When I’m asked this question (and it happens often), what the salesperson’s really asking is, “What’s the easiest way to make a sale?”
Easy answer: The easiest way to make a sale is lower your price to a point that you make no profit. Not a good option.
Real answer: There is no easiest way to make a sale.
And, just like there is no easiest way to make a sale, there is no best way to make a sale, but several elements contain the word “best” that you must self-evaluate in order to discover why the sales takes place, or why not.
Key point: Selling is not manipulating. Selling is harmonizing.
Oh, you can occasionally make a manipulative sale. But if you’re still in the 1970s trying to “find the pain” or “sell an up-front contract” or “make a cold call” or “close the sale,” you’re toast.
Sales toast.
The best ways to make a sale are to:
• Have your reputation precede you by word of mouth from your Google ranking, and from your business social media presence.
• Be known as a valued resource before you start.
• Be friendly before you start.
• Meet with the CEO or actual decision maker.
• Not be salesey or cocky or condescending.
• Find some common ground before you start the selling process.
• Ask intelligent, emotionally engaging questions that draw out both needs and buying motives.
• Walk into the meeting with two ideas in favor of the customer.
• Complete pre-call preparation in terms of the customer.
• Convey value rather than features and benefits.
• Focus on how they profit and produce.
• Focus on outcomes and ownership.
• Relax throughout the entire sales conversation.
• Respond in a heartbeat.
• Make yourself available when a customer needs you.
• Support and prove all your claims with video testimonials from existing customers who love you and are loyal to you.
• Ask for a date of beginning, or some type of commitment to move forward, after you are certain you have removed all risks and removed all barriers from your prospect’s buying process.
• Have multiple relationships at different levels and departments within the same company.
• Earn the status of trusted adviser.
• Create the atmosphere where the customer wants to buy.
• Make the passion of your belief transferable.
And there are questions you must ask yourself that enable the list of the best ways to make a sale:
• Am I always achieving my personal best?
• Am I always preparing my best for every sales call?
• Is my attitude set on positive, and positive outcome?
• Is my belief in product, company and self always at the highest level?
• Do I believe in my heart that the customer is better off having purchased from me?
• Am I always doing my best for every customer, every time?
Reality: As a customer, I do not need a salesman. I need productivity, an idea, morale, a profit provider and a trusted adviser.
Is that you?
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached at 704-333- 1112 or email to salesman@gitomer.com
