No one likes to be Sold, but everyone likes to Buy!
We often buy on emotion and we buy for one of two reasons, to avoid pain or gain pleasure. Statistics show that the desire to avoid pain is the stronger of the two.
So as sales people before we can present our product or service we must first discover a prospects motives. Are they seeking to aleve pain or gain pleasure.
It is very important for us to find out what our true motive is so that we can provide a real solution. Our job is to be a Problem Solver and Solution Provider.
So how do we do this? We as people don’t typically like to share our problems with strangers, so how can we get our prospects to open up to us?
Before anything else we Must build rapport. Find common ground with your prospect and begin building a relationship. This is critical! It does not matter if you have the greatest, fastest, biggest, thing-a-ma-gig to sell if your prospect does not like you!
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Your first job is to sell you! Make a friend, people like doing business with people they like, a trusted friend and confidant. If you can do this your chances for getting referrals will also increase tremendously!
So whether on the phone or in person, building rapport is Mucho Important, your number 1 goal.
Next you will need to ask some probing questions to get to their real needs, which are often just below the surface. Remember most buying decisions are made to avoid pain and pain is an emotion.
Seek to uncover and explore problems, frustrations, difficulties and satisfactions. You can do this by becoming a bit of a psychologist/detective. The better you become at reading emotional responses and listening the better you will be able to zero in on their pain and thus provide a solution.
Be creative with your questions but don’t turn it into the third degree, this should feel like a natural conversation. Here are a few Probing Questions for you to consider and try with your prospects…
1. What do you mean?
2. Tell me more about that…
3. How’s that working for you?
4. Can you give me some examples?
5. What else should I know?
Problem Questions…
1. Are you completely satisfied?
2. How do you feel about that?
3. What are the disadvantages of?
4. Am I hearing you say that you’re not able to?
5. Are you concerned about?
6. Are you worried about?
You should ask at least 6 different Problem Questions in your presentation.
You should try to find 2 -3 specific problems that your prospects are emotional about and desire to resolve.
After you find the pain ~ offer a customized solution.
Solution Questions
1. Is it important to you to solve this problem?
2. If I could show you how my business can meet your needs would you be interested?
3. Suppose you had ___________would that help?
4. Would _________be the most important benefit to you?
5. If this program could improve ________ by ______% what would that mean for you and your business?
Following are the most important factors considered when making a buying decision. Keep in mind that the bigger the decision, the more negative people will respond to closing pressure.
1. Presentation (Do they like YOU, the presenter)
2. Do they trust you ~ have you convinced them YOU can get the job done
3. Training ~ do you have training in this area
4. Marketing Plan & Potential ~ Can I do this and make money?
5. Product Line ~ What product meets my needs
6. Being first in area
7. Company literature
8. Company Image
9. Sales kit
10. Company management ~ experience doesn’t hold that much weight
Keep in mind that it may take several contacts before a buying decision is made.
The bigger the item the more cautious people are.
To recap:
Prospects buy into the relationship with you more than the product.
You must build perceived value by asking questions
Establish credibility by asking probing, problem, and solution questions
Always have your radar on listening for people’s problems. This will help you get better at providing solutions. Remember you are a solution provider, not to be confused with know-it-all. Even if you cannot meet a need directly you will become better at giving referrals in your networking group if you take the focus off of you and your business and begin to focus on how you can help others!
~ Phyllis Regula, McGowan’s Heating & Air
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Cindy!
You are awesome!! I love your website! I would like to share this with my colleagues! Do you ever do training seminars?
Heather