Good morning everyone,
Last week we talked about how we need to let the customer feel comfortable and relaxed when they meet with us. What colors to wear options and why were provided, how to approach them, tones of speech, etc. to help us make the customer feel comfortable and so that they could be relaxed which will allow them the opportunity to like us.
This week I want to work on the other two questions that the customer has which are Do I trust you?, and How can you help me? These two questions are very important with sales of $50 or more. People need to know like and trust us before they will do business with us.
If in the first buying decision that the customer has, “The Salesperson” the customer does not trust us and we can’t show them how we can help the customer, then they will simply go to another source and purchase. Our product / service has now become a commodity. It does not matter if we have the best product on the face of the earth. The question is how do we build trust and how the customer knows that we are there to help them.
In my training on The Sales Process Uncovered, I walk sales people through the house analogy that I use to learn about the customer. We want to learn about the customer, their family, their passions, issues they are needing help with, and the consequences of not fixing those issues. We need to know their S.I.R. before we can identify a solution.
Asking questions is the way to get to know if what we have to sell will actually help the customer. Not just simple questions like, would the customer like a certain color of the product, but why are they looking to achieve with this purchase. What did they like about the last product they used, what do they wish they had on the previous product that they are replacing today? What does a win look like for the customer with this purchase?
Is the customer looking to gain a certain sense of prestige, needing a vehicle that basically drives itself so they can get more work done on their commute, or do they have a child that has a condition that makes the need for them to have a certain easy entry vehicle? Ask deeper questions to understand the why behind the customer’s decision. Until we do this, we are unable to help the customer.
People crave to be understood and known. Customers also want to know that we are with them to make them a hero in their story. Customers need to be the hero in their story and know that they have the solution that will solve their issues. That is why they talk to sales professionals. They are looking for guidance to find a solution.
Think back to the last time you had an amazing buying experience. What were some of the key elements of that sale that you had to tell your friends about because it just made you feel like you were set up for success with that purchase? How did the sales person make you feel? What did that salesperson do that stood out to you? What extra step did they do that no one else has ever done when you were making a purchase?
Next, think of a bad buying experience? What were some of the reasons why the sales person lost the sale? What could they have done better? What made you run away as fast as you could to get away from that sales person?
Now look at some of the wins and losses we have had in sales. This will take some time, but it will help us in the long run. Playing through the situations in our head will help us reevaluate what we did well and what we can improve on. We want to focus on opportunities for improvement to allow the customer to have a fantastic customer experience. Experiences that customers can’t help but brag to everyone about how we helped them. Do this enough times and we will not have to work as hard in sales and will become a success.
If we do not get the first buying correctly and constantly improve, then we will be mediocre in sales. No one really wants to be mediocre. We want to keep growing and getting better because without success we start losing hope and looking for other careers. This is a slippery slope as with all new ventures, failures come quickly and often. This is why people that consistently start over when a challenge happens never really excel. Those that stay true to the process of growth and refining are the ones that truly hit high levels of success.
Today focus on making sure that the question asked to customers are ones that will hit the mark. If you need help with drafting questions reach out. I am here to help you!
Have a great week everyone.
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!”