Be sure to register for my free training on, "The 7-Step Formula to Closing More Deals without the Price Pushback, 'Think-It-Overs' or Ghosting" https://salesinsightslab.com/training/ KEY MOMENTS: 0:41 1. Make it back and forth. 1:57 2. Demand more time. 2:43 3. Ask and get more questions. 3:41 4. Slow things down. 4:46 5. Features are sales death. 1. Make it back-and-forth. This is one of the most important sales tips to come out of our recent study on sales. Our new data shows, unequivocally, that top performers today create more “back-and-forth” in their conversations with prospects. In fact, we learned that top performers have 54% more conversation switches in discovery, and 78% more conversation switches during presentations. Think of a conversation switch as “I talk, you talk. I talk, you talk”—top performers do this on repeat, much more frequently than everyone else does. This new data gives us a groundbreakingly new understanding of how top performers are selling. To implement this sales tip, you must constantly bring the prospect back into the conversation—and even when they're talking, you must be actively engaged, responding with little prompts such as, “I understand what you’re saying,” or “That makes sense.” Those little comments constitute a conversation switch. Top performers use these quick comments to create a dynamic sense of back-and-forth that continuously loops prospects into the conversation, leading the interaction forward with confidence. 2. Demand more time. The new data shows that top performers' discovery calls are 76% longer than those of the rest of the team. What’s more, top performers' presentation calls are also longer—by a difference of about 55%. Based on this brand-new data, one of the most powerful closing sales tips is to demand more time from prospects. In fact, you should expect more time from prospects. When you schedule an initial meeting, expect more time up front. Don’t just try to get your foot in the door with a 5-minute time slot and hope for the best. Short conversations aren’t going to close sales. The data is clear on that. You’ve got to have enough time set aside from the get-go to have a full-length conversation to close any deal. 3. Ask and get more questions. The data shows that top performers ask 39% more questions in discovery and 40% more questions during presentations. Even more interesting is that prospects ask 40% more questions of top-performing reps during discovery, and 43% more during the presentation. So, not only are top performers asking way more questions, but they’re also receiving way more questions. The key takeaway here is that top performers’ sales conversations are far more engaged on both sides—prospects are fully present, not texting or checking their email. They're really listening. And as a result, they're asking more questions. At the same time, top-performing salespeople are asking more questions of the prospect, showing strong engagement. Having this level of questions, both asked and received, is critical to the success of the sale. 4. Slow things down. This is one of the most powerful yet simple sales tips we can offer from our new research: slow down. The data shows that top performers speak at an average of about 171 words per minute, while the rest of the team speaks at an average of 182 words per minute. That's about a 6.5% difference. And what's even more interesting is that the pace at which their prospects speak is different as well. Top performers' prospects speak only around 174 words per minute, whereas the rest of the team’s prospects speak 198 words per minute. That's a 14% difference between top performers' prospects and everyone else's prospects. These statistics tell us that top performers are able to slow down the conversation on both sides. They're not just trying to rush through and move on to the next thing. And when top performers speak slower, their prospects do, too. They follow suit, slowing down and fully engaging in the conversation. Be willing to slow down the conversation. Get comfortable at that slower pace, because it will have a huge impact on the likelihood of ultimately closing the deal. 5. Features = sales death. It turns out that top performers discuss features during their discovery about half as much as everyone else. At the same time, top performers' presentations mention features about 63% less than everyone else’s. This means that top performers are way less focused on selling features. The biggest sales tip here is that we must all move into the new world of selling, which is not focused on product features. Instead, it's focused on solutions. Your features are great; that's good for you, but your prospects don't care. What they care about is that you can solve their problems. Instead of focusing on the features of your product or your service, focus on the ultimate solutions and outcomes that your prospects are looking to accomplish.