Radical Transparency Between Sellers and Prospects with Kyle Norton
Sep 16, 2021
auto_awesome
Kyle Norton, Head of Revenue for Canada at Shopify, champions radical transparency in sales, advocating for open communication between sellers and prospects. He discusses how early disclosure of product shortcomings can enhance trust and expedite deal cycles. The conversation dives into the concept of 'off-ramping' deals, emphasizing the need for sales leaders to assess deal viability clearly. Norton also highlights the shift from rigid to adaptable sales strategies, stressing genuine engagement with clients to build meaningful relationships.
Radical transparency fosters trust by encouraging salespeople to openly discuss product strengths and weaknesses, ensuring clear customer expectations.
Implementing off-ramping allows sales reps to assess deal viability, promoting thoughtful decision-making and strengthening vendor-customer relationships.
Deep dives
Radical Transparency in Sales
Radical transparency is crucial for fostering genuine relationships between salespeople and customers. By openly discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their products and competitors, sales professionals can build trust with potential buyers. For instance, rather than concealing product deficiencies, it's more beneficial to acknowledge them early in the sales cycle. This approach not only clarifies expectations but also helps sales representatives filter out unsuitable deals, leading to a more efficient and honest selling process.
Off-Ramping as a Strategy
Off-ramping is an effective strategy that allows sales reps to pause an ongoing deal to assess its viability before investing significant time and resources. By encouraging buyers to evaluate their internal readiness for a purchase, salespeople can avoid pursuing deals that are unlikely to succeed. This method not only saves time but also strengthens the relationship between the vendor and the customer, creating a collaborative environment. The emphasis on allowing customers to make informed decisions enhances trust and improves the potential for successful outcomes.
Point of View Positioning
Point of view positioning serves to clarify how a product aligns with customer needs and market expectations. By maintaining a consistent narrative around their offerings, sales teams can effectively differentiate their products from competitors. This involves openly discussing the contexts within which their products excel while identifying when a competitor might be a better fit. Such transparency in positioning not only showcases confidence but also allows customers to make educated choices aligned with their specific circumstances.
Kyle Norton is the Head of Revenue for Canada at Shopify, a commerce platform that helps independent businesses start, sell, market, and manage. In this episode, Kyle explains why he loves teaching radical transparency between sellers and their prospects, a philosophy he leaned into after asking himself: “Why are we as sellers so hesitant to lay out all the facts and be more consultative in the process?" Visit SalesLoft.com for show notes and insights from this episode.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode