As long as you can come up with the solution that fixes their problem, your customer isn’t overly interested in knowing all about you and your business.
Seriously!
I’ve seen many new and seasoned sales professionals and business owners meticulously work through their fancy PowerPoint presentations frame by frame to showcase their product and service offerings …
When (yawn) all the customer really wants to know is…
“Can you help me?”
If You Hate Self-Promotion, This Approach Is Ideal For You!
Why?
Because you don’t have to blow your own horn.
And run the risk of embarrassing yourself or boring your prospect into a coma.
Instead, you can focus on building a purposeful relationship.
Find out what really makes your prospective customer tick.
People love to talk about themselves.
They love it even more when people are willing to listen.
It’s in your best interests to fall in love with the sound of your customer’s voice.
Instead of your own.
Listening to what they have to say is the only way you’re going to know for sure whether or not you can come up with a solution.
That will suit their specific needs.
Or if they are someone with whom you want to create a long-lasting relationship.
Show Your Customers You Genuinely Care
When I started my sales career at the age of 20 I had no formal sales training.
But I did know how to win people over.
It was a rough introduction.
I clearly remember my sales manager Henry giving me a quick run-through of the company’s full suite of products and services.
Then handing me some brochures.
And physically shooing me out of his office to make my first sale.
If nothing else I was confident and curious by nature.
I enjoyed connecting with new people and getting to know them.
It comes naturally to me to greet someone with a warm smile and a two-handed handshake.
Speak in a neutral tone and pitch so as to create that feeling of familiarity
A lot of the time I was dealing with busy executives who wanted to get straight down to business.
But I knew I had to get them to drop their guard.
So I’d quickly look around their office to see what I could use as an icebreaker.
Without being cheesy.
Throughout our meeting, I’d encourage my prospect to speak about themself.
And their business.
I’d make sure to maintain eye contact.
But not in an extreme way.
Just enough to let them know that what they had to say was important.
Be genuinely interested, they can tell
If the customer asked me something I didn’t know, I’d reach for a brochure to find the answer.
When our meeting drew to a close I had no trouble asking for the money.
Because I didn’t attach that much importance to the outcome.
If I made a sale that was great.
But, if not, so what.
The thing is I had to ask!
My primary focus was to leave a positive impression.
And to start the process of building a network of key contacts.
I always felt confident that when my new business contact was ready to buy, he’d buy from me.
And I regularly kept in touch to make sure I stayed top of mind.
Remember this …
When you’re dealing with people you’re not dealing with creatures of logic
It can make you focus on the process rather than the outcome.
That is the desired result of your prospective customer.
Some entrepreneurs fall into the trap of talking too much about the features and benefits of their products and services.
They overlook whether or not the customer is a good fit.
Or if they have any intention of buying from them.
Do you know the first few things you will say when you meet with your prospect?
When and how to qualify them in the first conversation?
How to handle the pricing conversation?
These are just a few of the skills and disciplines required for success in selling.