Needs Drive the Sale - Not a Product Dump
by Mary Jane
Mapes
One of the most difficult things for sales people to learn is that people buy for their own reasons, and unless we discover what those reasons are, we might as well be bowling with blinders on. Too many sales people approach a prospect with the attitude, "Boy, do I have some great products for you!" And then, of course, they proceed to do a product dump. In fact, some customers/prospects even encourage it by saying, "Well, what do you have for me today?" Savvy salespeople know this is a trap and have learned how to avoid it. Since they're looking for something from you, you may want to say something like, "I've been looking forward to meeting with you…" or "I was thinking about something we talked about…." The key is to give something to your prospect in the form of an idea or two and then check with the prospect as to their interest or concern by asking them a question, e.g. How does that sound to you? or "To help me focus a bit, what…?"
Questions get the customer/prospect involved in the presentation. If people are hesitant to response to your questions, give them a bit more information and then ask for feedback, "How important would that be to you?" or "What do you think…?" The sooner you can get input from your prospect/customer indicating their needs and interests, the closer you are to making a sale and generating repeat business.
Push product and you push your prospect away; generalize need, and you show yourself to be unconcerned about the person in front of you; invite participation through well planned questions that get at the specific needs and interests of the prospect/customer, listen closely to what they tell you, and tailor your message to match their wants and needs, and you motivate them to listen and buy from you.
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