On Selling
"Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win" Jeffrey Gitomer
My dad was a gifted salesman. He sold commercial insurance for years and raised a family of four doing it. His charisma, knowledge of product, and focus on relationships won him many a sale. He passed those talents down to me. I'm not one to brag but I can sell snowballs to the Eskimos. It has helped me as a leader because, after all, leadership is influence and in selling, you are influencing others to buy something. Here are my thoughts.
Be the medicine to their headache. They need a faucet fixed. You can do that. They want to educate their people about workplace discipline but don't know how. You've got that covered. The objective is to determine what their 'headache' is and you do this by listening intently.
Listen to their needs. Salespeople want to rush to the signature or the check. When they do this, they fail to understand the needs of the customer. I listen then I'll play back what I heard, several times, as I offer a solution. "Ok, this sounds like more of a privacy challenge than a light filtering challenge, correct?"
Look at the sale not as a monetary transaction but as an investment. Use the word. Investment sounds more intelligent than buy, purchase, or sale. You'll make the customer feel wiser about their decision.
Put them at ease. "I know this is a big decision. My job is to make it easier." "Take your time. I and my team are here." "Don't let this overwhelm you. We do this everyday." "Let me put your mind at ease."
Lead them. When people lack knowledge of a product or service - which is often the case, they desire to be led. "Mrs. Jones, think about it (or look at it) this way." "Mr. Jones, given what you have shared, I would suggest this as a solution." "Follow me through this process so I can help you make a more informed decision." "Let's do this..."
Build the relationship. Most important. Again, too many salespeople attempt to speed through the transaction in their quest to move on to the next sale. I've had clients whose main objective was just to be heard. They wanted to vent about something in their lives unrelated to the product or service I was selling. I allowed them that space. I build relationships by asking customers about their lives. "What brought you to the area?" Do you have children?" "Wow! I'd love to have the view you have from your living room." "Congratulations! How exciting it is to build your dream home." People buy from others they trust. Focusing on the relationship over the wallet will form that trust. You may not make the sale on the spot but the customer will remember your focus on them, their lives and the relationship you've established. The sale will come.
There is more to this and I'd love for you to share your experience and wisdom. Push the dollar signs aside for a bit and practice what I have shared above. The $ will follow.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell