In today’s environment, reaching your target audience and key decision makers is more difficult than ever. Whether you are in a corporate sales position, involved in internet or retail sales or simply just pitching a solution or idea to a colleague, chances are you are making some critical mistakes that are resulting in you not reaching your goal – the sale!
There are dozen obstacles in your way – busy schedules, limited budgets, gatekeepers and communication breakdown. So how do you overcome these obstacles and engage your customer to take action? You have a small window of opportunity to entice your prospective customers to want do business with you and with your company. You must improve your skills and work through a process that delivers the optimal results. However, in order to do this, you must avoid 5 common and costly mistakes many people make while selling.
Mistake # 1: Allowing Customers to Lead the Sales Process
The customer is always right has been burned into our brains since the moment you enter into business so it is a natural action to follow the customers lead and allow them to dictate the steps of the process but before you know it, your meeting has been high jacked and every aspect controlled by your prospect.
You need to own the sales process and be in complete control of every aspect while allowing you customer to feel they are still in control. The best way is to ask quality questions that uncover specific issues, concerns or initiatives that your customers are faced with and bring them back to a similar situation where you supplied the answer and make the emotional connection that your solution was the answer. You will immediately position yourself as an expert and gain instant credibility.
Once you have this emotional connection, you can easily guide them through your process, educating them along the way as to the next steps and what they can expect. This will move you closer to your sale and when done correctly, will keep you in complete control.
Mistake #2: Focusing To Much on “The Pitch”
Many sales people feel compelled to share all the information they can with a prospective customer during the first interaction –a meeting, a sales page or a marketing message. They arm themselves with the company presentation booklets and head out to make a typical canned sales pitch.
It looks something like this:
•“Introduction to Company”
•“Products & Services”
•“Client List”
•“Key Differentiators (you know the ones – quality service, market leader, one stop shop, strategic partnerships, etc.)”
•“ Process Overview”
•and finally “Questions”.
This may be the only opportunity you have so don’t waste precious time on the “company pitch”, focus on engaging your audience and demonstrating you understand their needs and the issue at hand. Audiences need to be engaged and be part of the process early on so organize your sales discussion in a way that provokes interest in you and your company.
Treat each sales call, presentation and message as an opportunity to personalize the conversation between you and your prospect. Demonstrate a genuine interest in their problems and bring forward your solution and why your solution is the right decision for them. Stay away from generic buzz words that do not really tell the customer anything about your product and/or service and customize a discussion based upon the customer and not your company.
Mistake # 3: Selling the Features of a Product vs. the Emotional Connection
You should never focus your sales message to selling a specific product – even if that is the end goal. You are selling a result, a benefit, an experience or in other words, an emotional connection. All products are a dime a dozen even if you have the fanciest widget on the block.
Your customer will buy based upon a perceived emotion and where many sales people fail is to use emotion as an effective selling tool for closing the sale.
For example, if you are selling fractional shares of a luxury jet to the super affluent, you could focus on engine power, wind speed, and all the mechanical items that go into flying a plane, or you could focus on the status, the experience and luxury of time and create an emotional response that motivates your customer to buy. Connect with your prospect and show them how this purchase will empower them.
Mistake # 4: Not Focusing on the Specific Business Challenges
Over 90% of sales meeting are held with individuals who are satisfied with the status quo for a variety of reasons. They may be too busy, they may have existing relationships or the thought of making a change is an unbelievable undertaken that they would rather stay right where they are then even think about it. Regardless, if you do not switch the focus of your meeting to address these constraints and what it means to the individuals involved, you are making a serious selling mistake that may delay your process or end it right there.
Decisions are made by people and most people are tuned into their own radio stations WIIFM (Whats in it for me). You need to do your research and understand your prospect’s business, limitations and current situation. How will he or she be impacted? What is important for them to reach their goals? Is there a specific business challenge or issue they are faced with? And lastly, can what you are offering solve their problem and cause the least pain along the way.
Mistake # 5: Neglecting To Ask For the Sale
Many people who are selling are concerned with coming across too pushy and often look for ways for a sale to happen “naturally” so they neglect to ask for the sale. They present their ideas and solutions and lose control of the entire process at the end of the meeting and never restate what they really want – the sale. There are many ways to ask for the sale in a non-threatening, confident way where people will usually respond in a favorable manner.
It is okay to ask “what do I have to do to win the mandate for your business” and if you have demonstrated to ask for the business. In the event you do not win the business, don’t be afraid to ask for second best. Perhaps there is a second tier piece of business out there and unless you ask, the answer will always be no.
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©Kellie D’Andrea & Associates
Kellie D’Andrea is the creator of the BLAST system and publishes “The Marketing Edge” a FREE award winning ezine for small business owners who want to gain the competitive edge with strategic marketing and branding techniques that actually work.
