Monthly Archives: November 2010
The Biggest Differentiator in Selling
Can you identify the reason most people buy your product? Is it price? Is it the unique features and benefits that make what you sell so attractive? Actually, it’s you, the sales person! This was substantiated by a McKinsey study published in May 2010. Even though customers may claim that their decision of what to buy was made based on the cost or the product features, in most cases, this is simply not true. It is the quality of the selling experience that makes all the difference. Continue reading
Interesting Openings
It’s been said that you create a person’s interest in—or resistance to—what you have to say in the first 20 seconds of your conversation. I’m not sure that time can be measured so precisely but I do believe that very early on you either stimulate interest or provoke resistance. So, if this is true, what can you do to make those 20 seconds work for you? The key is to say something pretty interesting.
I’ve learned that you can create interesting openings basically in three ways. First, you can use relevant facts Continue reading
You Don’t Need to Build a Faster Horse—the Art of Selling
I recently read a quote from Henry Ford, “If I’d have asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, ‘A faster horse!’” Ford is right that customers will often tell you they want one thing when in reality, they don’t have a clue. They are missing the in-depth knowledge and understanding about what is available or how something different could help them. You’ve probably encountered similar circumstances when you are selling.
The reality is that if you ask your customers what they want, in most cases, they really can’t answer that question accurately. Continue reading
Bridging or Transition Statements
How do you switch from talking about personal things to a business conversation? Or transition from one product discussion to another? Bridging (also known as transition) statements allow us to move seamlessly and effortlessly from one topic to another. They can be incredibly important because they transition from one subject to a different one without losing the listener’s attention.
The key point is to keep the listener’s attention. We typically begin our conversations with some sort of small talk: “How was your vacation?” or “How about those Cubs?” At some point though, you will have to Continue reading
How to Close Effectively
Is anything more important to a sales call than the close? Has any sales topic been written about more? Closing, after all, is the one skill most sales managers feel their sales people need to work on to be more effective. And most sales people will admit asking closing questions tends to make them feel uncomfortable. Why? Probably because most closing questions they have been taught to ask are inconsistent with how they see themselves as human beings. If you do not see yourself as an aggressive or pushy person, you are not going to feel comfortable asking for a close that’s inappropriate. But you do need to ask for the business. Continue reading
