, I just wanted to recap a few things I heard today to make sure we were on the same page.

Did I capture those correctly or anything you’d clear up?”

The goal: To get absolutely crystal clear buy-in that what you heard them say is correct. And, that they know that you know.

It’s really that simple.

One last thing…

Any call other than the 1st discovery call needs a recap at the beginning.

Imagine it’s been 2 weeks since your last call, or now they are bringing other people to be involved. When you recap at the beginning, it gives a chance for them to confirm if anything has changed. It also opens up the dialogue with the new people joining so they are on the same page and can add any insights from their perspective.

What I’ve noticed throughout my sales career and now with coaching founders is that some of the simplest communication skills end up being the most effective.

We can’t assume everyone is sharing every detail. And, we can’t assume what we heard was exactly what they meant.

So, we must be actively listening.

we must ask additional questions to expose details.

we must confirm we heard everything correctly.

then, we must recap the main points to make sure we are on the same page.

This isn’t a script, it’s meant to be fluid.

It’s what being a leader in the sales process looks like.

And, it’s what all successful sellers do.

Go back and listen through your last sales call.

Did you seek to understand unclear details?

Did you confirm you had it right?

Did you recap the main points to drive momentum?

Whether you did or didn’t, now you have the awareness.

You’ve exposed areas to improve.

Now, go practice it and look out for it next time.

Hit reply and let me know what you discovered, I read every one.

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