Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a post from Mike Lipka, an Inside Sales Representative at AG Salesworks.
What could Michelangelo’s sculpting techniques teach you about reaching quota? The answer may surprise you.
Michelango’s mastery of sculpture was without rival, and his philosophy on his craft was equally brilliant. Believing that the figure he was sculpting lay “trapped” inside the block of quarried stone, Michelangelo slowly carved until a perfectly refined image began to reveal itself.
How is this relevant to inside sales? Much like a sculptor, inside sales professionals possess a rare blend of patience, optimism, and vision to persevere to their final result. Both begin by wrestling with raw, uncultivated material and gradually move closer and closer to a final goal. Of course, instead of laboring through stone, inside sales representatives wade through murky data and countless mental barriers as they uncover opportunities within their prospect list. Nonetheless, it is through mastery of a reductive process that excellence is achieved.
Consider bringing the following elements of sculpting philosophy to your inside sales process:
Every stroke of removal intensifies and focuses what remains.
As your list recedes, efficiency and precision intensify. Using deductive reasoning to build your sales pipeline will help you find prospects that have a greater propensity to move forward to the next steps. Prospects without genuine interest or need hinder our sales pipelines. Don't mistake your busy calendar for one that is healthy and productive. Quickly discarding the unprofitable records from a list will reduce the amount of sales resistance and rejection that could sap your enthusiasm from the prospects you can genuinely help.
See the potential in your block of stone.
“I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo
Try to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the task of prospecting into a new territory or campaign. While the end result is uncertain, visualize the positive outcomes that will soon stem from your efforts.
Strive for simplicity, purity, and quality in your craft.
“The true work of art is but a shadow of divine perfection.” -Michelangelo
Progressively strip away everything that detracts from the purity and quality of your desired result. This approach often flies in the face of traditional sales wisdom, as many sales cultures value constant increase, excess, and volume.
A subtractive process is about growth and creation rather than loss and elimination.
By discarding the wasteful aspects of our sales process, we as B2B inside sales reps are able to achieve both smoother process and greater gains. We are creating more meaningful and stronger relationships with prospects we can truly help, while also creating a better brand experience for them.
Learn when to use strokes of delicacy and when to use strength. While the chisel is capable of both, a single flirtation with brute force or impatience will destroy the entire sculpture.
Different situations in inside sales call for different reactions Sometimes, it's not bad to emphasize disqualification over qualification; it's OK to discard a record and feel confident moving on to the next. Additionally, you should train yourself how to identify prospects that are not a fit for your product or service. If you're working with a prospect and trying to further qualify the engagement, you may need to display your strength as a sales professional and really help him or her envision your product providing a beneficial solution in their environment.
Be ruthless about preserving your time.
“There is no greater harm than that of time wasted.” - Michelangelo
Three percent of your list is ready for immediate purchase. It is imperative to locate these prospects before the competition does. The qualified, responsive prospects that you identify should be treated delicately and provided with the carefully tailored, meaningful messages they will appreciate. Remember to guide rather than push, and respect their timeframe. Prospects who only move forward with high sales pressure will frequently “no-show” to appointments and rarely progress to the final stages.
While Michelangelo passed away in the 16th century, he possessed such a rare view of the world and such a dedication to his craft that his philosophy benefits professionals in fields such as inside sales that exist 400 years after his death. The ability to examine and improve the field of inside sales from seemingly unrelated angles offers us a perspective that not only transcends time but is competitively advantageous. While inside sales as a discipline is rapidly evolving with advancements in technology, we must be careful not to forget that we can learn from looking backward in history as well.
Join the Conversation