WHAT I SAID IS WHAT I WANT NOW SELL IT TO ME

I received an e mail today from one of the FSM’s I work with. The email was a sales article that was spot on in its content.

The writer makes 2 very strong points about customers;

1)      Customers value what they say and their own conclusions more than what they are told (especially by a sales rep)

2)      Customers value what they ask for more than what is freely offered. (especially insights that are freely offered by sales reps)

These two points really bring sales down to one basic concept that is universally true;

1)      Listen to your customers, they will tell you exactly what you need to do, say, and have to sell them.

One of the biggest assets a successful sales rep has is our MOUTHS! Our mouth has gotten us into and out of more trouble over the years than anything that has gone wrong with our product, company or processes. We all know that we can talk, it is what we do best, but we also need to develop listening skills that equal our communication skills.

I have worked with reps that are so anxious to speak that they actually finish sentences for customers and then go into their dialog virtually ignoring what the customer just told them. I have seen customers’ frustrations as sales reps “SPEW” features and benefits about their product that the customer couldn’t care less about. I have seen reps get frustrated as customers cut them off and blow them off because they didn’t answer question, supply information, or clear up confusion that the customer had.

We have all heard the old saying “It’s a two way street” haven’t we, well I am here to clear up a misnomer about this saying. When it comes to selling IT IS A ONE WAY STREET! The way the customer wants to go is the only way to go.

If we could all listen twice as much as we talk during a sales presentation our customers would buy twice as often.

Thank you for forwarding this article to me, we all need reminders of good solid basic selling techniques.

Lorin