If the client does not buy your sales approach, they aren’t going to buy what you sell.” by Ari Galper (Unlocking the Sales Game)
If I were to ask you what image you have of a sales person, you’d probably respond with the words: over-bearing, aggressive, relentless, usually forceful in pushing for the sale, think they know what you want, wish they could put their hands in your pocket!
If you’re like me, you don’t want to come across like these people but if you’re a business owner, you are a sales person!
Neuroscience has shown that our actions and behaviour is driven by things below the surface in the identity iceberg. To sell therefore with the appropriate type of behaviour and actions that guarantees sustainable results, it is important to have the right Mindset!
Mindset drives everything; including how successful or otherwise we are in making sales. We must let go of the traditional “I must make a sale”, “sales is a chasing game until you hunt down” and defending yourself veraciously when there is an objection approach and thinking.
Our approach and mindset ought to be one of discovering the truth of your potential client’s situation in the knowledge that you can help him to come to solution that you can uniquely provide. This mindset makes the sales process; right from the initial contact critical to success.
Often times, ‘the Sale is Lost at “Hello,” Not at the Close’ says Ari Galper.
If you have already created an irritating emotion at the very beginning of a sales conversation, it is very unlikely that the prospect will become you customer by buying from you. Now, what does that mean? First impression matters a lot; impressions formed within the first 10secs of interactions makes or mars the sales!
People buy from those they like! Studies have shown that 20% of sales decisions are based on logic while 80% is based on emotions. Sales is a mental game too!
Follow the first impression with the goal to build trust with the prospect. Trust emerges when people and organizations are driven by reasons that go beyond self-serving. This is where the question funnel comes in handy to help in finding out what the prospect real need is or his pain. Your goal must be to properly understand the truth of the prospect’s situation in an environment of trust. Be mindful of the triggers of suspicion and/or rejection – pressure or discomfort from the prospect. Make the prospect comfortable by letting him know you’d walk away if you cannot solve his problem. View yourself as a problem solver and have humility – your manner in words and actions need to make the prospect comfortable with you to buy from you.
Do not always expect the outcome to be a Next Step, the prospect may not want to proceed, if he is yet to build trust in you or your terms do not suit him. Keep the relationship warm and show empathy for his circumstances. Show him how you can add value to him after you’re clear what the problem is.
Do everything possible to stop chasing prospects so as to preserve dignity. No one likes being hunted down – not even women during dating!
How About Objections? How do I handle it?
To say, you’d never be faced with objections in the sales process, is to deny the truth. Your mindset and belief about objections affect the way you handle it and the sales outcome. See objections as request for additional information or trust is yet to be fully formed or the literal truth – he doesn’t need you.
In ActionCOACH, Sales is Conversion in the 5 Ways to Massive Profits. Business owners must track this number closely. Do you know the Conversion rate for every stage of selling in your business? Are you tracking these numbers and reviewing the trend? Do you know there are several strategies – over 60, you can deploy to improve your conversion rate?
Why don’t you speak to your ActionCOACH to help you set up the systems to track your Conversion rate and support you with strategies to improve it?
