The Art of Selling |
Surprise is a great teacher.
Have you ever been surprised in a sales situation?
- You got a solid referral - and the prospect isn't interested.
- You've completed a thorough fact finder - and then you can't get the prospect to take your call.
- You've closed the sale - and are surprised when the client or prospect won't take the insurance exam.
Surprise often happens to sales people and advisors. Knowing why it happened is the focus of this article.
The root cause, in my opinion, is our failure as sales professionals to dig deep enough, and to listen well enough to what our clients and prospects are really saying. Why do we fall into this trap?
One important reason: We are more interested in making the sale than in solving the client's problems. Prospects usually know when the advisor's motivation is based on self-interest. This attitude is okay if the buyer wants exactly what you have to sell. How often does the buyer do just what you recommend?
Another reason to consider: You view your job as one of persuasion first - then discovering what the client wants. Most of us would say we don't do that. Yet any time you get a 'no' when you expect a 'yes' reveals that you didn't dig deeply enough in an earlier step in the sales process. Consider the following examples:
You get an appointment only to discover your prospect has no interest at all.
Learning points:
- Did you qualify the prospect well enough to know if he or she was your ideal prospect?
- Did you clearly describe what you do so that the prospect had a reasonable idea of the product or services that you offer?
You enter the closing interview expecting to make the sale and you discover the prospect bought from someone else or decided to do nothing at this time.
Learning points:
- You probably did not discover who the buyer would consult before deciding to buy from you. There is almost always a buying committee behind the buyer. Did you know that - and talk to all the committee members, so that your proposal was on point?
- Did you dig deeply enough to determine if the prospect could truly afford your proposal?
- Was your prospect a first time buyer who became overwhelmed by the complexity of your proposal?
- Was your insurance sale sabotaged by health issues that you didn't know about?
You must dig deep, inquire, and investigate your prospect's needs, attitudes, and experience with your product or service. Failure to do this means you may not know enough about your prospect - and are surprised at the outcome.
Surprise is a great teacher, if you'll learn the lessons that are being offered.
Remember to check out my new publications at SalesSolutionsPress.com. You'll find tools there that will help you avoid unpleasant surprises!
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Nick is available to answer any of your coaching concerns, and as always, will provide a complimentary coaching session to anyone interested in pursuing a coaching program. Please call Nick at (510) 898-3245 or
email him to set up a session.
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Newsletter
Issue No. 19
July 2010 |
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This issue of my newsletter deals with the topic of surprise – one of the more painful aspects of being a financial advisor. Read about this in the main article to the left.
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