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This is one of the most important factors to understand in any selling or marketing programme. The fact is, no-one will ever want to buy your product or service ... they will only buy what your product or service can do for them. People only ever buy the product of the product - but never the product. The sooner your marketing is based on this one concept, the sooner you will sell more of what you want to sell. Prospects only ever buy time savers, energy savers, problem solvers, comfort or luxury - but they never buy a product or a service. Remember, they're not interested in your product and never will be - they're only interested in what your product will do for them personally. Prospect’s Want to be in Charge of the Buying Decision The salesperson needs to realise the prospect has been telling himself, his family, work associates and everyone within ear shot, he won't be making a buying decision the first time he looks at a product or service. To do this, the prospect will go out of his way to resist all temptations presented by the marketer, and will have every intention of sticking to that decision. The only way the salesperson can combat this is with logic, charm, enthusiasm and emotion. And when handled properly, everybody wins. On the other hand if you don't believe this process works, just talk to any professional seller - they'll tell you they have to apply this process every time they eyeball a prospect, because if they don't, chances are the next seller they talk to will apply exactly the same technique. The old story of first in, best dressed couldn't be more appropriate than it is in this situation. Your selling should always be about win/win. Most People Avoid Making Decisions If the truth were known, most people would prefer others make their decisions for them. That way they could never be accused of making the wrong decision. Here's a glimpse of why that happens. In life, it's simpler to avoid a decision than to make the effort to make that decision. It's also much simpler to say 'No' than it is to say 'Yes'. But most prospects fear the word 'No'. 'No' is not a rejection, but simply a way of saying, "I am not prepared to make that decision until I know I have made the right decision." And no-one likes to make the wrong decision. Therefore the easier it is for the prospect to buy your product or service, the better the chance of selling the product. They’re Always Unprepared for the Presentation Every time the prospect is confronted by any manner of presentation, either in person or through any of the of the printed or electronic media, the prospect knows he's going to hear a presentation, but he doesn't know how its going to be presented. This is a wonderful advantage for the marketer. Any presentation that is sharp, to the point and asks for the order is always inclined to get a result - and in most cases, a favourable result. The secret to this process is primarily in the way the presentation is made. Prospect’s Want to be Romanced The prospect wants to show she's in charge of the buying process. She believes the one that gives the seller, the order - or denies it. She also believes he's the one pulling the strings. She's the ‘good guy,’ and the seller the ‘bad guy.’ The real story is, every prospect wants to be sold, charmed, have her ego stroked and led ever so gently to her bank account. Those that understand this process do really well. Selling any product or service is all about understanding negotiation skills. How well honed are your negotiating skill? Have you taken the trouble to learn how to negotiate professionally, or are you just doing what you believe 'should come naturally'? Good negotiators usually earn what other good professionals (like Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants etc) earn. And not one of them would say what they know 'comes naturally'. They know if they did they'd get 'eaten alive' whenever they came face-to-face with a professional in their line of business. Besides there are plenty of good books and courses on the subject. You'll see a dramatic improvement in the way you negotiate if you begin reading them then applying what they suggest. Tell The Prospect What’s in it for Them The prospect simply wants the best deal possible, and he'll use every trick at his disposal to reach that objective. That may include telling lies, distorting the truth and even putting the seller on the spot as many times as necessary to drop the price, or get a better overall deal. But to a professional, the greedier the buyer, the easier he is to sell to. Eventually they trap themselves. The problem here is, the vast majority of prospects believe that as the seller is going to take them for a ride anyway, they may as well make it hard for the seller and use every dirty trick in the book to get what they want. To them, its a dog eat dog environment, and their actions are only 'fair in their eyes. The best way to avoid situations such as this, is to develop a reputation for being fair minded, ethical and selling the value of the after sales service on offer by your company - then do this as often and as possible. Don’t Make Assumptions These days all products and services are becoming cross-overs. The salesperson can no longer assume a difference between the residential and the commercial customer - what may right for one in today's market is also usually right for the other. Even though, as little as a few years ago, there was a distinct difference between the two. There are so many 'commercial' type customers that now work from home (in what was previously deemed 'residential' only) it is hard not to treat these regions cross-over potential. It's also important to no longer assume traditional distinctions between urban, suburban and rural residents. Many 'city' people are moving into country regions (because they prefer the life-style) and because they can now be technologically connected to almost anywhere. Then, as many 'rural' dwellers move into cities in search of the opportunities available there - while still keeping closely linked ties with their traditional past, they too are becoming harder to stylise. This is becoming so pronounced in today's changing market, over the past few years sales of traditionally city newspapers, and more recently country newspapers, have increased dramatically and sell well in each others zones. And Take Care on the First-Time Sale When you're calling on sales prospects for the first time don't go after 100% of their business because that's what most other salespeople do. Praise your sales prospect for the suppliers he has chosen. Ask him for just "1%" of the business and then work with the opportunity given to you to earn the rest. ***************************************** This Article is by Peter Collins - In a sales career spanning more than 50 years, Peter Collins has focused on helping and bringing out the best in others - whether it involves training or mentoring salespeople, managers, business consulting to SME’s. Since the 1970’s Peter has built a reputation as a Nationally and Internationally Published author, and has 65 books to his credit, but he is mainly known for one book based on the Audio Tape series of the same name, Over 50 Ways of Closing the Sale. In his personal life, Peter has been sought after as an encourager and motivator that has given of his time and talents freely despite his busy schedule. Subsequently, he has assisted churches, pastors, community and charity groups, as well as individuals through his teaching, training, development and on-going mentoring. © Copyright Peter Collins, Profit Maker Sales, Sydney, Australia, 2015, all rights reserved. Peter can be contacted through his website – profitmakersales.com - Submit your articles to AMAZINES.COM
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