Tarzan and the Elephants

Tarzan and the Elephants

My Mom was a funny lady and during my youth, she was constantly throwing riddles at me.

Some of her riddles came in pairs and the pairs typically had a point.

One such pair of riddles has been a huge lesson for me as I have gone through life. Here they are.

Riddle 1: What did Tarzan say when he saw the elephants coming down the road? “Here come the elephants.” Riddle 2: What did the elephants say when they saw Tarzan coming down the road? Nothing, elephants don’t talk.

Most people fail to get either answer correct. And despite missing the first question, most people are too proud of their intelligence to say “I don’t know” in answer to the second question. My Mom was making two points. First, she wanted me to realize that some questions are simple, I needed to not over-think things. After all what else would Tarzan have said?

She also wanted me to understand that answering a question with words I just heard can take me way off track. Just because the question asks about talking elephants does not mean elephants can talk.

As a sales trainer, I spend my days trying to help salespeople and business owners realize that questions you are asked by prospects are rarely straightforward. The questions that prospects ask come from their world and are based around their current situation, and how your sales team handles these questions is the key to selling success. Does your sales team know when to say “I don’t know” and when
to say “why do you ask?” These are the keys to keeping salespeople out of trouble.

Typically, our clients tell us that learning to handle their prospects questions is the primary driver of their newfound sales success. Handling these prospect questions correctly leads professional salespeople to bigger, more focused and, best of all, more qualified chances to make sales.

Are you ready to help your sales team learn the best way to handle the questions your prospects have?