The Most Offensive Word In Selling
The word pitch offends me. I hope you'll help me eliminate it.
Why?
Would you want to get pitched? When I hear that word, I'm confident some prospect is about to suffer from an attack of sleaze.
Anyone in sales knows that the opportunity to meet (in person or over the phone) with a prospect or customer is a rare treat. Give it the respect it deserves. Don't demean your prospect by hurling an unending stream of canned or memorized words at them. Don't pitch. Instead, carefully choose your questions, observations and tailor your presentation. Then remember to reserve any recommendation until you:
- Understand exactly what your prospect wants and
- Are certain you can provide it.
Stop calling a professional sales presentation a "pitch." I, for one, believe that word is one of the reasons our profession has a bad reputation. Help me eliminate it.
If other professions want to continue to use the word (PR, advertising, etc.), that's their problem. Let them suffer the fallout. Frankly, they already have.
[Audio] Good Questioning Skills Part 1
Listening is one of the most important skills to be a successful seller. But if you don't have good questioning skills it's difficult to listen to the answer from your prospect. This week Bill uncovers the first part of his presentation of good questioning skills.
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Questions Win the Sale
Last week I talked about preparing questions that allow your prospect to verbalize, identify, their chief, dominant needs, desires and wishes - the source of their pain, their greatest challenge, their primary issue etc. - the "heart" of what they need.
Yes "needs" here, because our products are "need specific" - products do specific things that only they are designed to do. So, we say products are "need specific" and we also say, "If you can't sell to a need then go do something else." With all due respect, this is the essence though not the totality of selling. Because people still buy what they want! (Another blog!)
Let's look at some questions that invite your prospect to verbalize:
- What specifically do you want / need to accomplish?
- What are you looking for that you haven't been able to find?
- What do you like most about your current provider?
- What have your seen that's particularly interesting to you?
- Why would you consider another vendor?
- What time frame do you have in mind?
- What budget do you have established?
- How soon would you like to get started?
- Who else other then you of course, in involved with this decision?
- And on and on...you could easily think of 500 more questions just like these.
Your preparation determines which questions you ask. Did you notice all of the questions were open-ended? All encourage dialogue. All help the prospect verbalize THEIR concerns. And require you to give them your undivided attention (listen).
Some will talk more than others. Be patient! Listen! Prospects buy at their pace, not necessarily ours. Let them do that with your guidance, not your domination. And enjoy the results.
Submitted by: Richard Dickerson
Just 5 More Minutes Can Make The Sale
Last week we had a fairly large crowd in our Conference Center for the IMPACT Selling Open Seminar - 43 salespeople - all from different industries, different areas of the country and three from the Ukraine. But after spending time with this group of salespeople and countless others over the last 13 years, I've noticed 3 mistakes that seem almost universal in selling...
- Too little research and groundwork to really understand the prospect's business BEFORE meeting with them
- Too few probing questions to get the prospect verbalizing their needs and wants
- And the perennial sales mistake of too much talking and too little listening
All of these problems are symptoms of a larger disease that plagues salespeople and eats away at their ability to succeed - Not focusing on the customer. If you can't take the time to understand their business, uncover their needs and wants and listen to their concerns, why should your customers and prospects trust you or believe that you have anything valuable to offer?
So here's my advice: Try taking just 5 more minutes...
- Spend 5 more minutes on research and investigation before meeting your prospect
- Spend 5 more minutes preparing questions that will uncover information you need to make the sale
- Spend 5 more minutes asking questions and listening to your prospect before you jump in speak again
Yes, I know that salespeople often think, "I'm not paid to sit in front of my computer and do research...I'm not paid to hang around listening to prospects yak all day...I've got to get in there and sell something and move on to the next one." That's why I'm suggesting you take just 5 more minutes in these three key areas - that's 15 minutes more per sale - invested entirely in focusing on your customer. You'll be amazed at how well those 15 minutes pay off.
Next Monday, I'll give you some specific suggestions on how to use those extra 5 minutes to increase your chances of making the sale.
Submitted by: Richard Dickerson
Sales Training Minute Solution: Asking Questions
Remember:
- People buy for their reasons...not yours! You need to learn why they'll buy.
- You need to ask questions to determine why they'll buy.
- In a more complex sale - multiple motivations/reasons/choices to buy abound.
- Ask yourself, "What needs do I fill?" Then develop questions to get them telling you what they need.
- Ask yourself, "What benefits do they seek - then ask questions relative to the benefits your product/service delivers."
- Conduct a best question audit and use those questions.
- Master the art of follow-up questions (ex. "Why do you say that?" or "Could you tell me more."
- Answers will tell you exactly what and how to preset your product or service.
Is it that simple? Yes, it is. Just figure it out!
Sales Evolution is a B2B Sales Blog for curious people. We talk about things like sales training, sales management, sales assessments, sales leadership, prospecting, and sales relationship building. I’m Jeb Brooks and I’ll be your host. So, please sit back, relax, and join us!- Join the Sales Community
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