There Needs to be a "C" in "Selling"

Slowing down the sales process so that the professional sales person can collect enough of the right information is critical.  The sales person must start by using their ears and mouth in the exact proportion that God designed--listening twice as much as we talk.  Far too often we are so tempted to "explode" on our customers with all of the product knowledge we have--and we launch into a boring monologue that the customer wishes would end.

Why not instead control the selling situation by asking key questions about the customer's needs?  Be sure you've done your advance research first, but ask:

1.  What are the type of business segments in which you operate?
2.  What do you find most challenging in this?
3.  When you are evaluating suppliers and partners, what types of things have you found difficult to find in most of them?
4.  Would ________ be of value to you?
5. We've found that  __________ has been helpful for other customers. Would this be of value to you?

Those are just 5 of the many questions you should be asking--before you get down to selling.  In fact, the answers you get from the customer will tell you exactly how to sell them.

The "C" in selling is "consultative," and if you're not practicing it, your competitor is.

Is The Customer Always Right?

No.  But you want them to feel that way.

Some people that are part of great organizations sometimes act like the customer is on one side of the wall and the employees are on the other.

• "Us against them"
• "They're not paying attention to the rules"
• "Watch out or they'll take advantage of us"

As a good friend and former colleague said so plainly one day, "Customers Make Payday Possible."  Organizations exist to find, create, and keep customers with products and services that meet or exceed their needs. 

Why do we lose sight of that at times? Do we really understand what our customers need?  What they want? If they find it easy and beneficial to do business with us, or is a competitor looking more attractive? I have discovered that by far the best way to learn how your customers perceive your company is to visit them, see them in action, and look back at your own business through your customer's eyes.

Short of that, caring for a customer is not a "nice to do" its a "must do."  There are the same number of reasons to do so as there are competitors from which your customer has to choose.  

Be simplistically easy to do business with.  Anticipate needs. Strive to "delight" and surprise your customers.  Say please and thank you.  

This is not to say you break down procedures and give the store away.  You've got to be profitable and run a good organization.

The customer is not always right.  But you want them to feel that way.

Forgetting To Put The "Sell" In Selling

If you're selling a product with highly technical attributes--well, yes--you'd better know them well and how to sell them. And how they benefit the buyer. But of course--the technical and performance attributes aren't the only reason that buyers buy.

This blog is about getting caught in a trap. The trap of a singular focus. The trap of forgetting why people buy.

Are you selling the practical benefits? And stopping there? Or are you reaching out to customers with a story about "why?"

Some auto experts claim the Honda CR-Z is the best value in automobiles in America today based on fuel efficiency, performance, and the low $20,000 base price. But of course--not everyone buys a car based only on value--or the "logical" reasons for the purchase. We buy for prestige, comfort, safety, resale--and a host of other "emotional" reasons.

Consumers can buy a $800 set of Cutco knives when a $300 set from Macy's might do. Consumers can buy a $800 replacement window when they're commonly sold for $300. And consumers can choose a BMW 128i Coupe for $32,000 when the Honda CR-Z at less than 2/3 the price is judged a better investment.

Long story short--buyers buy on more than just reason, payback, and tangible attributes. The more expensive products listed above might all in fact be much better. And that's where the "sell" in selling comes in.

Paint a picture. Ask questions. Find out what buyers truly value. And then create a compelling "why" that helps them satisfy their emotional as well as logical needs.

Park yourself for 18 minutes and watch this video of Simon Sinek giving a talk about the "why" in buying decisions--and not just "what" and "how."  My good friend Rick VanDermyden shared this with me after a conversation we had about the need for companies to have a "customer and market" focus--as opposed to only a "product and services" focus.

The "traps" are:

1.  Forgetting why companies make stuff.
2.  Forgetting how we sell stuff.
3.  And overlooking "why" people buy stuff.

Enjoy the video--and here’s to good selling!