I was initially very excited to take this class, I had heard so many great things about it. However, I did not learn what I expected to learn. Instead of learning about sales techniques, or how to persuade a prospect (I will acknowledge, there was some of that), we learned what I think can be summarized into two things: digging for pain, and listening.
As a “sales rookie”, you might not expect these two things to be the most important part to selling, and I was frankly surprised when I learned this. But, as the semester went on, and we continued to learn why this was the best way to sell to someone, I slowly understood. Selling isn’t about catchy slogans or guilt tripping a prospect into buying, these things are only temporary and will cause a prospect to regret a buying decision, possibly even to back out of a contract, which is never something that we want.
So, after learning all of this, what are some of my biggest takeaways from the class? Well, obviously, it’s to ask questions, not only to dig for pain, but also to create a meaningful relationship between a buyer and a seller. So many people give a bad stigma to salesman, and if you approach a situation like this, you’ll stand out from all the other prospects.
The second biggest thing that I took away from Sales in the Startup was how crucial it is to listen to a prospect. This includes a couple of things, being an active listener, and to remember what has been said in the conversation. Being an active listener is important, but many people don’t know what an active listener is. An active listener is someone who is constantly engaged in a conversation by acknowledging what the opposite person says, this can be done with one word remarks like, “really?”. Remembering what has been said in a question is important as well, you can take notes during a conversation if you need to. Remembering what has been said in a conversation and then bringing it up later can show a prospect that you have been actively listening to everything that they have been saying.
In conclusion, I am very happy I took this course, as it has taught me so much about how to interact with people. Using philosophies like the ones we were taught can get someone very far in life, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
BoweryJE22
I totally agree with this! I really had no idea what to expect, but I definitely didn’t expect to learn what I did. I was surprised how this class was very much based on he Christian principles and values of selflessness and caring for others. I am so glad that I took this class, because it really showed me how to apply some of these Christian beliefs into a field which people often associate with dishonesty and selfishness.