Find out the 23 Common Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs make with a FREE report offered at www.KellieDandrea.com.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
A prospect's needs may not be found at the surface
Salesman Nicola d'Amato sent the following excerpt from www.industrialEGO.com to me and I thought it was appropriate to share with you:
" It's a wonderful feeling when you ask a prospect a question,
and he tells you about a problem he has that you can fix.
It's like having a woman you love tell you that she needs
someone like you.
It's a great feeling cause your prospect does need you when
he tells you that. And when a prospect tells you that he needs something like
what you got, he's exposed himself and made himself a bit
vulnerable.
Which is why the average sales person doesn't hear such
needs so easily. Instead prospects tell you either that they don't need
anything, or they tell you exactly what they think they need
to solve their problem.
Either way they are protecting themselves.
If they say they don't need anything that may be true. Or it
may be that they don't know that they have a problem,
because they don't know that there is a better way to do
things than what they are doing now.
Think about it. Every innovation creates a gap that new
things can be sold into. But before such sales can happen,
prospects have to become aware that there is a new and
better way, that there is a gap.
And once there is a new and better way, many people will
want that, and hence will have a "problem" that can be
solved.
Other times prospects protect themselves by telling you
exactly what they want (or think they need) to solve their
problem. This usually causes us difficulty as sellers though
cause the prospect typically figures out his solution by
looking at other products to determine what the
possibilities are. And if your product is not the main one
he looks at, then you are in for an uphill battle.
Most prospects, men in particular, would rather speak
to you the seller as if they are in control and you are not.
You see most people's experience with sales people is not
good. Yours and mine included.
Most people think of sales people as poorly educated, not
that bright, and aggressive. So people put up their defenses
to protect against the idea that you are going to attack
them and try to get you to do something you don't want to
do.
This is not to your benefit however.
No. You need to be in control of the sale.
There is good news however.
Control over the sale does not have to be a battle between
you and the prospect.
You can respectfully take control of the sale by telling
your prospect what you are going to do.
You simply tell your prospect at the beginning of every
sales call what's going to happen, and 99% of the time he
will agree to it.
Tell him that you are going to start out by asking him
questions, and that after you get through asking enough
questions to understand his situation that you will answer
his questions for example. Your prospect will be relieved
that you are smart and respectful and that he doesn't have
to be in control.
When you run your sales calls this way, you will then have
the chance to probe and hear about the real true nature of
the prospect's problem, instead of his already thought
through and biased-against-you solution.
And you will experience that wonderful feeling of hearing
prospects tell you they need something just like what you
are selling. "
" It's a wonderful feeling when you ask a prospect a question,
and he tells you about a problem he has that you can fix.
It's like having a woman you love tell you that she needs
someone like you.
It's a great feeling cause your prospect does need you when
he tells you that. And when a prospect tells you that he needs something like
what you got, he's exposed himself and made himself a bit
vulnerable.
Which is why the average sales person doesn't hear such
needs so easily. Instead prospects tell you either that they don't need
anything, or they tell you exactly what they think they need
to solve their problem.
Either way they are protecting themselves.
If they say they don't need anything that may be true. Or it
may be that they don't know that they have a problem,
because they don't know that there is a better way to do
things than what they are doing now.
Think about it. Every innovation creates a gap that new
things can be sold into. But before such sales can happen,
prospects have to become aware that there is a new and
better way, that there is a gap.
And once there is a new and better way, many people will
want that, and hence will have a "problem" that can be
solved.
Other times prospects protect themselves by telling you
exactly what they want (or think they need) to solve their
problem. This usually causes us difficulty as sellers though
cause the prospect typically figures out his solution by
looking at other products to determine what the
possibilities are. And if your product is not the main one
he looks at, then you are in for an uphill battle.
Most prospects, men in particular, would rather speak
to you the seller as if they are in control and you are not.
You see most people's experience with sales people is not
good. Yours and mine included.
Most people think of sales people as poorly educated, not
that bright, and aggressive. So people put up their defenses
to protect against the idea that you are going to attack
them and try to get you to do something you don't want to
do.
This is not to your benefit however.
No. You need to be in control of the sale.
There is good news however.
Control over the sale does not have to be a battle between
you and the prospect.
You can respectfully take control of the sale by telling
your prospect what you are going to do.
You simply tell your prospect at the beginning of every
sales call what's going to happen, and 99% of the time he
will agree to it.
Tell him that you are going to start out by asking him
questions, and that after you get through asking enough
questions to understand his situation that you will answer
his questions for example. Your prospect will be relieved
that you are smart and respectful and that he doesn't have
to be in control.
When you run your sales calls this way, you will then have
the chance to probe and hear about the real true nature of
the prospect's problem, instead of his already thought
through and biased-against-you solution.
And you will experience that wonderful feeling of hearing
prospects tell you they need something just like what you
are selling. "
Monday, April 6, 2009
Recession-proof sales
The papers are doom and gloom.
But is that really what we are facing?
