Sales
Help the customer to explain their need
Inform rather than persuade
Focus on benefits rather than features
Get potential customers as close to the experience as possible
Don't disagree
Be clear about the deal
Be aligned with your product
Build trust in your expertise and motivation
Plan as many moves ahead as possible
1) Help the customer to explain their need.
Every customer is unique and will have different interests and requirements. Therefore, you will find it useful to find out the customer's interpretation of their own needs. You can then use this information to check you’re a good match and provide them with the relevant information. In this way you have control over the perceived value of the solution you’re providing and can increase it and decrease it according to the information you provide.
2) Inform rather than persuade.
Know everything possible about the solution you're providing and the market it's in. Use that information to gently educate the customer. This will build trust in yourself and value in you product. Broadening a customer's horizons is valuable in itself. Demonstrating your knowledge will lead naturally to the appropriate outcome.
3) Focus on the benefits rather than features.
It's easier to talk about the features of a product rather than go one step further and calculate the benefit to the customer. However, it's much more helpful to the customer to have the benefits explained clearly. The benefits will usually fall in to one or more of time, money and status. However, decisions are often made emotionally and then rationalised. So it's helpful to start with understanding the emotional drive, then describe how to achieve this.
4) Get potential customers as close to the experience as possible.
Providing as 'real' an experience as possible in advance of any purchase is very helpful. It enables potential users to understand the product, how it might fit in to their life and whether it's appropriate. Also, the customer will value that which they already possess more highly. You can do this through a range of mediums, from presentations, and images to full test runs. Anything which brings the prospect closer to the experience of being a customer.
5) Don’t disagree.
When you disagree with someone, you will either cause them to loose trust in themselves or you. This is unhelpful. It’s not your job to correct one of many human misconceptions, your job is to provide information. If your opinions differ simply accept this and move on to the next point. A continuation of this is to never try to reverse a no. When someone says no they have cemented a belief. Changing a belief is almost impossible. However, presenting new information in a new light allows for a new decision.
6) Be clear about the deal.
Lay out the terms of the transaction simply and clearly. When prospecting this is a simple summary of the product and benefits. When making a formal proposal this should hold every relevant piece of information. Often opportunities fade away simply because the deal has not been made clear enough to accept. Avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations by presenting the terms clearly and early. In this way you will know how and when you will close the deal and they can politely say no whenever they want.
7) Be aligned with your product.
You must believe that your customer’s lives will be uniquely improved by the sale. Otherwise do not do it. This requires a deep understanding of the product and their situation and how the two fit together. If you don’t believe this, fix that problem first before trying to sell anything. Not only is this good practice and ethical, it will also make you much more effective.
8) Build trust through your expertise and motivation.
All your customer needs to know is that you are better informed than they are and that you want the best for them. If you can achieve those two things, everything else is irrelevant. They will then know the best outcome will be the one you suggest. You can do this by listening attentively and being willing to go above and beyond for them consistently. Always follow up, be efficient, and predictable. Your looks, words, body language, and actions all convey a message which should align with your product. The closer these factors align the more trust is built.
9) Plan the process as far ahead as possible.
This will enable a smooth and speedy transaction. Use outcome based thinking to be sure about your actions. Ask yourself early on, what do I want? What do they want? What problems will be brought up? How will they be addressed? What will be the final outcome? After a while you will know most of the common questions and how to respond to them. Then the whole process will be as efficient as possible.
