Make sense to customers

It takes smart, highly competent salespeople to meet the challenges presented by today’s informed and savvy customers.

Even so, there are many in sales who believe that success depends on a friendly smile, a gift for small talk and a large dose of enthusiasm and optimism. Others might toss in a passion for selling, listening, the ability to close and coming across as sincere.

Yet, possessing a great attitude and excellent sales skills doesn’t guarantee success. Many salespeople who “do everything right” underperform. With so much focus on personal qualities and skills, the sales process doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

However, it’s the process – the “sales experience” – that makes a huge difference to customers. More and more, it’s the process that engages them in ways that lead to closing sales. Here are elements of a customer-oriented sales process:

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n Play detective. Too many salespeople set themselves up for failure from the start. They try to go from “Good to see you” to “Thanks for the order” with as little interference or distractions as possible.

When a customer asks, “What can you do for us?” too many salespeople instantly launch into a presentation about their company and how it solves problems for its customers. And that’s their mistake. “Right now, I don’t know, but I intend to explore your situation and determine the best way we can help” are the words that make the most sense to customers.

Customers recognize that the right solutions result from proper investigation. And that takes detective work.

n Figure it out. Digging and gathering information is worthless unless it’s analyzed so the problem – the “pain,” if you will – emerges with clarity. It’s exciting when salespeople get their arms around a problem. It can be something like an “ah-ha” experience. There’s a “rush” – an “I was born to sell” feeling.

The tendency is to assume that once the problem is figured out, it’s the time to tell the story to the customer. But, slow down. We’re not there yet. Something important is missing.

n Write it down. What’s missing is the answer to the crucial question, “What do I need to do to make the solution compelling to the customer?” And this is where it’s easy to drop the ball. In your mind, you see yourself going across the goal line. And, while enthusiasm is essential, it takes more to close sales.

n Win ’em over. It’s now do-or-die. You’ve done your homework and built a solid case for getting the order. While all this is necessary, you’re still not ready to get in front of the customer to capture the order. To do so now would be like handing the sale to the competition.

n Stick with it. Waiting to hear from a customer about your proposal can be so frustrating that it’s easy to blow the sale. Being patient is tough and most salespeople have trouble with it. It creates horrible anxiety. Selling is about making something happen. But let the competitors make the wrong move. Let customers know you’ll wait for their decision and you won’t bug them. Patience shows you’re confident and that you trust the customer.

In selling, cutting corners is best left to the amateurs and those who think they can talk or manipulate their way to success. It takes the entire sales process for consistent, positive results. •

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