When was the last time you bought something that you weren’t necessarily planning to buy? Can you recall what made you buy at that time? It may have been the fact that you found a great deal, or the timing was right or maybe you had a great salesperson who simply talked you through it? If you think back to any situation where you made a purchase that you needed that thing but weren’t necessarily planning to buy at the particular moment; you probably felt very comfortable and at ease. Here’s the thing, when we buy things whether it’s a product or service, we like to feel comfortable. Some of us prefer that the person selling to us, simply converses with us more so than traditional selling. Most people don’t want someone being pushy, yelling at us or trying to force us into buying something. What feels good; is when someone simply speaks to us in a civilized manner about why we should consider whatever it is they are selling.
As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you must be able to master the art of the sales conversation. It’s a very simple process of talking with potential customers about why your product or service is the right solution for their situation. And the best part is, once you’ve mastered the art of having simple sales conversations whether in person or over the phone, you will not have to worry about the feast or famine syndrome in business.
There are a few things that you must do in sales conversations in order to swing the pendulum in your direction. Below. I’ve listed 5 steps to help you get better at having effective sales conversations.
1. Remember it’s not about you.
When you are selling something to someone, your personal opinions and issues must not be forefront. It’s imperative that the conversation focus on the person who is doing the buying. Try not to insert yourself too much in the conversation. Do more listening than talking. The prospect should have a dominate role in the conversation not you.
2. Ask provocative questions.
One of the best ways to get a prospect’s attention is to ask probing and provocative questions. When you begin to ask the type of questions that make people truly think about their situation, they are more likely to consider paying for a solution to the problem or painful situation they are facing.
3. Listen for the prospect’s biggest pain point.
People in pain want a pain killer. The prospect you’re talking to, may not have a physical pain but rest assured, they have a problem that needs resolution. Your job is to figure out how your product or service addresses the prospect’s biggest pain point. Once you have positioned your offering as the best solution for the prospect’s problem or challenge, you are more likely to close a sale.
4. Talk about the value of what you sell.
The Key here is to discuss the distinguishing factors that make your offering appealing. Be sure to mention the features and benefits. You must explain why those features and benefits appeal to the buyer. Finally, you must demonstrate the USP, Unique Sale Proposition for your product or service. What makes it different than the competition? Once you have addressed these issues, your prospect will be ten times more likely to buy what you are selling.
5. Ask for the sale.
It’s great to follow all of the steps above when you are in a sales conversation. However, you can do everything right and get to the end and fail to ask for the business and lose the business. Make sure you ask for the sale when you are speaking to someone who is clearly ready to buy. When you fail to make a closing statement, the prospect may revert back in the sales process because there is no urgency or call to action. Simply stated, you must give the prospect a reason to buy now and then ask them to pull the trigger.
As you can see, having sales conversations is a process with multiple steps. Each step requires you to consciously keep the prospect’s needs at the forefront at all times. However, you must be able to clearly articulate all that you have to offer in a clear, concise and compelling manner.
Rest assured, if you follow the above steps, you will be further along in mastering sales conversations and closing more business while increasing your revenue.
And that’s the name of the game.