Aren't we also seeing a shake-out at the competition?
An opportunity to show solidity with our clients, and a golden chance to proof that we are of great value to them?
Decision-making is often budget related. Many of today's decisions around a certain mark, are higher up the 'food chain' then they were a year ago.
In other words: if the IT manager was making $ 50,000 budget decisions, perhaps the same decision now lies at the CTO's desk.
We have an opportunity in front of us to make an entry at the C-level. Decision making with a capital 'D'.
Sure, some budgets are frozen, and projects delayed.
But what if we get in the door with the C-level officer, and that finally allows us to present ourselves company-wide?
If ever there was a chance to speak with large enterprises throughout, while using the momentum to be accessing at all levels and areas of that enterprise, it would be now.
If we proof ourselves in these times and that C-level officer learns that we are a reliable supplier, a partner really, that adds value, brings creativity and ideas to the table, shows no letting down - then we may have just banked on an opportunity for years to come.
There are some requirements here - not rocket science by any means, but important nonetheless:
1) Be prepared.
If you take some time to think where you could in fact add significant value to your prospect, you should use those arguments as your entry.
2) Ask the right questions.
Don't assume you know everything going in. Ask how your prospect is doing, and what 'pain' they are feeling. Discuss how there could be a fit - but it must be genuine.
3) Adjust your language, positioning and approach to the person you speak with. If a C-level officer is your connecting person then make sure to talk his/her talk. Do not simply rely on your previous pitch. It may just not apply today.
4) Go out and conquer the world.
With a market declining, chances are that you will also be facing a decline in your sales revenues if you sit still. Remember how you built a book of business when you just entered the trade? Well, as senior as you may be today, you will have to re-build your account base and pick up the phone again. Imagine how much more effective and efficient you are today, knowing what you know about your market and products, with all the experience you have.
You should be excited that this time prompts you to actually be selling again!
5) Be open and look for opportunities.
Read the papers, use newsfeeds as your entry. The market is changing. Those dynamics may mean that your thought about a certain prospect should be seen in new light. It may mean that the tough purchaser that you could not get around is no longer there, and the new guy is a great socializer. It may mean that existing vendor relationships have changed southward, and allows for new openings.
It may mean that a new policy is in place, where the new directive says that every quote must be compared to quotes from two other vendors. That other vendor could be you - your shot at getting in!
Changing times - trading places - this is your shot at (re) building your book of business to astronomical heights.
Good luck everyone - happy selling!
But is that really what we are facing?
Aren't we also seeing a shake-out at the competition?
An opportunity to show solidity with our clients, and a golden chance to proof that we are of great value to them?
Decision-making is often budget related. Many of today's decisions around a certain mark, are higher up the 'food chain' then they were a year ago.
In other words: if the IT manager was making $ 50,000 budget decisions, perhaps the same decision now lies at the CTO's desk.
We have an opportunity in front of us to make an entry at the C-level. Decision making with a capital 'D'.
Sure, some budgets are frozen, and projects delayed.
But what if we get in the door with the C-level officer, and that finally allows us to present ourselves company-wide?
If ever there was a chance to speak with large enterprises throughout, while using the momentum to be accessing at all levels and areas of that enterprise, it would be now.
If we proof ourselves in these times and that C-level officer learns that we are a reliable supplier, a partner really, that adds value, brings creativity and ideas to the table, shows no letting down - then we may have just banked on an opportunity for years to come.
There are some requirements here - not rocket science by any means, but important nonetheless:
1) Be prepared.
If you take some time to think where you could in fact add significant value to your prospect, you should use those arguments as your entry.
2) Ask the right questions.
Don't assume you know everything going in. Ask how your prospect is doing, and what 'pain' they are feeling. Discuss how there could be a fit - but it must be genuine.
3) Adjust your language, positioning and approach to the person you speak with. If a C-level officer is your connecting person then make sure to talk his/her talk. Do not simply rely on your previous pitch. It may just not apply today.
4) Go out and conquer the world.
With a market declining, chances are that you will also be facing a decline in your sales revenues if you sit still. Remember how you built a book of business when you just entered the trade? Well, as senior as you may be today, you will have to re-build your account base and pick up the phone again. Imagine how much more effective and efficient you are today, knowing what you know about your market and products, with all the experience you have.
You should be excited that this time prompts you to actually be selling again!
5) Be open and look for opportunities.
Read the papers, use newsfeeds as your entry. The market is changing. Those dynamics may mean that your thought about a certain prospect should be seen in new light. It may mean that the tough purchaser that you could not get around is no longer there, and the new guy is a great socializer. It may mean that existing vendor relationships have changed southward, and allows for new openings.
It may mean that a new policy is in place, where the new directive says that every quote must be compared to quotes from two other vendors. That other vendor could be you - your shot at getting in!
Changing times - trading places - this is your shot at (re) building your book of business to astronomical heights.
Good luck everyone - happy selling!
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