Announcing The Ultimate Sales Process Naming Contest!!

I started thinking about this a few weeks ago, when I first read the HBR article about Provocative Selling. I read it, thinking I would learn something new. There were some interesting ideas, but fundamentally it reiterated what professional selling is really about (I will write later, more seriously about it).

But it got me to thinking, will there never be an end to these new names?

I started going through all the different names I have encountered in my sales career. Fundamentally, things we consultants and sales trainers do to say the same thing. I first learned to sell in IBM in the late 70’s. Then we called it FABs–Features, Advantages, Benefits.

I have gone through the litany: Solution Selling, PowerBased Selling, CustomerCentric Selling, Consultative Selling, Question Based Selling, ROI Based Selling, Selling To Vito, Value Based Selling, and yes, now Provocative Selling. Our firm even has it’s own “Dimensions Of EXCELLENCE.” (With apologies to all the developers of these programs, I have really gotten great value from each, and respect the quality of thinking from the developers–I just am having a little fun at all our expense)

My goal in this post, with the help of the readers is to come up with the penultimate, winner take all term for selling. Let’s settle the name game here and now.

I am staking my claim for the following as the ultimate in consultative sales process names:

1. “Silver Bullet Selling” — because we are always looking for them, so let’s be upfront about our intentions.
2. “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Selling” — harkens back to a kinder and gentler time, plus you can test sales people on the spelling, so you can see if they learned something.
3. “Twelling Twolutions” — selling in 140 characters or less, or if you are a fan of Elmer Fudd.
4. “Selling to infinity and beyond” — it’s hard to top this one, how can you go beyond infinity? Also, if you are a Buzz Lightyear fan.

I’ve staked out my votes. What are yours? (By the way, I will split the royalties on all the names you supply 50-50.)

By the way to some of my consulting friends out there — you know who you are — no voting for your own 😉

I haven’t asked him, but maybe I can get my friend Dave Stein, as an impartial observer, to make a final call when we wrap this up.

Chime in, have fun, suggest names you think will be the ultimate! Get it out of your system.