Tug of War Selling
Are you in a "tug of war" with your customer/s?
You keep selling -- they aren't buying. Customers
resist being sold -- but love to buy.
Try letting customers buy your product or service rather
than selling it to them.
Here's How:
Before attempting to sell any product or service it's important
to establish a need or want. Why? Your product or service means
nothing until the customer understands what it will do for them.
Consider this phrase:
"WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?"
Help your customers understand what's in it for them and you'll
have a better chance of "closing the sale." How? Ask
Questions!
Assume you're a wholesale rep for cellular phones. Your market
is retail outlets. Would it make sense to market your cellular
products to a convention for the deaf? Why? The answer is
obvious - "limited to no interest." With that in mind, wouldn't
it be important to identify a profile of your best targets to
maximize time and increase results? How would you gather the
info about this perfect client? Research? Benchmarking? How is
all this information gathered to provide data? Someone or
something was asking a lot of questions to establish
probability.
Stop playing "tug of war" with your customers.
Find out what they want and why it's important to them. This
approach allows them to buy instead of being sold.
Example/Ineffective Approach:
You're selling the newest, latest, greatest cell phones at the
mall. I walk past and you get my attention. You immediately
start pitching me on all the great "bells and whistles"
attached to this newest technology. You invest a few high
powered minutes trying to convince me to buy. I look at you with
that "glazed over" look wondering what the h--- you're talking
about. At the same time your next victim is approaching. You
quickly leave me standing there "dazed and confused" and start
the same pitch over again with this scenario repeating itself
throughout the day. My best guess tells me that you made some
sales, but how many walked away because you never took the time
to ask a few simple questions to identify a need or want.
OH WHAT A MISTAKE!
Simple, yet effective question asking provides monumental
results not to mention the customer feels like they are buying
instead of being sold.
Example/Effective Approach:
You're selling the newest, latest, greatest cell phones at the
mall. I walk past and you get my attention by asking me if I
currently have cellular service.
My response: "Yes."
Your response: "With who?"
My response: "Sprint."
Your response: "Great, how long have you had your sprint
service?"
My response: "About six months."
Your response: "Do you have your phone with you?"
My response: "Yes, I do."
Your response: "Would you mind if I take a quick look at
it?"
My response: "No."
Your response: "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
My response: "Teri."
Your response: "Ok Teri, is your phone for personal or
business use?"
My response: "Personal."
Your response: "Do you store a lot of data in your phone?"
My response: "Mostly phone numbers, etc."
Your response: "Do you have internet service on your
phone?"
My response: "Yes."
Your response: "Have you had the opportunity to look at
Sprint's newest technology?"
My response: "No."
Your response: "I'd like to take a few minutes of your time
to show you how advanced Sprint has become in the latest and
greatest cellular technology; and how I can help you acquire one
of these phones at no additional cost."
My response: "Why not?"
Based on the "Effective Example" above, your chances of
closing are going to be much greater because you took the
time to do some simple, basic qualifying;
and more importantly, you helped me feel important rather than
milled.
Stop playing "tug of war" with your customers.
Engage them in a few minutes of conversation to establish their
wants/needs. Help your customer buy instead of being
sold and watch your closing averages soar.