Dr. David K. Barnett
The voice on the other end of the phone echoed with anxious despair familiar to any sales pro struggling to make quota. "Dr. Dave, I've just got to get my career to the next level," she sighed.
"What level do you want to reach?" I asked. "Do you know what level you're at now?"
"I could tell you how my manager described my current production level," she answered, "but it wouldn't be very lady-like."
For this sales pro and for many others "getting to the next level" is merely a figure of speech about improving sales figures.
The Four Levels of Selling
Sales gurus get rich giving advice which they tout will help you get to the "next level." Now that sounds good, but what does it really mean? How can you know what level you should aspire to unless you have some idea where your career is now and might be headed? And how do you know you could survive in the rarified atmosphere of success? Sudden prosperity usually ruins those unprepared for it.
Let me identify four levels of selling. Each has its own focus of activity, characteristics, and special challenges. Each level builds on the other. Selling is developmental. You must master the skills of one level before you can move on to the next. Crawl, then walk, then run.
Level One Selling is identified by basic presentation skills. Can you be comfortable meeting people? Do you know how to form a coherent thought and put it into a sentence? Level One requires acquiring and mastering basic social skills necessary for effective communication. Selling is about communication.
Selling also has everything to do with energy management. You can't master Level One selling if you struggle to get out of bed in the morning or are worn out by midday. Every sales position requires a certain degree of physical energy and stamina. Salespeople who drink too much, eat too much, carouse too much, or who don't play enough, are people whose lives are out of balance and whose productivity is likely to suffer in the long run.
The focus of Level One Selling is on the salesperson. Does she have the necessary energy and aptitude to make it in sales? Does he take appropriate pride in his career choice to be in "sales" or does he feel more comfortable hiding behind titles like "representative" or "account executive?" People who struggle at Level One Selling frequently use the excuse of personality. The greatest challenge at this level is to take ownership of the sales career and stay mentally and physically fit for the daily routine.
Level Two Selling focuses on the importance of product knowledge. You have to know what you sell, why your product or service is important, and how it works. Level Two is not a substitute for Level One. It builds upon foundations laid in a strong sales identity. At Level Two, the focus shifts from "Who am I?" to "What do I have to sell?"
Intelligence and a good attention span are skills necessary for Level Two. Product knowledge can be lengthy and tedious training. Generally speaking, the highest paid salespeople sell products which require above average product knowledge. Pharmaceutical salespeople usually make more money than door-to-door magazine salespeople. Both require Level One skills to achieve any kind of success. The difference is distinguished at Level Two.
Here are some questions to assess your Level Two Selling needs. Do I keep up with the latest changes in my industry and company? Do I subscribe to and regularly read trade journals (like The Green Sheet)? How do I react to additions or changes in my product line? Am I confident and comfortable that I know enough about the features and benefits of my product or service to tell others about it?
The greatest challenge for growing through Level Two is maintaining focus in spite of the distractions of details and constant change.
Level Three Selling is currently enjoying the status of a fad in sales training circles. Level Three is characterized by a needs-based problem solving approach to the sales process. The focus at Level Three is no longer on the salesperson or the product, but on the customer and meeting customer needs.
Skills required at Level Three include rapport building, listening, questioning, and creative thinking. The greatest challenge for salespeople at this level is learning to adapt their selling style to the needs of their customer. This requires not only mastering Levels One and Two, but going beyond what comes naturally to the salesperson to acquire social skills which may not come quite so naturally.
Many fine Level Three training programs are available, including my own program (plug...plug) óThe B.O.S.S.™ (The Basics of Successful Selling).
Level One Selling finds prospects. That takes energy and sales aptitude. The goal of Level Two is to turn prospects into customers. This requires knowing what you sell and why it's important. Level Three seeks to turn customers (people who buy from you once) into clients (repeat business).
Your challenges may be at Level Three Selling if you see the following warning signals: little repeat business; customer apathy; an increasing number of customer complaints; struggles between the sales force and customer service team; higher sales costs and diminishing return on investment (salespeople spend more time visiting and problem-solving than closing sales).
Another important challenge to the sales organization at Level Three Selling is finding the right people to interact more effectively with customers. This is where most sales programs stop. Sales organizations think the answer to increasing productivity is to solve more people's problems more efficiently. Small wonder many companies with needs-based selling programs are actually seeing their sales numbers go backwards. Time spent listening and problem-solving can easily compete with available time for prospecting and closing sales.
The answer to this dilemma is for both the individual salesperson and the success-driven sales organization to discover what I call Level Four Selling. Level Four is learning to manage results by managing sales activity. This is the missing piece for many successful salespeople who are looking for that next level.
The lady who called me was stuck at Level Three. She worked hard. She was a super salesperson. But her company rewarded her production by increasing her quota. "The more I sell, the higher they move the bar."
Rather than motivating her to produce more, she had become frustrated and was selling less. "It's so stressful I don't feel like getting to the ënext level.' I feel like quitting. I'm not sure I can survive at some higher altitude of success," she concluded. "Mountaintops are wonderful, but at least I can catch my breath in the valley."
