November 2002 Track Selling Times Feature
"12 Laws of Selling"
by Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE |
(From September 2000 Track Selling Times)
Many of the following laws of selling are known yet rarely abided by. I suggest you consider each and how they apply to you as improving in the use of even one can significantly impact your results.
1. A. The more people talk, the more they like you. I'm sure you've heard colleagues lament, "He's nice but he just talks too darn much." But I doubt you've ever heard the opposite, "Darn, she's nice but just listens too much." Most people, your prospects included, want to be heard and understood before understanding. View this need as a fundamental rule of communication and facilitate it.
B. You only know what your prospect is thinking when he's talking. Keep quiet and listen. True, isn't it? This leads directly to the next law.
2. Great salespeople are great listeners. Notice I didn't write, "Great salespeople are great talkers, entertainers, or personalities." Sure, these attributes help. But effective salespeople are listening 60-80% of the time depending on the complexity of their offering. They accomplish this by becoming highly skilled at asking the right questions at the right times.
3. A professional salesperson makes a sales call for one reason only: to be of service to her customer. If you're making a sales call to meet quota, earn a higher commission, move the 'special of the month', or any other reason not arising from your customers' true needs, it's time to check your integrity. One of the main reasons selling has a negative public perception is because too many salespeople sell for their reasons, not their customers.
4. A qualified prospect has the need, authority, and budget to buy. Ensure the person you're dealing with meets this criterion. If she doesn't, find out who does or you're merely presenting, not selling, which wastes money and time.
5. No one's born a salesperson. Similar to every other profession, highly skilled sales professionals have studied and learned their profession. Much as a doctor, attorney, or accountant isn't 'born', neither is a salesperson. Abandon this myth and learn your trade as research reveals that regardless of age, race, gender or experience, a novice sales person with effective sales training can become as successful as his veteran counterpart.
6. What will it do for me? If the definition of selling could be boiled down to a single sentence or question, this would be mine. Constantly put yourself in your prospects' shoes by asking this question. It will help you focus on their needs and the appropriate corresponding benefits.
7. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Your prospect must believe that you will do everything possible that's in his interest. Without his trust, all the facts, figures, and discounts don't mean anything. Once you gain his trust, however, you become much more than a supplier. You become a trusted counselor and partner not easily replaced in spite of you competitors lower price, supposed faster delivery, etc.
8. People buy emotionally, and justify logically. Contrary to what many salespeople believe, this reality actually works in your favor if you've done a thorough job of helping your prospect buy. It's imperative that you reinforce your prospect's decision to buy with sound reasons why she is. If you allow your prospect to buy a new Imac computer because she likes the cool color, without reinforcing the timesavings, increased productivity and ease of use, you may as well keep the shelf space open for the return.
9. Treat every person like they're the CEO. It's been said the true character of person is revealed in how they treat someone who can do absolutely nothing for him. Nowhere is this truer than in selling. This makes good sense because there's the rare possibility the lowest person will someday become CEO. But more likely you'll encounter many employees who aren't decision-makers but can quickly become part of the decision making process. When reflecting, I can't believe how many deals with my company various sales people have lost by being rude or elitist to my employees. How many have you lost?
10. Set an objective for every call. By objective I'm referring to anything that keeps the sales cycle progressing. This could be making a presentation, sending additional information, scheduling a demo, etc. Once the sales cycle halts, it's unlikely you'll get it moving again.
11. Every prospect makes 5 Buying Decisions in precise psychological order. The decisions are about:
1- You, the salesperson (including your integrity and judgment);
2 - Your company;
3 - Your product/service;
4 - Your price;
5 - The time to buy.
Know these buying decisions and tailor your presentation accordingly.
12. Every prospect buys for one, or more, of 6 Buying Motives. Knowing and appealing to the following Buying Decisions will help motivate your prospect emotionally and logically, moving you closer to a sale.
1- Desire for Gain $;
2 - Fear of Loss $;
3 - Comfort and Convenience;
4 - Security and Protection;
5 - Pride of Ownership;
6 - Emotional Satisfaction.
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