A few tips on how a salesperson can take complete control of the sales process in front of a well-informed, I-know-what-I-want customer!
There are two things at work when we talk about a buyer-seller interaction. Bob Urichuck, the noted speaker, trainer and author explains:
- Is it the buyer qualifying the salesperson via the buyer process, or,
- The salesperson qualifying the buyer via the sales process
Your personality and command over your language has nothing to do with how good a salesperson you are – it is all about taking control and of course, adding a pinch of confidence while you are at it.
So, moving on, if someone has to be in control, who should it be?
The buyer or
The salesperson?
Next: How does each demonstrate control and what is the final outcome? Who rejects whom?
See where this is going?
If you are in business or sales and want to shorten your sales cycle, be in control of the sales process, not leave money on the table, and increase your overall revenue while creating a secondary sales force, you will want the answers to the above questions.
Salespeople think they are qualifying buyers and believe they are in control of the sales process.
Salespeople demonstrate this by answering questions freely, sharing their product knowledge and related benefits, quoting prices and sometimes even discounting their product or service to close the sale. How can they not be in control?
But What Really Happens?
In reality, it is the opposite.
It is the buyer who is qualifying and in control of the buying process, while salespeople think they are in control.
Buyers demonstrate this by asking questions, listening and leading the conversation to where the buyer wants to go, asking for discounts, and misleading the salesperson with “Let me get back to you”, or “I will think it over.” This, in turn, wastes the salesperson’s time but gives them the feeling that they may have a sale, at least a hope of a sale.
In day-to-day sales, who really rejects whom? It is the buyer rejecting the salesperson, but not directly as the buyer rarely says no.
And What Should Really Be Happening?
The salesperson should always be in control, letting the buyer think that he or she is in control.
In most cases, buyers see more salespeople in a day, than salespeople see buyers. Buyers see the same techniques over and over again. Over time, salespeople have educated buyers and they know exactly what the salesperson is going to say or do next. If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting the same results.
Take Control Of The Sales Process: Here’s How
Learn from buyers and how they maintain control – they ask questions, they listen and then lead the conversation to where they want it to go.
As a sales professional, asking questions allows you to build a relationship of trust with the buyer, set parameters around the interaction, qualify the buyer for buying motivators, financial ability and decision making prior to talking or sharing solutions. Doing so puts you in control of the sales process.
By setting the parameters based on buyer terms, you do not waste time. You gain commitment and work on a “No” or “Yes” basis, or at least establish a clear future.
- It is time to be ‘buyer focused.’ It is no longer about you, your brand, product or service, features or benefits. It is all about the buyer!
- It is the responsibility of the salesperson to build relationships. The more relationships you have, the bigger your network and the bigger your net worth.
- It is time to be in control, not thinking you are in control!
- It is time to qualify, not be qualified.
- It is time to ask questions, not answer them!
- It is time to be listening, not talking!
- It is time to get a better return on your time invested (R.O.T.I) with a buyer!
- It is time for you to follow a proven sales system.
You want a proven sales process that will allow you to quickly build rapport to gain necessary trust, set parameters to eliminate surprises and establish a clear and concise process that will allow you to move forward. At the same time, you must qualify the buyer with respect to buying motivators, financial ability and decision making.
When this process is complete and everything is summarised, you will be in a position to determine if the prospect is qualified or not to allow for your time, products or services. Then and only then, you can decide to proceed with a prescription or simply walk away from the buyer, while maintaining a relationship for future business.
Reference And Credit:
The article is written by Bob Urichuck, an internationally sought-after speaker, trainer, author and founder of the internationally acclaimed ‘Buyer Focused’ Velocity Selling System.
