Think of one of your favorite movies. Imagine you are going to see it for the first time at your local theater. You arrive with time to spare and you go to buy a soda at the stand to sip during the movie. The movie is about to start and you hustle into the theater to find a good seat. But alas, just as you are almost inside, you trip on a piece of loose carpeting. There goes your soda all over the carpet floor. You sit through the movie, but it just isn’t the same, you keep thinking about that soda, wishing you hadn’t spilled it before you even got started. If only you’d taken a little more care. In sales, this scenario happens more often than you would expect. Here’s how to stop losing sales because of your spilled soda.
Don’t Spill Your Soda
In sales, there are things which are very important to do and things which it is very important not to do. However, there isn’t just a simple list of do’s and don’ts to follow. Timing is very important as well. As the salesman, you have knowledge which is very valuable to your client. However, at the beginning of the sales process, asking questions will help them (and you) more than giving information. Hold onto your knowledge while you assess the situation.
Aren’t You Supposed to Help The Client?
You might be asking, “Am I not supposed to help the client? I thought that was my job.” It’s true, your job is to help the client. There is nothing that will close a deal like helping the client solve a problem. However, dispensing your knowledge and information is not the best way to help at the beginning. You can actually help them more by gathering information. You do this by asking pertinent sales questions.
Using Your Sales Questions And Your Knowledge
Craft your questions around your key goal of information gathering. You are actually using your knowledge to help the customer as you build your questions, but you aren’t giving that information away yet. Your knowledge of the industry or product will help you get to the heart of what matters and determine how exactly you can help them, if at all. If you don’t use this approach, you will find that you are presenting all your material to the client without ever getting an order. Probably the client takes your information and compares it with competitors, eventually deciding who is best for his needs. You spilled your soda in the lobby. When you ask questions and save the details for later, you are helping him through that process of deciding what is best for his needs.
When trying to land a deal, don’t worry so much about your end of the equation, product and pricing. Instead focus on your customer and understand them. Keep your soda in its cup for now. If you would like to learn more powerful tips to increase your sales prowess and information gathering ability, check out our excellent book, The Sandler Rules. Learn more about how to apply these principles from Sandler Training Solutions by contacting Sandler Salefish today.
