The Secret to Sky-High Win Rates: Head-to-Heart Selling

In the age of metrics, big data and automation, sales has become a process-oriented job. In fact, I’ve found that many sales reps today believe sales success boils down to a very simple formula: Master the sales process and they’ll master their quota.

The problem with that approach is that people aren’t mechanical devices that can be manipulated. And if your only focus is only on process-related questions (the next step in the process, the next question you need to ask to gather requirements, the most common objections you’re likely to encounter, etc.) then you’ll likely miss a big opportunity to appeal to a prospective buyer’s human side.

And yes, that still matters.

Remember when it was said that people bought from people they like? Back then, salespeople were encouraged to take customers out for a round of golf, introduce them to other important people in their network and bring coffee or donuts to a prospect’s office. They remembered a prospect’s birthday, their kids’ names and their favorite vacation spots. Legendary sales expert Harvey Mackay even developed “The Mackay 66,” a list of questions salespeople needed to ask to create a strong bond with prospects and, consequently, increase the odds of winning deals through relationships.

Today, relationship-based selling is largely considered a relic. Numerous publications and experts have even declared it a dead strategy, the result of a dot-com era in which people were too busy to get coffee and donuts or play golf. Also a post-dot-com era in which companies became cost-conscious and price became a critical decision point. Following those evolutions, many salespeople began to feel that they wouldn’t win deals unless they perfected their sales pitch and buttoned-up their sales process.

But I’m not seeing that today. Here’s what I am seeing.

With all the focus on moving quickly, acquiring the right requirements data and negotiating favorable terms, sales reps aren't winning a higher percentage of their opportunities. And why is that? Because they’ve forgotten the art of selling with their heart, not just their head. Truth is, even B2B selling requires building relationships with people. And those people have personal interests, needs and emotions. The more your approach resonates with those factors, the more successful you’ll be.

So, let’s revisit that apparently ancient saying: “People buy from people they like.”

It’s still relevant. And if you aren’t winning at least 40 percent (better yet, 60 percent) of your qualified opportunities, it’s likely that your process-oriented sales approach is desperately lacking heart. The sooner you realize that, the sooner your win rate will skyrocket.

Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the book, “The Sales Magnet” and the award-winning book, "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and exceed revenue objectives in the small and midmarket business (SMB) segment.