Lose your Sales Pitch and Make the Sale

Yes, it is obvious that every sales professional needs to have an intimate knowledge of their product or service and all the benefits it has to offer, as these are all part of the value proposition. Note, I said a part of the value proposition and not the total value proposition. The complete value proposition also includes other elements, such as, the people component, around how either your product or service will improve people’s life experience and add value to them.

Lose your Sales Pitchr
The other day I went to a computer store to purchase a new computer. The sales person went into a long sales pitch, showing his great product knowledge about the speed of the computer etc. I was not interested in the speed or any of the other great features or benefits of the computer; I wanted to know if it would help me in my business, to better manage my Customer Relations. He did not pause long enough during his sales pitch to listen to me or my needs and so, before he had finished his well versed speech, I thanked him for his time and left. He stood staring after me, with a startled look on his face, unaware that he had just lost a certain sale.

I went down the street to his competitor, who welcomed me into their shop, offering me a free bottle of water to drink, while she uncovered my needs. Using very clever questioning, she very quickly got a clear understanding of my needs. She showed me a number of different options, all the time asking for my input, checking to see if what she was proposing was in fact what I needed.

She soon discovered that what I really needed to achieve the outcome I wanted was not only a desktop computer, but a laptop as well. Before leaving I had purchased two computers, a laptop bag and some additional software. Her solution was perfect and has since saved me buckets of time and assisted me to improve my Customer Relations Management exponentially. As you can imagine, whenever I need any computer related stuff or if anyone mentions anything related to computers or software, I always refer them to Sandy.

Really Understand your Customers Needsr
One of the things, which really stood out for me with Sandy, was her ability to ask the right questions, until she had unlocked my needs and completely understood them. During our discussions I had pointed to a really sophisticated looking computer, with all the bells and whistles. It was the most expensive computer in the shop. Sandy immediately advised me that it was a gaming computer with a really high end graphics card and as such was not what I needed. This immediately allowed me to feel more relaxed and trusting towards her, as I realised that she was going to sell me what I needed, not try to get me to buy the most expensive computer in the store, so that she could earn the highest commission.

Create Long Term Mutually Beneficial Relationships with your Customers
I mentioned previously, sandy did not only complete the transaction and make the sale to me that day, she created a loyal, long term customer, who now returns to her for any computer related needs and someone, who now also refers other customers to her too. Are you sitting with your feet braced against the desk, every time you are opposite a customer, eagerly trying to close a single transactional sale or do you work to develop long term mutually beneficial relationships with people, by authentically asking questions, to try to uncover how you can best support them, irrespective of the commission you will earn?

Your Customers needs always come firstr
Remember that when you sit opposite a customer, you must have them and their needs in the forefront of your mind. Your product or service is secondary to the customer needs and expectations. Focus 100 % on understanding your customer and their needs. If your product is not a perfect fit for the customer and your value proposition is not what they need, have the courage and integrity to walk away from the sale. Single transactional sales people will, and can never prosper and become real sales professionals.