How to sell: more sales essentials

When a potential customer has the thought “I want to buy this” our job is easy and no ‘selling’ is needed. They call you up, you take the order and bingo, the business is done.

How often does that happen? If it exceeds 10% you are fortunate. More often, someone starts with a thought that something could be improved. My weight is too much, I need a holiday, my car is getting unreliable etc. These are implicit needs. The person has a feeling that they need to do something but may do nothing.

Remember sales is not tricking people; we need to dispel that myth in ourselves and others. No, sales is about helping people articulate those implicit needs so they become explicit. The person can then see them so clearly that they feel the need to do something about them.

So let’s look at the three above:

1. “My weight is too much” needs to become “I need a personal trainer three times a week for a month”
2. “I need a holiday” needs to become “I wish to book a holiday today please”
3. “My car is getting unreliable” needs to become “I want to buy a new car – please show me my choices.”

It sounds so simple dosen’t it. As we said above, if the customer is clear enough then they will act. But most of us are experts at procrastination for any number of reasons. We are used to things as they are. To change them implies shifting the balance. And why do that?

We are used to things as they are, especially if the change is going to a) cost money, b) take time, c) be painful, d) be a hassle. So we need to help the customer clarify in their own mind why they need to act. Notice the words – not we need to tell them what to do, which makes them into a child who immediately feels like saying ‘No’ to us. We need him/her to work it out for themselves so they are convinced they wish to make this change.

Consider the person above who is aware that his/her weight is too much. They take the first step and call you, a personal trainer, in response to an advertisement. Here is a dangerous situation in the sense that it is frighteningly easy to lose the sale. The person calls up and says “Are you a personal trainer?” “Yes, I am”. So far so good. “How much do you charge?”... Danger - if you answer this question now you will probably lose the business. Watch - “£50 a session” Thanks. I will get back to you. What has happened is the client’s psyche is on a seesaw.

On one end is CHANGE/DO SOMETHING; on the other end is DON’T CHANGE. As soon as they ask you “how much?” which is a question from the change end, they will retreat to the don’t change end. They will feel they have done something about their problem; now they can leave it.

You need to keep them on the change end of the seesaw– otherwise they will do nothing. So your response to “How much do you charge” needs to build up the Change end - something like “Before we discuss fees, can I understand your situation. What are you looking for?” Now we have them back on their CHANGE end. “Well, I am feeling very unfit at the moment and I was thinking of doing something about it”.

Now we are winning. But we need to resist giving them our solution here as their need is still weak. Watch what happens if we do. “Well if you are feeling unfit, come down to the gym for an assessment and we can go from there”. “Thanks I may just do that”. LOST.

We need to keep questioning to strengthen the need. “How do you know you are unfit?” “Well I get really out of breath climbing the escalator”. Keep going! “Tell me what happens!” “Well, as soon as I get on an escalator that is out of service, my heart starts pounding and I feel terrible”. Keep going! “What other symptoms do you get?” “I sweat, I feel panicked, I want to turn back, it’s awful!”

Now we have a committed client who feels the need to change strongly. All we need now is to agree the next step. “This sounds like something I can help with. Can you come in tomorrow at 6?” “Sure” SALE

The message is simple – control your impulse for telling, instead try smelling out the need with questions! Please email jfarrer@pod.eu.com with any successes, failures or sales challenges that you want to share.

By John Farrer

John Farrer is MD of POD- www.pod.eu.com. For an individual sales session email him on jfarrer@pod.eu.com.