In any sales situation we must have a strategy, a format that helps our prospects understand and identify "how" our solution will address their concern. In other words, "Why should I buy this product, today, from you?" When we move from "selling" to helping our prospects "buy" we have improved our relationship skills, our listening skills and grown our business. And to do this there are some simple principles
But first let's review some selling techniques:
Human relations in sales
- Selling includes both objective facts and subjective impressions.
- Prospects will do business with someone they like.
- Be yourself. If you try to be someone you are not, you will be regarded as insincere.
- Know your products. This is a sales strength. It promotes confidence.
- Expect the best from your prospects.
Verbal communication
- Use everyday vocabulary.
- Avoid using industry language, technical terms and acronyms only you would understand.
- Speak clearly.
- Let the prospect set the pace of the conversation.
- Monitor your tone and inflection when speaking.
Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal cues are those expressions and gestures that communicate to your prospect without you speaking. They can work both for you and against you.
Use positive non-verbal cues such as:
- Good eye contact
- Smile
- Being genuine and relaxed
- Uncrossed arms and legs
- Nodding in agreement
Maintain the relationship
It is important to develop and maintain a relationship throughout the selling process without creating new obstacles to overcome.
- Do not answer questions in such a manner as to create new ones.
- Reinforce the prospect's emotional decision to buy from you with logic.
- Develop positive emotions without arousing negative ones.
In order to develop this relationship, you must first contact the prospect, assess their initial situation, and determine the prospect's familiarity with your company, products and services.
Through questions and interaction, you then can begin to analyze the factors and identify the reasons that motivate the prospect to make a purchase. Every prospect has reasons for making a purchase. Once you uncover the particular reasons that motivate your prospect to buy, you will have fewer roadblocks in creating the proper buying environment for that prospect.
Needs and solutions
When you analyze the reasons that make your prospects buy and turn those reasons into needs, you can then tailor the features and benefits presentation to give a solution to those needs.
If you have developed a relationship and presented the solution that satisfies your prospect's motivation for buying, you should have a prospect that is ready to buy. However, you must motivate the prospect to make the purchase. Remember people buy on emotion but are moved to action through logic.
- Use systematic question and solution interview to uncover the prospect's needs.
- Then present solutions in a logical sequence.
Following these two steps helps creates the effect of all solutions being powerfully combined and leads your prospect to the conclusion to buy now.
