Winning in Sales: The "WHY" Factor - Assume the sell but don't assum...

Winning in Sales: The "WHY" Factor - Assume the sell but don't assum...: "Most sales professionals are delighted when a potential prospect contacts us and knows exactly what they want. It almost seems like a lay do..."

The "WHY" Factor - Assume the sell but don't assume it's sold

Most sales professionals are delighted when a potential prospect contacts us and knows exactly what they want. It almost seems like a lay down and in some cases it is. But what about the prospect that never calls you back even though you felt comfortable with your price point and the prospect even acknowledges that you are right within there budget?

This happens to sales professionals almost daily. We get excited about the fact that a sale has simply landed in our lap and all we have to do is process it and it's done. The customer gets what they are looking for and we get a commission for basically being an order taker right? Wrong. The problem with this is we have failed to truly show value in the product or service.

Here is why I use the "WHY" factor. If a potential customer contacts me and knows exactly what they want, the first thing I ask them is WHY are you looking at this particular product/Service? This creates the dialogue which allows you to uncover the reason your prospect arrived at this product or service as there solution. Did someone simply say they needed to have this without truly knowing what the customer wanted to accomplish? Did they attempt to do their own research and arrive at this conclusion? Did the price seem attractive or does the product/service seem to be in line with what they want?

We cannot and should not ever guess as to why a customer wants a product. We should always uncover the desired state, add value to our product/service offering and further secure the sale. Use the "WHY" factor and you may discover that the product/service the customer wants is not the one they need  or may not deliver the desired result.

Can you imagine thinking you need an alternator for your car, getting alternator quotes from several sales people and having just one sales person say why do you think you need an alternator and then discovering you only needed a battery? Would you call back the sales person selling the alternator?

Pitch Big, Stay Focused and Close the Sell

Surviving as an Inside Sales Professional

I know from experience and from other sales professionals that inside sales can present unique challenges. Unlike the traditional face to face interaction, inside sales people must be able to earn the business of a prospective customer over the phone without the ability to observe body language or facial expressions. The key to being successful as an inside sales executive starts with building a rapport. We all know that people do business with those they feel they share something in common with or that they like. So how do you accomplish this?

I coach my sales reps to spend the first 20 minutes learning about their prospect.  As sales people we naturally want to talk about the product or services that we offer, sometimes with no regard to what the customer actually needs. By taking the time to uncover the personality and motivation of your prospect, you can to start to eliminate products or services that would not be beneficial to your customer or help them to achieve the desired results.

When speaking with a new prospect I would usually ask them a series of questions that are designed to be different from what they have heard before or even expect to be asked. This reduces the defense mechanism that most consumers put up when placed in a situation were they may be sold. It also will provide you with an immediate insight as to who is on the other end of the phone and what information you have they may interest them. Here are a few examples of the questions I ask

“Mr./Mrs. Customer I’m curious as to how you came to start this type of business, what was your motivation for wanting to own your own company?

Why did you choose this industry?  

What would you say has been the biggest challenge for you so far?

Why do you feel that situation presents a challenge?

These are just a few examples but the key is to think outside the box. We have all been pitched a product or service at one point or another. The key to starting a great phone conversation is to let the potential customer know that your interest lies beyond your OWN pocket. Take interest in them and their business. You have to earn the right to recommend a solution and never attempt to sale a customer before you determine the need.

Pitch Big, Stay Focused and Close the Sell