Many sales are lost because of “sales.” To be successful in
this profession requires listening to the customer.
Unfortunately as salespeople, we often hear so many different
things that we feel the need to provide solutions for all of
their problems. When this happens, sales professionals can
overwhelm the customer, causing them to become confused, and,
ultimately, losing any sale.
For the salesperson, it all begins when Marketing comes out with
what they perceive as the greatest new product or service to hit
the market. Marketing will proclaim that their latest creation
will solve all of the problems any customer has or could
possible ever have. They continue to lay it on with an
assortment of product characteristics all matched to whatever
issues the customer has.
Meanwhile, attentive salespeople absorb this information and
subconsciously begin to look for ways to apply everything
Marketing has proclaimed. It’s only natural for sales
professionals to believe the information and to assume that it
applies to everyone. Once they adapt this mindset, one of the
biggest “quiet mistakes” in Sales occurs. It’s not an error made
in front of a customer such as misquoting a price or missing a
key date. Rather, it’s a “quiet mistake” because it happens long
before a sales call, and, therefore, becomes hard to see how it
could result in a lost sales.
Anytime a salesperson is dealing with a customer, patience must
be exhibited to not only find out what their needs are, but also
to discover which particular need best matches what is being
offered. Unfortunately, salespeople often do not take the time
to validate the needs they hear. Instead, they treat all of the
needs as being equal, remember what Marketing has told them, and
begin to think they’ve come across the perfect customer for
their product/service. This is where many sales are lost because
the salesperson does not narrow their focus. Therefore, it is
critical for sales professionals to think “sale”, not “sales.”
Top performing salespeople are confident of their skills and
their ability to close a sale. They focus on helping the
customer fulfill their primary need. Average salespeople, on the
other hand, attempt to satisfy numerous needs and in so doing,
end up losing the sales by overwhelming the customer.
The key to being a successful salesperson is to focus on selling
to the primary need of the customer, not on multiple needs. This
will result in a higher closing percentage and, in the long-run,
allow you the opportunity to continue the relationship by
helping the customer solve the other issues they have
identified.
Mark Hunter, “The
Sales Hunter”, is a motivational sales speaker and industry
expert who addresses thousands each year on how to increase
their sales profitability.
For more information on his sales training or to receive
a free weekly sales tip via email, contact “The Sales Hunter” at
www.TheSalesHunter.com.
Reprinting of this
article is welcomed as long as the following is included:
Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter",
www.TheSalesHunter.com,
© 2007
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