Now you might ask what the KSSS method is, well its very similar to the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid) but KSSS is a little concept I came up with called Keep Selling Simple Stupid. Selling isn’t necessarily difficult but it is greatly enhanced if done with flare and a fundamental approach.  Below are the tenants of my KSSS method.

Know the animal you hunt. Understanding that customers are not strange creatures with an entirely different culture than your own is step one. Put yourself in the shoes of your clients and how would you like to be approached if you were being presented to.  Many sales people remove themselves so far from the perspective of the customer that it is difficult to make that all to important connection with the individual in front of them. To sum it up simply, treat others as you would like to be treated even when selling.

Stop forgetting to follow up. The second biggest killer of sales people, other than the C word (complacency), is failing to follow up.  If a deal is big enough to quote it’s big enough to follow up on.  I have heard countless tales from past customers whose main reason for giving me the business was the fact that I followed up.  Customers want to know that you are interested in earning their business and that they are important enough to at least get a phone call.  Why waste the time going through the motions of a presentation if you aren’t going to call back and see if they want to buy?

Sell the sickness not the symptom. If every customer truly knew what the needed and not what they think they want, then all of us professional salespeople would be out of a job.  You should always ask plenty of questions and dig deep to see what is going to create the best fit for a customer.  There are always opportunities to sell a customer what they want or sell them more than they need but fight the urge.  Unless you’re an industry nomad, you may want to be in the business you are in for a while and like a tailor people follow whoever gives them the best fit.  Find out what pains or  inefficiencies your customer is trying to remedy with your product.  If your product isn’t really a need then find out the motivation for wanting a particular item.  Knowing what motivates your customer is the best way to making a sale that sticks and avoid buyer’s remorse.

Stop Closing, ask for the business. Don’t get caught up in closing.  If you have done your job properly there should be no doubt in you mind as to the outcome of the meeting.  In the Army the Drill Sargent  told us that when we fired our weapon, if we focused on the target it should be a surprise when the trigger was actually pulled and the round fired.  If you concentrate too much on delivering a witty super closing phrase then you may pull left or right of your target.  Build a stone foundation of information, discovery of needs, build trust and then know the answer before you ask.

Now go and put KSSS to work for you and your organization.  The fundamental ideas here coupled with some due diligence on your part may not guarantee success but it will increase your average.