Wouldn't it be great if a sales person, who was properly trained
and motivated, would be able to not only give a great presentation, but
could also effectively and consistently close the sale? The very essence
of the word sales presupposes that something is sold, but unless the
sales person consistently closes his presentation by asking for the sale
and being prepared for the possible objections, the sales closing ratio
is dramatically reduced. Zig Ziglar examined what presented the biggest
challenges to selling and put it this way, "Every sale has five basic
obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust." In my
nearly thirty five years in sales training, marketing and sales related
field, I have discovered that those obstacles can be overcome when the
individual is properly trained and motivated.
1. If the obstacle is that the potential customer does not perceive that he has a need, it is a sales person's job to find, create and communicate the need. This requires effectively listening and asking relevant questions, in order to discover precisely what someone's hot button may be. A hot button is what motivates and excites that individual, and propels him to take action.
2. When we are told that there is no money, it may mean more than one thing. It may mean that someone actually does not have the money, or it may mean that you have not adequately demonstrated the need. When someone says they have no money, that is precisely the time to ask the individual if money were not a factor, would he then be willing to proceed. Great sales and marketers are great listeners, and develop meaningful rapports with potential customers or clients.
3. One of the most common reasons that sales are not closed is that many people prefer to procrastinate for as long as they can, and thus are not only in no hurry to make a decision or take an action, but focus on ways to delay doing so. Again, what differentiates the top sales person from the rest is his ability to motivate people to action, and demonstrate why taking action now is so important and relevant to that individual.
4. If a potential customer appears to have no desire, it often means that you have either not listened effectively, discovered that person's hot button, or effectively communicated your message in order to motivate him to take action.
5. People will not buy from people they don't trust. If you come off as trying to sell, especially if it appears that your main interest is in making a sale, the vast majority of people will not trust your motivations or integrity. Rightly or wrongly, sales people are not held in the highest esteem, and therefore, it is often wiser to think of yourself as a customer representative, or offering something of importance, than simply selling. Maintain your integrity at all times!
Understanding these obstacles, and also understanding the five steps needed to handle and overcome objections, combined with asking for the sale, results in the optimum results. Remember that each of us sells either a product, a service, or ourselves each and every day!
1. If the obstacle is that the potential customer does not perceive that he has a need, it is a sales person's job to find, create and communicate the need. This requires effectively listening and asking relevant questions, in order to discover precisely what someone's hot button may be. A hot button is what motivates and excites that individual, and propels him to take action.
2. When we are told that there is no money, it may mean more than one thing. It may mean that someone actually does not have the money, or it may mean that you have not adequately demonstrated the need. When someone says they have no money, that is precisely the time to ask the individual if money were not a factor, would he then be willing to proceed. Great sales and marketers are great listeners, and develop meaningful rapports with potential customers or clients.
3. One of the most common reasons that sales are not closed is that many people prefer to procrastinate for as long as they can, and thus are not only in no hurry to make a decision or take an action, but focus on ways to delay doing so. Again, what differentiates the top sales person from the rest is his ability to motivate people to action, and demonstrate why taking action now is so important and relevant to that individual.
4. If a potential customer appears to have no desire, it often means that you have either not listened effectively, discovered that person's hot button, or effectively communicated your message in order to motivate him to take action.
5. People will not buy from people they don't trust. If you come off as trying to sell, especially if it appears that your main interest is in making a sale, the vast majority of people will not trust your motivations or integrity. Rightly or wrongly, sales people are not held in the highest esteem, and therefore, it is often wiser to think of yourself as a customer representative, or offering something of importance, than simply selling. Maintain your integrity at all times!
Understanding these obstacles, and also understanding the five steps needed to handle and overcome objections, combined with asking for the sale, results in the optimum results. Remember that each of us sells either a product, a service, or ourselves each and every day!
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