Good selling isn’t always about selling. An oxymoron perhaps? Sometimes you’re in situations where you feel that the other person is trying too hard to persuade you. That perhaps there is another perspective. Another angle. Few decisions we make in life are obvious. Consequently the other person’s communication needs to reflect this in some way. Therefore being really persuasive isn’t always about trying to be persuasive!
Think about it
Customer behaviour has changed hugely over the last 15-20 years or so. In the past buyers would often lack knowledge. Consequently they had to rely on sales people to inform them. This process therefore gives the sales person the chance to ‘persuade.’
But now what do we do when we want to buy something significant? A new camera perhaps, or a new broadband supplier, a new set of golf clubs or food mixer. Most likely, we start by looking on the internet. At this point we’re not looking to buy necessarily. We’re simply looking for information to make our ultimate purchase decision an informed choice. And we value independence and impartiality above all. Consider the growth of Trip Advisor, Amazon, Check-a-Trade.com, ebay and comparethemarket.com, plus countless others.
Our approach
Our approach to our customers will therefore be most likely to succeed when it matches how they (the customer) operates when we’re NOT there!
So make sure you’re familiar with the features and benefits of your product or service. Offer them advice. This should include alternatives where possible. Offer them the chance to try your product on some form of trial or see it demonstrated.
No pressure – certainly not in B2B (business to business) selling. If you’re face to face, watch them. Study their movement, gestures, language and general mood. Observe their body language. Listen closely to them and consider what they are looking for. Relate to that and offer them reassurance if they’re behaving in a way which suggests they’re unsure.
You will probably need to leave the decision with them. The larger the financial commitment, the more this is important. Nevertheless, keep in contact. Be professionally persistent by all means but again no pressure. If they say they need a week to think about it, give them a week to think about it. Then contact them again, if they suggested that they were interested, or were making a decision.
Sales tactics I hate
There are many tactics sales people use to apply pressure, which I think insult our intelligence. The ol’ chestnut where the sales person, says I’ve had a word with my manager and he / she says I can only do it for you at this price if you agree to buy it today. Poppycock. If they’re happy to sell it to you at this price today, they’ll be happy to do it at that price tomorrow.
Make your approach honest and ensure you build credibility in your B2B sales relationships. Because it’s YOU they buy from, not the company. And once they know they can trust you, it’ll make a massive difference.
Sales techniques training
We run courses both in-house at your offices as well as open courses at Midlands venues that we select. Our courses are highly interactive. That way more participants get more out of the programme over the 2 days. We get some great reviews. Have a look at some of the testimonials that we’ve been given.
If you’re considering helping build the skills of your team, contact us and we’ll email you or call you directly to discuss your ideas.
The book – Using the phone to sell
There is also the book now ‘Using the phone to sell – how to sell more to more people more often.’ This covers our tips and advice on how to make great and more importantly effective sales calls to prospects and clients. It’s autobiographical in places and guides you through how to organise yourself too so that you can get the most out of your available call pot. For an autographed copy you can buy directly through the site. Details of the book here.
Audio products too
We also have a range of audio products for you to use with your telephone based team : telesales or telemarketing. Have a look at the sales selection.
For more sales training ideas and discussions, contact us here at To Market on info@tomarket.co.uk. We carry out sales training across the Midlands, East and West including Birmingham, Coventry, Lichfield, Solihull, Leamington Spa, Coventry, Daventry, Rugby, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Peterborough, Newmarket, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Northampton, as well as wider parts of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.