The Sales Professional’s Playbook Book Exploration by Laurie Hawkins

1. THE SALES PROFESSIONAL'S
PLAYBOOK
by Nathan Jamail
BOOK EXPLORATION
By Laurie Hawkins

2. It’s about likeability, trust and influence. Sales is not a complicated process but it’s
not an easy one either. Selling requires more skill than almost any other
profession. You are dealing with intangibles such as emotions, egos, attitudes and
situations that are outside of your control. And yet, you must manage all of these
like a master.
“Sales is not something you pursue, it’s what happens to you while you
are immersed in serving your customers.”
GETTING TO THE GOAL
Sales requires skill and strategy, not just heeding broad advice about making calls
or building relationships. Sales is about understanding who your ideal client is,
what questions to ask, what energy to give and establishing positions of influence
with your prospective customers.

3. During the sales call, you are focused on earning the sale, not the development of
and improvement of your skills.
PRACTICE
Experience and insight have taught me that the world of sales and the world of
sports follow many of the same rules. Perhaps the most important rule shared but
both is the necessity of practice.
Salespeople seldom, if ever practice, but true sales professionals, like true sports
professionals, practice daily. Your willingness to learn begins with your willingness
to practice.
Some sales people don’t practice sales because they feel they practice every day
when they go to a sales call. This is not practicing; this is playing the game. The
difference is found in the consequences; when selling to a person, there is risk and
potential to lose the sale.

4. Treat prospective customers as if they are your mom
Establish likeability, trust and influence (not manipulation)
Nobody likes to be sold but everybody likes to buy
People buy with their emotions and justify with logic
KEY PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENTIAL SELLING
The structure of the “old school” selling is still applicable but the intent has changed.
The intent of the selling process is not to talk someone into buying something but
rather to understand the customer and starting from that place, become a positive
influence.
If my product or service does not meet the needs of my prospect, I don’t sell it!
Give a referral or introduce your prospect to another professional that can help them
and then ask them to share with others if what you do offer can support them

5. BE YOU, BE CONFIDENT
Act as you would when you have nothing to gain and no ulterior motives beyond the
desire to connect and support
Build genuine interest...if you aren’t interested in learning about them, why would you
expect them to be interested in learning about your offerings?
Transfer the right energy so that people feel connected to you. Make sure it is positive.
CIRCLE OF TRUST
Instead of asking qualifying and leading questions, ask purposeful and meaningful
questions.
Leading questions are aimed at leading the prospect to the product. The focus is on the
product. Purposeful questions guide you to better understand the prospect so that you
can earn their trust and make the best recommendations for them. The focus is on the
person, not the product.

6. The sales often withers and dies when a salesperson does not take the time to find out what the
customer really desires.
THE DEADLY “SO WHAT”
The “so what” is a response a customer gives to a salesperson after they praise a feature or
benefit as awesome, without knowing what the customer really wants or thinks.
A benefit is only a benefit when the customer says it’s a benefit. (We have the best customer
experience).
MAPPING SOLUTIONS
Begin every recommended solution with an expression referring directly and explicitly to
statements made by your prospect. Use openers such as “given your concern about x.”
Begin with what the prospect has in mind, the benefit, and transition from the benefit they seek
to the products you sell, from what they already know to what they don’t’ know yet but can learn
from you.

7. CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS
Remove the archaic thought of “removing obstacles” and instead focus on considering all
options. Look at the pros and cons with your customers and then you can provide influence, with
your customers' best interests in mind.
TO THE TOP AND BEYOND
Think of your sales plan as a map for getting to the destination you desire. Knowledge is not
power, what you do with your knowledge is what gives you power. Most sales professionals have
an idea of what to do, but very few have a plan to actually do it. Unless you put your knowledge
into a plan, and put that plan into action, your knowledge does not become power and remains
useless – less “used” or not used at all.