Here’s a simple reality… Prospects and customers buy the salesperson first during every sales call – or they don’t buy at all.
In any major sale, especially Business-to-Business (B2B) or complex Business-to-Consumer sales, the prospect or customer makes a predictable series of buying decisions that lead to a final purchasing decision. The first and perhaps the most important of these is:
‘Do I buy what this salesperson is saying?’
This decision is always made before the prospect or customer will seriously consider factors such as your product or service offering and price. Yet many sales people are unaware that it is how they are presenting and conducting themselves that is setting up the success or failure of the sales opportunity.
Most sales people make the mistake of devoting the selling time to pitching their products or services. Here’s the problem: whether the prospect or customer realises it or not, the first thing they decide is whether they like and trust you, the salesperson. If you bury your prospects or customers beneath a mountain of product information while the prospect or customer is making up their mind about whether or not they like and trust you, you have already lost the deal.
When prospects and customers can relate to you, like and trust you, everything about the sales process becomes much easier. Here are a few ideas that will help you build and gain that trust and create genuine connections…
Demonstrate your interest: Stop trying to be interesting, instead, demonstrate your real interest in your prospect or customer, don’t talk too much about yourself.
Listening to the Needs of the Customer
Show that you understand: People have a strong need to feel understood. Ask questions, listen and make sure you understand your prospect or customer’s needs and priorities. Confirm the person’s need by restating them so they know you understand their situation by verifying. Verifying is very useful when trying to understand another person’s situation or point of view. Verifying your customer’s needs requires the combination of three key communication skills: listening, paraphrasing and clarifying. Verifying can be a useful technique to ensure the message has been received and understood by both the sender and receiver. Verifying involves paraphrasing or summing up in your own words what you think the person has communicated.
Use an organised sales procedure: A step-by-step procedure keeps you on track and helps you be methodical, thorough and professional. Your professional approach will sell you.
Be dependable and consistent: nothing annoys customers or prospects more than inconsistency and lack of follow up. So do what you say you will do. Being reliable, be consistent and above be sincere and genuine.
Remember everybody lives by selling something.
Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au
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