Sales is all about persuasion and influence. Persuasion and influence fails are usually the result of poor-quality pre-thinking. For example:
Throughout the sales process, you need critical thinking to equip yourself for the moment when you need to persuade or influence the buyer.
Your solution is only as good as the buyer’s desire for it.
In discovery, you need to accomplish all the following:
Without achieving these objectives in the discovery process, you will not be able to craft a solution that already has buyer enthusiasm and ownership. You won’t be able to persuade or influence the buyer as effectively either. Until you’ve asked purposeful questions and established yourself as a valued contributor and resource, you’re still as suspect as any other seller. The stereotypes about sellers inherently limit your influence and persuasiveness.
Critical thinking in the discovery phase of your sales process will give you the information you need to prove that your solution is the best one. Proof is persuasive, so don’t coast through discovery and miss the information you need.
If you want to be believed, credible, influential, persuasive, and effective, you have to offer proof. Others expect you to demonstrate that your position is valid. The person making an assertion is the one who's responsible for proving it. This is "the burden of proof."
You’ll be taking a certain position in your sales presentation. When you offer a proposal or conduct a demo, you’re making an assertion that your solution is the right one for the buyer.
To prove your position, you'll need strong critical thinking skills. They will make you more persuasive than emotion alone. This video gives you three levels of proofs. You’ll be more influential when you aim for the highest possible level of proof.
By the way, if a buyer (or competitor) expects you to disprove an assertion or claim they've made, they're not upholding their obligation to provide the burden of proof. Your inability to disprove their claim doesn't make their claim true. Don’t cave to these silly and irrational arguments.