Good morning everyone,
Last week we talked about how sales people tend to get introductions out of the way quickly and then jump straight into selling. These same sales people have not proven themselves reliable, or trustworthy to the customer, but yet these sales people believe that the customer should trust and investment with them. Sales people assume the customer likes, trusts, and believes that the sales person can help the customer. How do we perform typically when we assume in situations? When we assume we get the situation wrong.
The first buying decision is the longest and hardest to complete. Mainly because there is so much decision making that happens in this buying decision before anything can move forward for the customer. The customer has to know, like, and trust us before they will ever buy from us. Do you think that right after someone gets your name and starts selling that they really care about you or your needs?
We as sales professionals need to make sure we are answering these three questions for the customer within the first 60 seconds of the interaction:
Do I like you?
Do I trust you?
How can you help me?
If we jump straight into selling mode after we get their name the customer will be quickly be turned off. Ever wonder why when asked what brings you in to this store today the customer says something like this, “Just looking.” It’s because the customer has been trained to think that sales people are all the same and all the sales person cares about is selling their product or service.
Let’s change that perception.
Let’s start by using a plan on how we will approach the customer in a way that builds likeability and trust right out of the get go. Let’s start with making sure when we approach the customer we are not circling like hungry vultures. Let’s let the customer come into our facilities and let them get comfortable by smiling and saying “Hi, welcome. We are here to help you when you are ready.”
Smiling, wearing the right colors that psychologically reflect trust, honesty and lowers anxiety. Not power ties, not blacks, not dark greys, but light blues whites, and some greens to ease the customer into lowering their defenses. We also need to listen to how we talk. That’s right speech patterns that don’t align will also increase anxieties. I found this out when I started selling in the southern United States. I needed to change my speech patterns a bit instead of a fast-paced midwestern speech pattern. I also needed to say soda instead of pop J
Science has shown that depending on the environment (noise levels, smells, colors, lighting, etc) the customer can actually become engaged, or withdrawn. Next time you walk into a department store check out the different areas of the store and notice the lighting, colors, music playing, and scents pumped into each area. This helps to ease the customer’s anxiety lower. Ever wonder why Costco offers free samples? Because the longer a customer is in the store the higher the probability they will buy more.
The next time we show up to work we need to be putting our best foot forward to make the customer relaxed. Will we be paying attention to the customer and welcoming them, or will we be going in for the kill to make a sale? Make sure to be attentive to the customer and allow them to like us.
Answering Do I trust you and How can you help me? for the customer is essential in the first buying decision. We need to build that trust as well as show the customer that we will work to help them meet their needs. There is a great deal in these two questions so we will have to save that for next week as to how we will do this, but for today think about asking questions to the customer.
Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Kevin Sidebottom
“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business. I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with high margins!”