Stop Closing and Start Earning More.

I often have conversations with prospective clients who ask me to teach there people to close more. They believe that the more salespoeple close the more they will sell. You can even tell in his language. What he wants is some simple old fashion, old school ‘always be closing’ 1970’s ‘pushy selling’ training. That in a lot of cases will get an immediate result. It scares the

A Man Goes To The Doctors

A man goes into the doctors. The doctor asks him “how can I help you?” he then proceeds to tell the doctor all about the pain, the doctor says “does it hurt when you do this?” and “when does the pain feel worst?” The doctor listens carefully, letting the man finish so that the doctor can truly understand his problem. He doesn’t second guess him, or tell him what he needs before the man gets to the true cause of the problem. Then and only then will the doctor start talking about solutions [selling] and eventually gives the man a prescription [closing].

Wouldn’t it be nice if all sales calls went like that? Next time you are in front of a brand new prospect. Ask them, “so, how can I help you?” see what happens, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Questions Questions Questions!!

 

We are all taught to ask questions in our sales presentations. However quite often in our haste to get as much information across to the prospect we invariably, not only ask fewer questions then we should, but also ask weaker questions that don’t help to truly understand how to help the prospect get what they want. We ask great questions to find information, motivation and emotions.

I am often asked how many questions we should ask. I will always reply ‘as many as takes, for your prospect to realise that you have the solution to their problems’.

I am often astounded with the speed that sales people want to ask ‘big’ exploratory questions that are obviously structured to get the prospect to criticise their current user. This will not help you at this stage.

A structure is needed to work your prospects train of thought to your solution. While taking him past his problems so he can relive the emotions they caused or indeed still cause.

The first type of questions needs to build

How important is being different?

These days  leading up to christmas we as consumers are bombarded by adverts on television, in the papers and on the internet for new sofas. These are so prolific and so similar that they all appear the same. Watching these adverts may very well excite the potential customers  desire to buy a new sofa……but doesn’t make customers want to but it from any one particular  company.

So with this new found ‘need’ for a sofa, consumers head to the shops. This desire can be fulfilled with an attractive product from any company. You have to ask yourself how different do you look from your customers eyes. In the world of sofas it appears that price is the only mechanism for differentiation. Thus leading customers into ‘ bargain hunters’ not serious purchases.

How much more business would you win, if not only could you make prospects want you product or service….but want it from you?

Seth Godin uses the wonderful phrase ’ remarkable’ this way customers will gravitate to you because of you differentiators. If you don’t have that, then like many sofa companies you have to rely on price reductions and discounts to get the business.

Moving on defining what it is that makes you exciting, different, special, remarkable, memorable, interesting, engaging and most important attractive to new customers will create far more revenue than price reductions.