Fine Tune Your Reversing

June 23rd, 2009

The prospect asks you, “How big is your company?” You don’t know the significance of the question and you haven’t found her preference. Additionally, you don’t want to be caught in a box and have the sales process end before you decide that it is over. Being the astute Sandler student that you are, you know how to answer — you reverse. You say something like, “That’s a significant question; why do you ask?” or “That’s important. When you say ‘big’ are you referring to clientele, revenue or number of employees? Help me understand.” You have avoided the trap and arranged to get more information.

You have utilized one of the Sandler Selling System’s most valuable techniques – reversing. In so doing, you stay out of the box, you get more information and you start to approach the reasons for the prospect’s questions. In addition, you are on the way to having the right person (the prospect) talking. When you reverse you build rapport by having both the prospect and you focus on the thing dearest to the prospect — the prospect! This questioning process gives you control to lead the prospect to the destination you select even though they feel like they are in charge. You are channeling their thoughts in the right direction with reversing, and getting the information that you need to fix their pain.

Reversing is a useful device. And, like all precision instruments, there are some things to do and some things to avoid when using it. Here are some suggestions to keep your reversing in fine tune.

Only reverse at relevant or appropriate times. When we first learn the process we tend to treat it like a shiny new toy to be used all of the time. Later we realize that some questions are not part of the sales scenario and should be dispatched directly with straight answers. For example: “What time is it?” or “Which way to the airport?” or “Paper or plastic?” are questions to be dealt simple, direct responses. If we limit our reversing to the sales discussion, we focus on the right part of the process.

Reverse with a goal. If you are working towards a destination, such as finding the causes of the prospect’s pain, assessing the impact of the pain, or discovering whether there is a real commitment to fixing the pain, then the reversing process has a direction and an end point. In the example in the first paragraph, the size of your company may be an indicator of the prospect’s needs or preferences, or it may be a casual question. The goal is to understand and clarify the prospect’s sales problems by using the reverse to gather information and to determine significance.

With reversing, as with any skill you want to own, you must practice. Repeat and hone the reverses. Practice on friends, family and strangers. Record your phone conversations and review the quality of your reverses. Debrief with your coach through the lens of reversing. Build a large stable of softening statements. Make effective reversing a goal in your Attitude/Behavior Journal.

Reversing is a valuable precision instrument. Fine tune the skill and keep it running properly, and you will sell better.

© Sandler Systems

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