Socratic Selling

Praise for Socratic Selling

"Socrates is alive and well, and reminds salespeople that

selling means talking with, not at, the customer. With that

dialogue approach, a sale is the logical outcome."

James C. Curvey,

President, Fidelity CAPITAL

"Kevin Daley’s approach is a breakthrough! The Socratic method enables

the salesperson to be open and consistent with the customer at those

critical moments when the relationship is tested. Not to be missed are the

sections on handling objections, negotiating, and closing ‘Socratically’."

Stephen G. Canton,

Vice President, Sales, Allnet

"Since we implemented Socratic selling, the effectiveness

of our sales force has substantially improved, resulting in

dramatically higher sales in a very sophisticated market."

Thomas J. Lucey,

Senior Managing Director, Putnam Investments

"Kevin Daley is a winner and a great communicator. ‘Socratic Selling’

will not only help you sell more but make your customers raving fans."

Kenneth H. Blanchard,

Co-author, The One Minute Manager®

"In ‘Socratic Selling’, Kevin Daley teaches why the truly great sales

people listen as well as talk. Socrates had the idea, but Daley shows

us how to use it today. The approach works! I know; I tried it."

James W. Kinnear,

Retired CEO, Texaco, Inc.

"The good news is, this book offers no secret techniques or

psychological analysis—just a practical way to reach agreement

with your customer. Salespeople and customers both win."

Dr. William C. Byham,

CEO, Development Dimensions International

"It’s amazing what you can learn when you let your customers

do the talking. Kevin Daley’s techniques for questioning and

listening will help make your sales team more effective."

Peter A. Loquercio,

Director, Access Sales Planning, NYNEX

"Apply these principles and here’s Daley describing you: ‘You are a valuable

resource… you are systematic, alert, reliable, worthy of trust. You make

the time productive. The customer thinks more clearly when you’re there."

Mark Kimble,

Managing Director, Corporate Information,

The Alexander Consulting Group

"Attention, business owners, purchasing agents, training managers:

Use this book to decide if the salesperson who calls on you is a

potential business partner, or just another somebody making a pitch."

Robert Craig,

Marketing Manager, Omni Business Systems

"The best salespeople are the ones who ask very good questions and

really listen to the answers. This book will help salespeople do just that."

Harry H. Gaines,

President, Blessing/White, Inc.

"The results are measurable. Our Socratically

trained wholesalers are the most successful."

Donald E. Webber,

Senior Vice President, Eaton Vance Corporation

"All marketing wars take place in the mind of a prospect or customer.

‘Socratic Selling’ is a powerful, new methodology into that mind."

Jack Trout,

President, Trout & Partners Ltd.

"Sales managers who think their salespeople spend too much time talking and

not enough listening should pack ‘Socratic Selling’ in everybody’s flight bag."

David Rupert,

President, Pitney Bowes Management Systems

"‘Socratic Selling’ shows you a practical way

to reach agreement with your customer."

James Molinaro,

Senior Vice President, Sales, Penske Truck Leasing

Copyright © 1996 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-137151-3

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Contents

Preface

Prologue: 400 B.C.

Part I

TAKING A SOCRATIC APPROACH

Chapter One

SALESPEOPLE, THINK ABOUT CHANGE

We All Had a Sales Pitch

Is Talking What the Job Calls For?

The Other Side of Too Much Talking Is Not Listening

Salespeople Don’t Listen

Salespeople Live Up to Expectations

Only Customers Can Make Salespeople Change

Chapter Two

CAREFUL, THIS IS A LION

A Lion Is Still a Lion

In the World of Selling, the Customer Is the Lion

Today’s Buyer Is Better Informed

Today’s Buyer Is More Accountable

What’s Needed Is Dialogue

Chapter Three

THIS METHOD MAKES BOTH PLAYERS WIN

What Is the Socratic Method?

