You Thought You Had the Deal – What Happened?
Mistakes we make when selling.
The number one mistake I see made when being sold to is when the sales person has received a buying signal from the prospect, and the sales person continues to sell. What happens is that when the sales person hears the buying signal they do not agree with the buyer’s decision to buy. The sales person believes that what they think is the best product for their prospect is what they should buy, not what the buyer wants to buy. Often the seller is too busy trying to satisfy their own needs rather than the buyer’s needs. Sales people naturally like to talk. They often talk too much, talking themselves out of a sale.
TELLING IS NOT SELLING should be stamped on every sales person’s forehead. Each sales person should be required to look at a mirror which only they can see before going in to a sales call so they can be reminded that TELLING IS NOT SELLING. Every sales person has a story to tell. The longer sales people are in the field, the more we learn to tell. We know it all, and we know what is best for our clients… or so we think. The best approach is asking questions. When you learn to ask open ended questions you will discover what your prospects WANT. Some in sales training refer to this as discovering the prospects pain. Relieving a prospect’s pain by asking questions will deliver more of what you WANT to you and your client. Preparing in advance for your prospect’s pain is critical for making more sales.
Getting over objections can be a key to success or failure when selling. I use the word “over” with a firm belief that many young sales people fail because they take objections personally. They should read the paragraph preceding this one and understand that an objection is another way for a prospect to ask a question. The sales person needs to be prepared to handle all objections. One way to do this is rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse. The way to do that is to write out all the objections possible. On a separate page write all the responses to the objections. Then find a partner to deliver all the objections from the separate page. By answering all the objections in a practice sessions (yes, do this frequently when starting) you will learn to handle objections in the selling process.
Statistics tell, it is the stories that sell. Many sales people I know like to know everything there is to know about a product/service before selling. I remember one person who would spend 30 days or more reviewing a new product before selling it. I applaud her for her thorough research. She was an excellent sales person. She out sold all of her male counter parts two to one every week! She did it right! What she did was use the information only when a customer had a question or objection. She never used statistics to tell a story. Her stories consisted of real life experience of her clients or others who used the product/services. She would elicit more tears from prospects than any one (we were in the health insurance business) because her stories were so vivid.
Next, we need to see value in our offer. If you believe that your offering is the same as everyone else in your industry, then you need to stop selling immediately. Next, arrange a meeting with your top seller in your company. Ask them this question, “What makes our product/service better than our competitors?” If you have trouble with the answer, look for an answer that you can believe in or find another product/service to sell. Lacking belief in your product/service is a top sales stopper.
Not qualifying the buyer prior to selling in the sales process is also a large reason for selling failure. The prospect may need to be able to afford your product/service, or need to be able to qualify medically/physically, or needs to have a current void that your product/service can fill.
Finally, assume the sale. This could be the second (maybe it is the first) biggest mistake made by sales people. When I first started selling this one tip changed my selling success ratio from around 50% to nearly 100%. Always carry an order form. After you make your sales presentation take out the order form and start to fill it out by asking questions starting with the correct spelling of the person’s name. If your process includes a verbal agreement, then ask the two courage questions after make your presentation. They are, “Do you have any more questions?” and “Do you want to work with us?” Answer all questions before asking the second courage question.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started IntegritY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
