- People Buy into People not Products of Services
- Listen Listen Listen!
- Sell a Solution not a Product
- Follow Up
- Close!
People Buy into People not Products of Services
There are so many new business owners and budding entrepreneurs who make the big mistake of thinking their product will sell itself. Then they get angry when the product doesn’t sell and blame everything from lack of finance to planning to society for their failure.
The days of the pushy salesman are gone. Sales today is about building relationships and gaining trust. Unfortunately that means that a sale might take longer then you expected. However, on a plus note, the customer will probably remain your customer for longer then you expected as well.
Listen Listen Listen
How do you expect to know what your customer needs if you haven’t taken the time to listen to them. Take the time to listen to your customers and clients at least 3 times, every time they buy from you. Listen to them before the sale, during the sale and after the sale. Listening to them before the sale helps you to work out what to sell them. Listening to them during the sell helps you to work out if you can sell them more stuff. Listening to them after the sale, and getting feedback on the sale and the product helps you to keep improving, so that the customer comes back for more.
Sell a Solution Not a Product
Customers want a solution to a problem not a product. If it is not totally clear how your product fixes their problem, you are wasting your time. Find out the problem… or create the problem if you have to. Just make sure you are solving something otherwise, you are making your job a lot harder then it need to be.
Follow Up
Retention should be more important then sales. A repeat customer trusts you and your company. They like your product and find good value in your product. Their referrals are priceless! Follow up on all your sales, get feedback.Interact with your customers and show them that you care and that will bring you one step closer to retaining their custom.
Close!
This tip is so important in business and sales. ASK FOR THE MONEY!
For some strange reason (and this is something I actually want to know the psychology behind) people don’t like to ask for money. Even when someone directly asks ‘how much?’ novice sales people and new business owners start to fumble and stutter.
If you believe in your product or service then believe in the price tag. If you have conversed with your customer and gotten them to trust you, listened to the problems and solved them or at least one efficiently, then you should have created enough value to ask for the money.
People will pay anything for something they deem good value. We have all tried to sell to that fashion guru in the Louboutins, with the Gucci bag, driving the Mercedes Benz who complains that they can’t afford your product that only cost £5. It is not that they can’t afford it, they just don’t think they need it and therefore they don’t want it.
As long as the perceived value out weighs the cost, value has been achieved.
Good Luck
Ebony Bain