Socratic Principle 1: Respect the Customer

Socratic Principle 2: Help the Customer Think

Socratic Principle 3: Help the Customer Make Decisions

Part II

OPENING THE SALE SOCRATICALLY

Chapter Four

IT’S THE CUSTOMER’S MEETING

At the Outset, There’s Tension

The Typical Openers

In the Customer’s Mind, the Meeting Is about the Customer

The Customer Is in Charge

The Customer Wants to Speak

The Customer Has the Information

You Need a Way into the Customer’s World

Chapter Five

BEGIN WHERE THE CUSTOMER BEGINS

The Lion Takes in the Scene

Make the Meeting a Socratic Dialogue

The Socratic Opener Is an Easily Answered Question

The Power of the Customer’s Perspective

The Scope of the Customer’s Perspective

The Importance of the Customer’s Perspective

The Customer Draws the First Logical Conclusion

Chapter Six

HELP THE CUSTOMER TELL THE NEED STORY

The Need Story Is about Yesterday

The Customer Owns Yesterday

The Salesperson’s Eye Is on Tomorrow

Help the Customer Think about the Need

Ask Easily Answered Questions

Use Socratic Probes

Gain Access to What’s Missing

Complete the Picture with Socratic Access Probes

The Customer Reaches Two More Logical Conclusions

Part III

ADVANCING THE SALE SOCRATICALLY

Chapter Seven

FIND OUT WHY NOW

The Clock Always Runs on the Salesperson

Getting There Makes the Clock Run Faster

The Clock Runs Faster on the Customer

The Buyer Needs You Now

Deadlines Create Urgency

Ask Easily Answered Questions about Urgency

Urgency Influences the Close

The Customer Reaches a Logical Conclusion about Urgency

Chapter Eight

LET FEELINGS DRIVE THE SALE

Facts about the Need Determine Choice of Product or Service

The Customer’s Feelings Determine the Buying Decision

The Basement Level of Feelings: Irritants

Ask Easily Answered Questions about Irritants

The Ground Floor Level of Feelings: Motivators

Ask Easily Answered Questions about Motivators

The Upstairs Level of Feeling Is Trust

The Customer Draws a Conclusion about You

Chapter Nine

THE SHARPEST COMPETITIVE EDGE IS LISTENING

In a Socratic Dialogue, You Listen

The Customer Needs to Know You Understand

Listening Fosters Lasting Relationships

Listening Fosters Unbeatable Relationships

Listening Is the Sharpest Competitive Edge

What Listening Is Not

Socratic Listening Means Staying Aware

Socratic Listening Gives Full Value

You Haven’t Listened until You Demonstrate You Have

You Can’t Go Wrong Playing Back

Play Back the Person

Check Your Listening with Easily Answered Questions

The Customer Draws an Unusual Conclusion

Chapter Ten

GET THE CUSTOMER STARTED ON DECISIONS

It’s Time for the Future

What Decisions Do You Need to Know About?

Help the Customer Make Decisions

Decisions Put Pressure on the Customer

In Dreams Begins Responsibility

It’s Easier If You Say if

Fantasy Questions Are Easy to Answer

Congratulate the Decision Maker

Support the Decision Maker

The Customer Draws a Conclusion about Your Role

Chapter Eleven

MAKE A NO SURPRISES PROPOSAL

A Socratic Proposal Has No Surprises

Make the Proposal Face-to-Face

Follow a Plan for Delivering Your Proposal

Find the Path to Agreement

Delay Is in Nobody’s Interest

The Customer Reaches Three More Logical Conclusions

Part IV

CLOSING THE SALE SOCRATICALLY

Chapter Twelve

KNOW THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU ANSWER

Questions May Introduce Topics

Every Question Has a Purpose

Be There to Help the Customer Think

You Can’t Exploit a Question You Don’t Understand

How Credible Is Your Answer?

Don’t Go to War Over a Question

Draw Out the Topic with Easily Answered Questions

Ride a New Topic to a Close

The Customer Draws a Conclusion from Your Answers

Chapter Thirteen

GO BEHIND THE OBJECTION

Objections Are the Lion’s Roar

Objections Are a Sign of Interest

Check Your Mindset on Objections

You Don’t Understand the Objection

Get Rid of Your Assumptions

Make the Objection Specific

Find the Customer’s Concern

Ask Easily Answered Questions about the Objection

The Customer Draws a Logical Conclusion about You

Chapter Fourteen

GET READY TO NEGOTIATE OBJECTIONS

You Can’t Just React

Know Where You Stand

Check Your Goals

Check the Customer’s Goals

Plan to Hold Price and Increase Value Given

Your Profitability Helps the Customer

Know Your Value to the Customer

Don’t Give Away What You Can Trade For

Don’t Get Stuck with What You Can’t Give

Know All the Objections before Negotiating

Ask an Easily Answered Suppose Question

The Customer Reaches a Logical Conclusion

Chapter Fifteen

NEGOTIATE THE GET-GIVE WAY

The Customer Wants Changes

Concessions Hurt the Relationship

Trade; Don’t Concede

Expand the Options

You Like Winning, so Make a Get List

The Customer Likes Winning, so Make a Give List

Re-Use Your Get List

Know Your Stopping Point

Say No Socratically

Let