"Strictly Sales" is written by the faculty of the Dynamics of Selling Program. This month's column is from David Connolly, ARM.

SO YOU'VE found another prospect. You've developed a rapport, and you've done your homework. You know a great deal about the prospect's business, and you've also done your research on the third person in the discussion-the incumbent agent. You have reviewed the prospect's current policies and can see some potential issues. You have the markets you need, and you're confident that you can win the upcoming debate over product and service.

Your next step will need to be painful-for your prospect. You must identify and discuss the issues that will lead the prospect to make a change. You need to find the prospect's pain. This is an essential part of winning the account. If you cannot uncover the prospect's pain, you will not unseat the incumbent. This is a law of selling, as ironclad as the laws of physics. In fact, the laws of physics apply to selling as well, and understanding them can help you uncover pain and win new accounts. Let's take a look at the physics of selling.

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