Sales isn’t about pushing. It’s about persuasion. Jason Harris, CEO of the creative agency Mekanism, says it’s time to start thinking differently about making a deal.
ABC. Always be closing.” Everyone in sales has heard that line. The rest of the world probably knows it from the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross, where Alec Baldwin’s character treats it as gospel. It’s taken as truth in the sales world. But here’s the thing: It’s completely wrong. In fact, the “always be closing” approach to sales is the enemy of persuasion. It may have worked in the past, but today’s low-trust world demands an entirely different approach.
The basic presumption behind that infamous saying is that everything a person says or does in the course of persuading someone should be aimed purely at getting to yes. It’s about aggressively pushing your audience to make the decision you want them to make, whether it’s in their interest or not. It’s about finding a way to close the deal at all costs.
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Entrepreneur.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Entrepreneur.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Your Next Recruit Could Be a Robot
Across the franchise industry, brands are putting AI to use in all kinds of novel ways. From customer service to better marketing and quality control, here's how brands are taking the leap into automation.
Nobody Wants to Manage Anymore
Fewer young workers want to become managers, and that's putting companies at risk. Here's how we can fix the missing middle.
$100 Million Annually, 100% Founder-Owned
This married couple's plans to raise VC money never panned out. Now they say it was the best thing to happen to their jewelry company.
My 'Office Space' Revolt
In the '90s, I got my first management job in the public accounting department at Deloitte.
THE UNIVERSAL FORMULA TO FRANCHISEE SUCCESS
Why do some franchisees flourish while some flounder, even as they operate under the same brand? I've narrowed it down to three critical factors.
WHAT OPENING DAY LOOKS LIKE
Is it exciting? Stressful? A mix of both? We followed new franchisees through their first big day.
HOW TO MAKE GIANT LEAPS
A handful of brands jumped more than 150 spots on this year's list. How'd they do it? We reached out to ask-and learned what it takes to transform a franchise.
TOP 10 Entrepreneur
MEET THE LEADERS| THE FRANCHISE 500
MOH THESE FOUNDERS REGAINED CONTROL
Landing major investors is exciting, but often comes with the mandate to grow fast and sell your company. When the founders of Rhone realized they didn't want that, they charted a new path forward.
What Management Style Are You?
The fastest way to improve your team's performance is to take a hard look at your own leadership methods. But first you need to know what management style you lean toward, so you can bend in the right direction.