Leading sales conversations – uncovering client needs

This session looks at the key factors required to be effective and impactful in our conversations with both prospects and clients, how we can uncover their needs, whilst balancing this with building the case for action, and establishing ourselves as a solution provider. 

Finally, we examine the challenges of having these conversations in a virtual environment, and how we need to adapt to succeed. 

• To understand some of the key factors required to lead successful sales conversations
• Understand how questions can be used to establish more complete information and to build client commitment and action
• To understand how to adapt our approach to be effective in the virtual world

• Developing rapport, trust, and relationships
• The power of questions – uncovering ‘deep structure’ meaning through ‘transderivational’ search, building commitment and ownership.’
• SPIN sales questions
• Powerful questions - examples
• Uncovering client needs - ‘away from’ pain, and ‘towards’ pleasure
• Making the case - demonstrating return on investment. Addressing at the emotional and rational level
• Creating a compelling vision of the future
• Strategies for building influence
• Adapting sales conversations to the virtual world

Nick offers a unique combination of skills in the UK insurance training sector – an industry sales specialist and a professional coach and trainer. Nick is an Economics graduate with over 25 years corporate insurance broking experience. He was a highly successful sales producer in the UK broking market before progressing into regional and then national sales leadership roles. As National Development Director at HSBC, Nick was one of only 40 people from a global workforce of 265,000 selected as part of the STARS programme to recognise exceptional performance. He is a highly trained consultative sales specialist, and his experience includes a secondment with a major management consultant to design a best practice sales process.

In the mid-2000s, Nick developed a chronic health condition; his journey to recovery fostered a new range of interests, and a passion for health, and performance. He studied widely, qualifying as a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), obtaining a Diploma in Life Coaching, before going on to study Corporate/Business Coaching with The Coaching Academy. Nick is also a qualified Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Advanced Exercise Coach.

In the last few years Nick has worked in a self-employed capacity in training, coaching, and consulting. He works with a specialist adviser in Insurance sector M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions), and through Nick Thomas & Associates.