Sell More Without Selling

There is no real magic to making your sales barriers go away. If you are looking for that special close, or that magic button, there isn’t one. It is more about strategy than anything else but, there are incredible strategies that you can learn that will help you become better at “making the deal.” The secret is to become better at communicating and creating relationships. When you do that, you will sell more service and move more products resulting in you making more money than ever before.

Before you think about your client’s objections, there is something more important that is often overlooked, and that is your self-made barriers. The biggest obstacle you will ever face in sales is dealing with your weaknesses. The good news is that once they have been identified, you can overcome them.

Here are five things that need to be fixed to increase your success:

1. Lack of preparedness. If you are not prepared, you won’t be able to address your client’s concerns. You have to know your product and your industry. You should know and study your prospect so that you are prepared for them and be able to anticipate any questions or concerns they may have.

2. You must be likable. Are you likable? In the activity of your business, getting to know a new prospect or dealing with an existing client, how do you come across? Do they see you as desperate, cold or unconcerned? You are not pushy are you? You may have the right intent and not realize that you are negatively perceived. The way to overcome this is to have someone who is unbiased tell you the truth and help you discover the areas that need to be perfected.

3. Master your presentation. If you have poor presentation skills you might be done before you get started. Your delivery will have no impact and result in nothing happening. You need to master your presentation and be able to adapt it quickly to your prospect mid-stream if necessary.

4. Lack of knowledge. You must have a deep knowledge of your industry and your competitors. Know what they do and how they do it. You don’t want to degrade your competitors but be able to clearly define the differences between you and them. Tell your prospect this is why you would choose us and this is why you would choose them. Obviously, you have a bias, but your prospects will appreciate your honesty.

5. Lack of believability. If you are not believable, you will not be able to sell. Do you truly believe that your client is better off going with you and are you able to convey that belief? If you don’t believe it, they definitely won’t believe it. Without authenticity, your only hope is begging, and you don’t want to go there.

Once you have eliminated your self-made barriers, you are ready to concentrate on your prospect. Many times they will have objections, sometimes legitimate and sometimes just a brush off. Address their concerns and lovingly encourage, don’t force.

I have found that clients want to be assured of two things before making a commitment:

1. Does it really work?

2. If it really works, will it work for me?

If you can address these two concerns in a natural manner during your presentation, and to their satisfaction, your job is done. You just won a new client.

The best sales strategy to use is to quit selling. I like to say that I don’t sell anything, but I help people buy. “Consultative sales” is a strategy where you empower your prospects to make the right decisions for themselves.

By using an educational approach, you get your message across nonconfrontationally. They will listen and absorb more intently and will usually tell you when they are ready to buy. If you do it right, they will address their own objections.

It’s a nasty thing to hear, “I was sold, or he sold me,” but it’s quite a compliment to hear, “He helped me buy!”

Jay Thompson is a Business Consultant with the CSU Bakersfield Small Business Development Center. The CSUB SBDC provides premium, one on one, no cost consulting to small business owners in Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties. For more information visit their website at http://www.csub.edu/sbdc.