Using ChatGPT in Sales: A Counterintuitive Way

Transparency wins. AI + Transparency? That could be a strong combination!

If you’ve been following along, read my books or have heard me speak, there’s no doubt you know I’ve been preaching this idea that transparency sells better than perfection. It’s why we all read reviews when we’re buying something online for ourselves, but more importantly, it’s why we all read the negative reviews first when buying something online (you do that, don’t you?).

And, it’s why a product with nothing but 5-star reviews sells at about the same conversion rate as a product with around a 3.25-average-star rating – which kinda sucks.

That’s when a website is acting as a salesperson…but also when YOU, A HUMAN BEING, ARE ACTING AS A SALESPERSON.

It’s not just that it feels nice to be honest. It actually triggers faster decision-making in buyers. It improves win rates dramatically, partially because you are able to qualify IN the right opportunities better, but partially because you’ll lose the deals you are likely to lose anyway – just faster, so you can spend your valuable time finding and developing those “right” opportunities.

In other words, when we use transparency correctly, customers buy more often, they buy faster, they stay longer, they buy more, and they are more likely to advocate – you’ve built a relationship founded on trust!

The sales professional’s job isn’t to convince, it’s to help buyers predict. Transparency is about doing the homework for the buyer and differentiating in the way you sell.

“But how do we figure out what to be transparent about?”

The Transparency Sale

You can’t be all things to all people. You know that. There are elements of your core that have made you successful. However, there are reasons why customers don’t buy…otherwise, they all would have. You know why you win. But, you should also know why you lose – and under what circumstances. Collect those. (and, for a deeper dive into this, my first book, The Transparency Sale, will teach you how.)

But…here are two things you can do right now to inform your transparent messaging:

When I’m speaking/teaching a company’s revenue organization, a big part of my homework is doing the homework a buyer would do.

1) Go to Google and type in “(your company) reviews”

I read a LOT of what comes up (from Glassdoor to G2 and all in between), mostly the negatives. I get an impression of the company like a buyer would. It’s very easy to get an impression from a buyer’s perspective about what’s to love, and what isn’t. I’m running a small business, and there’s feedback available on Sales Melon. If your company is of substance, there are things floating around that are easy for buyers to find, read and use to support their decision to either go with you or not. 

Do you do that for your company? You should…your buyer probably is.

2) Go to ChatGPT and type in “Why shouldn’t I use (your company) in my company?”

I’m prepping for a kickoff keynote I’m doing next week in Orlando. It popped out a 292-word, 4-bulleted explanation for why I should consider NOT going with them. Sadly, it’s brilliant. ChatGPT is getting so many eyeballs today, and we’re all trying to figure it out. If you really want to know what you’re up against, try it. It’s the easiest path to a clear picture of what you could be facing in your selling pursuits. Buyers probably aren’t using it…yet. 

Have you done that for your company? You should…your buyer is likely to start soon.

If you don’t think your buyers know how to use Google, know how to type a question into ChatGPT, know other ways to do their homework, things are gonna get more difficult.

Embrace it. Embrace the truth about your solutions – because “If the truth won’t sell it, don’t sell it!” (Arthur Dunn, 1919)

I speak and teach revenue organizations on how to leverage transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity. It’s what I do…teach sellers, their leaders, and really entire revenue organizations the how we as human beings make decisions, then how to use that knowledge for good (not evil) in their messaging (informal and formal), negotiations and revenue leadership. I wrote a 3x award-winning book (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦), and have a newish book out (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳) now that just won its first award!

Reach out if you want to discuss The Transparency Sale sales methodology, or really…anything else (sales kickoffs, workshops, keynotes, the economy, history, etc.)! Email info@toddcaponi.com or call 847-999-0420.

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