The importance of the single sales principle

About this video

What makes a good salesperson? In this lesson, the last of this series, Sales and Marketing educator, Mark Blackmore, sums it up in 16 words.

Video length: 2’28”

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Video Transcript

Grant Leboff: Mark, we’re talking about the Singles Sales Principle, and when I first picked up the book I loved it because one of the things that I preach is, in the modern world – it’s all about the customer. The customer journey starts with customers, they go online, they research, it’s all about the customer. Maybe it always should have been, but just look at old marketing stuff, look at old sales staff, it wasn’t. But your Single Sales Principle is all about the customer. So perhaps you can expand on that and how that plays out?

Mark Blackmore: I have spent my whole life in sales, either as a salesperson, sales manager, sales trainer… so I’ve been on lots of sales calls and of course was always trying to find out what is the secret of being a successful salesperson. And it’s frustrating because you can have two fantastic salespeople who both operate in a totally different way.

Then we came across some psychology that was all about people being either ‘customer centric’ or ‘self centric’, and that got us thinking that actually, are we spending all of our time looking at the salesperson – i.e., within – rather than why people buy? So we commissioned some research and we interviewed over 1000 people and we asked them; why do you buy? And the feedback that came back was just 16 words long; ‘People buy when a compelling need is met by a credible solution and offers perceived value.’ That was it. So, therefore, all I have to do as a salesperson is to help you, as a buyer, to achieve that.

Grant Leboff: So not worry about my own personal goals and aims, but really concentrate on the customer themselves and, by doing that, you get the results you want?

Mark Blackmore: Well, do you know what? If you buy something, it’s very rare that you will complement the salesperson on doing a great job. We say that sales people are a bit like wigs – you only spot the bad ones – and that’s the same here. You only spot bad salespeople because the good salespeople are the ones who just help you, they don’t even come across like salespeople.

There may be small changes to the spoken word in this transcript in order make it more readable.

The Single Sales Principle

and the 8 myths of selling

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About Mark Blackmore

Mark Blackmore is an experienced consultant and passionate sales and management educator. He has consulted and trained in a wide variety of sectors and his clients include both blue chip and household names (Barratt Homes, Mamas & Papas, G4S, NHS; Nokia, AutoTrader; Google, Hellmanm Logisitcs).

Learn More →

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