Well, we have been together for five
minutes and I can already tell that
you know nothing about me, my
company, my products, my issues, or
my market. What was it you were
trying to sell me again?
—Anonymous
Buyer
I’m
sure many of us have heard or seen this quote somewhere in our selling careers.
This is a good example of what you don’t want in the minds of your prospects in
your first meeting. That first meeting
is critical to your success so you better be PREPARED. You only have a few moments to make a
positive 1st impression.
The
Boy Scout motto around the world for more than 100 years has been “be prepared.”
It should be the motto of all consultants who believe that they can and will
achieve their success goals. With all the information in the world instantly available
today, successful consultants prepare by researching and understanding the
prospect’s wants, needs, and motives.
A
key to sales success is to increase business by building relationships and uncovering
buying motives. An obvious first step is to gather information about the
prospect’s products, services and company. That’s only part of what consultants
need to do to get ready. Information
does not become sales intelligence until the consultant sincerely tries to
understand what it’s like to walk in the prospect’s shoes. The consultant is less informed today than the
customer for the first time ever. For example, consultants who work for a car company
may know all about Mazdas. Most customers
will have done research on the Internet and know all about Mazdas, Hondas,
Chevrolets, and more.
Consultants
need to prepare to be of value to customers.
• They need to understand the buyer’s point of
view and motives—and what will happen or what the outcome will be after the customer
takes ownership of the product or service
• They need to focus on the use of the product
in the customer’s terms (vs.the features and technical aspects)
Elements of Sales Success
Preparation
There are three elements of sales success
preparation:
• Attitude and Belief—are you mentally ready?
• Buyer’s Perspective—how are you going to solve
problems from the buyer’s point of view?
• Your Credibility—have you searched yourself and your
company recently on the Internet? (Hint: The prospect probably has or will.)
Buyer’s
Perspective
Information gathering forms the heart of the solutions
you present. Turning information into sales intelligence helps determine how
you create value for buyers.
“Try honestly to see things from the
other person’s point of view.”
—Dale Carnegie
Sorry to be a bummer, potential
clients don’t care about you, your service or your products. They care about themselves, their issues and their
concerns.
These concerns may include:
Increasing revenues, increasing efficiencies, mission
critical employees and processes, workflow and related operations, procurement,
resources, customer service, reducing costs, staying compliant and of course
many others.
Hint: How do
your products or services help your current customers in these areas?
If you don’t know, you should, ask them.
What do you think sounds more credible to a potential
client?
#1 Good
afternoon, Mr. Customer, my name is Joe Blow from ABC Company and we sell the
best office equipment in the world! We
got copiers, printers, computers, what do you need?
Customer is thinking, how can I get rid of this person,
I have all that, don’t need it.
#2 Good afternoon, Mr Customer, my name is Joe Blow and
we help our customers reduce their office operating costs. For example, we worked with a company similar
to your size and industry and we were able to reduce their monthly office
operating costs by 22%. I’m not sure if
we can guarantee you the same results, who would I talk to in your company to
access your needs to see if working together would be of benefit to you?
I’m a business owner, I know which one I like better J
Happy Selling!!
