How to get past the "tell" and onto the "sell"

The scenario is all-too common: you have great product knowledge, a great product, great pitch, and great attitude. But for some reason, after spending an hour or more with a prospect trying to convince them why they should buy your product, you close fewer and fewer sales. What's going wrong?

According to Lew Nason, president and marketing coach of Insurance Pro Shop, your problem might be too much telling and not enough selling: "If you tell the prospect something, they may or may not believe you. Remember, in their eyes you are just another salesperson trying to make a sale." Instead, your job is to get your clients to the point that they can tell themselves why your product works and why they need it.

Nason believes effective questioning is the key to this sales revelation. To get them moving towards this attitude shift, he suggests incorporating questions that reflect on the client's situation and where they want to go in the future. Adding in analytical questions can force the client to really look at the motivations behind their answers and become more engaged in the process:

• "How much life insurance do you want? How did you come up with that amount?"
• "How long do you want to have life insurance? Why?"

From there, Nason asks questions that appeal to the prospect's emotions. Getting them to realize their fears can help you get them to identify how your products can alleviate those concerns. Remember, the point is to help them realize why they need you. Ask questions that force them to take a hard look at tough situations. Nason offers the following examples:

• "If you or your wife weren't here tomorrow, what would happen? How much income would your family lose? Could your family keep your home? How do you feel about that?"
• "How much income would you like to have at retirement? Do you think Social Security will be there when you retire? How much have you been able to save so far? How do you feel about that?"

The last step is the close. Nason says, "Remember, people buy based on emotion, and then they justify their decision based on logic!" He warns against confusing them at this crucial moment with too many details and too much technical information. Give them the bottom line: how much money they'll save, and answer Nason's big question: "What's in it for me and my family?"