Dec 3 2007 9:28AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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Today’s customers are tired of sales people. I hear it all the time. All someone needs to do is find out what I do for a living and they instantly launch into their favorite “salesperson” story. Here I am at a party and I’m hearing everyone’s latest “sales story”. And believe me … I’ve heard ‘em all.

What I hear most is how salespeople are more interested in “selling” than they are into “helping”. Disappointing, but true. Today’s customer doesn’t want to be sold. And if you think about it … you know that as well as do I.

Today’s customer wants to be “assisted” and “helped”. Cookies and water are nice … but that’s not the “help” they’re looking for. Especially, when customers are trying to create a balance between “The Perfect Decision” and “The Perfect Price”.

The next time your customer asks you about your prices or incentives, you might want to try something different. First, answer their question, but follow that up by asking if you can ask them a question.

Ask your customer, “Are you looking for the Perfect Price or do you want to make the Perfect Decision? And if I’m right, they’ll probably say, “Both”. Now you’re positioned for a big opportunity. An opportunity to slow your customer down and make them think. Here’s how you answer:

“If you get the Perfect Price … does that necessarily mean that you’ve made the Perfect Decision? But on the other hand, if you make the Perfect Decision … doesn’t it also mean you got the Perfect Price?”

If anything, you’ve made your customer pause and reflect … which is worth its weight in gold. It means that you can go from defending your price to a proactive position of selling. And maybe most of all, it means you’ve begun the process to change the way your customer thinks.

Today’s customers are different than ever before. And that means your sales techniques and strategies have to be different than ever before. Sell the way you’ve always sold and you’re doomed to fail.