A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

That's what author and trainer Jill Konrath suggest you do the next time you visit a prospect. (And, no...that's not a snapshot of me typing my blog entries here at LandingTheDeal...)

No, she's not suggesting you shed your coat and tie and risk getting arrested.  What is she recommending?  Read on...

"My daughter went to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. This school is famous for two things: an excellent music program and ... (drum roll) ... Coed Naked Soccer. Every year some students manage to sneak in a game or two despite the administration's warning of dire consequences if they're caught.

What does that have to do with sales? This past week, I talked with two sellers who are having extraordinary success right now. Their business is skyrocketing. Pricing is virtually a non-issue. And all this happened once they started going into sales calls totally, stark-raving naked.

At least that's how they felt when they stopped bringing their brochures into meetings with prospective buyers. Armed with only a notebook and pen, they had nothing to hide behind. They couldn't direct the prospect's attention to the marketing collateral. They couldn't point out hot new features. They couldn't show the exciting new technologies. They couldn't display their incredible portfolio of work.

Instead, they sat there naked - totally vulnerable - with their prospect staring at them. Waiting. Watching.

Without the brochure, they were forced to focus on the prospect's business. They asked questions about how it was going. They explored the challenges and the issues the prospect was concerned about. They discussed the prospect's goals, ideas and expectations.

And, because they were naked, with no brochures to fall back on even if they wanted to, they ended up having totally client-focused conversations.

The prospects loved it. They felt valued and understood. They felt like the reps cared and were concerned. They asked for the rep's advice and even wanted specific recommendations.

Despite this final temptation to pull out a brochure, these reps suggested a second meeting as the next step. They got it - and shortly thereafter ended up with bigger contracts than even they could have imagined at the beginning.

If you're one of those salespeople who relies heavily on your marketing collateral or samples, try shedding them for awhile. Go naked into your sales calls. Have a discussion - not a pitch. It won't be long before you too start seeing the difference it makes!"

Jill offers a free newsletter at her site, and has some helpful tools for sales professionals selling to large companies.  Also, thanks to SalesDog for the material...we also recommend them as a great resource for sales professionals.

My take on "naked selling"?  I think its great.  Whenever I can get in front of a prospect with just me and my questions, things turn out great.  The truth is, most of your prospects couldn't give a rat's behind what your brochure says...your brochure isn't about them and their problems, and that's what they want solved in doing business with you.