Do you hate the selling process?
Well grab a ticket and get in line.
So many small business owners hate the idea of sales because they’ve been conditioned to look at it in all the wrong ways. It’s a sacred process that goes back thousands of years.
If you really break down the process of buying something it’s not so bad. Let’s say you walk into a store for a new pair of shoes. You are there because your old ones are breaking down. You need a new pair of shoes. After you buy the shoes, you are happy. You have a new pair of kicks to run around in. You actually enjoyed paying for the shoes because you know you needed them.
That’s all the sales process is, making sure you make the buyer feel like they got the better end of the deal.
So that’s why I brought in Mark Silver for the #mktgchat. He has a new course starting on May 1st called Sacred Selling (Not an affiliate link. Just quality stuff.) He has a homestudy version too. He understands the emotional balance act that every small business owner does every day trying to encourage people to buy her stuff.
Too many business owners think of the sales process as a necessary evil instead of something that can be quite valuable and even beautiful. It’s a dance not a battle.
I love that Mark said, “You should know that a sales conversation is mostly an assessment- you end up talking about your own offer surprisingly little.”
This mindset will allow you to stop pushing for the sale, listen to the potential customer and figure out if you can meet their needs. If not then it’s better to move on and let them go find help somewhere else. You’ll both be happier.
Preparation is the core of every sale. You have to know your product, what it does and how it can help the person you are talking with. If you don’t know what your offer is and how it helps people you aren’t closing the sale no matter how hard you try.
You potential customer needs to see the potential of how their business can improve because of your offer. If they can imagine a brighter future for themselves, in your offer, then you’ve created the mental image that they need to buy from you.
People need to feel comfortable with who you are, what you are offering and trust that you will deliver on your promise. The higher the cost of what you are selling the longer the sales process takes. More skin on the line.
Mark explains how to close the “trust” gap with two questions:
- What do you need to think about?
- How long do you need?
By honoring them, you honor their process. You can’t bully people into a sale. Well, you can, but you are going to have a lot of upset customers. People need space and time to process what you are offering, by allowing them this time you are making them feel safe. This feeling is where the trust takes over and turns potential buyers turn into customers.
By having free information out there to help people understand what you are offering you make it easier for them to qualify your service and/or product. It’s all about the business funnel. Bring people to you, teach them, gain their trust and when they are ready to buy they will do so with a big smile on their face.
I’m still working on letting myself be silent after asking for the sale. The tension is so hard to master. I’ve done it a few times and it’s worked, but it’s hard.
Next time you are on a sales call or in a meeting, ask for the sale and just sit there. Let the people process everything that has gone on and just listen to their response. They will show and share with you if they are hesitant. This is where you can answer their questions and help them understand you can really help them.
Your Turn
What is one tip that has worked for you when trying to increase your sales conversation rate?