11. What is the key to selling anybody?
How would you like to KNOW with absolute certainty that you could sell anybody? What if you had a magic key that would open the door to everyone you called on? You can! And once you know the secret formula - and apply it - your sales will take off!
You will lose all feelings of call reluctance. Your confidence will double - or even triple. Your income will increase. You will have everything you ever wanted in life.
Here it is...
Find out by careful listening and questioning what your customer wants and let them know that you are sincerely interested in helping them get it.
Too simple? Let's try it on YOU. What do you want most in life. Do you want more cash? A new home? Money in the bank? Financial security?
Now, what if someone came into your life who was sincerely interested in helping you get those things? What if they went out of their way to show you how to increase your income? What if they helped you find ways to save and invest more of the money you work so hard to make so you could become financially secure? What if they helped you find and buy the home of your dreams? Would you want to know this person a little better.
On the other hand what if another person came into your life and all they wanted to do was sell you what THEY thought you should have? If they were overly aggressive, pushy, wanted to get you to do things you were not really interested in - how would you react? Do you see the difference? Wouldn't it feel good to have someone who is sincerely interested in helping you succeed?
I know what you are thinking - the only person who is that interested in ME is my mother! Remember, this is not about YOU - it is about selling - it is about your customer. Don't EXPECT anyone to be that interested in you. But that doesn't mean you cannot be that interested and helpful to your customers. This changes the whole focus.
Now I am going to show YOU how to make any amount of money you want by using this theory. You see, I AM interested in your success - I want you to sell more and make more money.
Let's say you want to make $120,000 over the next 12 months. Normally you would say to yourself - "THIS IS MY GOAL - I WILL MAKE $120,000 IN COMMISSIONS DURING THE NEXT 12 MONTHS." By taking this approach your focus is wrong.
Instead, try this... "I AM GOING TO GIVE $500 WORTH OF SERVICE EVERY DAY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY." Do you see the difference? Don't focus on the money - on what's in it for YOU - focus on GIVING THE SERVICE. The money will follow.
This is the New definition of selling - service. This definition is so new it is not even in the dictionary or thesaurus. The dictionary says selling means to persuade, or influence to a course of action. The thesaurus says selling is "barter, exchange, trade, traffic, and vend. Nowhere does it say selling is SERVICE. Nowhere does it say selling is helping your customers become more successful and make more money.
Let's put it another way. How much would someone PAY YOU to listen to your sales pitch. Zero - Right? Yet people pay thousands of dollars to consultants to ask questions - find out what they want - and help them get it. You can convey the same message to your customers. The true purpose of a consultative sales person is to find out what your customer wants and help them get it.
To accomplish this you have to listen more that you talk. If you can get your customer to talk enough, they simply cannot disguise their real goals and real motives. They may try as hard as they can, but invariably they will "give themselves away”. When they do - you have the key.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WANT!
Help them get it and you will have captured the true meaning of being a sales professional.
Comments:
This is a great lesson. The more you become a consultant (I looked up the synonyms and love them) the more you will be of service to your customers. I think it is even necessary to change what we call ourselves. Words do have meaning and connotations. I think I prefer in this content, FSC, Food Service Consultant to DSR, District or Direct Sales Representative. You are what you call yourself. The more you hear “Service” and “Consultant” attached to who you are, the more you will believe it. And that is a very important first step.
James Ruth
The consensus of salespeople is that we constantly have SELL, SELL, SELL on our minds, that is wrong. A successful salesperson has a listening mechanism like no other. Each and every time I visit my clients, do a sales call, or answer the phone I effectively listening to what they are saying. I take that feedback and when I go to service them I use what they have told me to provide them GREAT results. Our service is what we sell, not us!
Betsy Roberson
Time and time again I have walked out of a cold call with my sales manager and he has told me, “Take a step back and listen to what the customer was telling you.” I was so focused on selling to the customer that I was not listening clearly.
The customer was telling me the information I needed the entire time. I had another customer tell me his deli was heading down hill and he needed to do something to fix it. I made a suggestion of doing a little rearranging, he agreed. I had one of our service technicians come out and help us move some equipment around his deli. The next day I went to follow up and see how he was doing and he had sold out of everything.
Jason Kirouac
One of my long term learning areas has been how to read between the lines of a customer’s conversation and response to my questions. You have to be on the same wave length to interpret their meaning and resist focusing on your idea of what the customer needs. This takes a lot of practice and sharpening of your attention and listening skills. When I first started in sales, my sales manager and I made many calls together. After some of these meetings he would surprise me by saying something the customer got across to him that I did not even hear in the conversation.
Crocker Smith
Yesterday I made the conscience decision that I would no longer ask a prospect the following question in this environment: "How's business?" That can lead to a question you don't know the answer to and take you down a road that's very difficult to turn around the beer truck on (if you know what I mean). Instead I asked the following question. "Have you discussed your goals over the next six months or year with your current provider? I ask because if you don't mind telling me as well I'd like to hear them too. I just might be able to help, or, point you in the direction of someone who has a different expertise than mine that might be able to help you". After having this conversation with a prospect yesterday I was fortunate enough to land a meeting with a prominent vineyard next Friday.
Michael S. Hutchison
Thinking of selling as service makes me feel far more comfortable in a sales position. It is easier to approach people with the intention of helping them, or being of service to them. People are always looking for ways to reach their goals and I think this approach will ensure success. If I can serve others by helping them reach their goals, and simultaneously make a sale, it's a win-win situation.
Tiffany Kish
I think it’s having the ability to ask the right questions and really listen to the answers. Have you every had someone ask how you were doing and you learn thru body language that it was just a question and they could really care less how you are doing? One of my mentors shared with me something that has stuck with me. We were coming up with a game plan for one particular client and I wasn’t prepared to take notes. He asked me how confident do you feel when you are at a restaurant and the waitress comes to your table of 10 to take your order and she isn’t writing down what’s being ordered. The order is bound to be messed up and that can happen in any situation if you aren’t listening and taking notes.
Becky Akins
When people see a sales person coming, usually their first reaction is to go the other way. In their mind, they know the sales person is just there to sell them something whether they need it or not. To over come this, you need to listen to the client and find out their needs. Then make a suggestion that will help solve their issue. Once, you show how you can relieve their problem then you are able to start establishing a relationship & sell the service you offer. If you don’t have the solution to their problem, then be up front & honest with them. Never try to sell them something they don’t need or it will come back to haunt you in the future. Being a consultant is the first step to the real sale.
Carla McCrea
This is a great way to think of selling. It makes sense when you think about it. If we go in to a company to “sell” something we are already hurting ourselves. The people we are talking to each and every day hear the same pitch and already have a scripted answer for us. If we go in and find out what they need we take ourselves out of the salesperson mode and into a consulting mode. This allows us to adapt our “pitch” to give them exactly what they need. We offer more services than what most businesses think we do, and by consulting we can offer everything.
Brandon Sanchez
"Find out by careful listening and questioning what your customer wants and let them know that you are sincerely interested in helping them get it."