Posts

Your prospect will signal you when they’re ready to buy.

/in /by

“Billy, pay attention!” That was your first listening lesson.
Probably delivered when you were too young to pay attention.
Fast forward 20 something years (or more) and you’re STILL not listening.

Your customer is telling you he or she is somewhere between “interested” and “ready” in your sales conversation, and you’re pressing to “overcome” some bogus objection because your focus is on “making the sale” rather than “helping the customer buy.”

Last week I kicked off the 3-part “Buying Signals” lesson. Here is part two. All parts have one thing in common – you must be LISTENING in order to get the signals, and you must be ready to respond once you hear them.

Here’s more of the 21.5 buying signals:

5. Asking positive questions about you or your business. You may not take them as positive, but they are. “How long have you been with the company?” is asking about you as a salesperson. Will you be here to serve me AFTER the sale. “How long has your company been in business?” They want to know about security, safety, and lower risk.

6. Wanting something repeated. “What was it that you said before about financing?” “Tell me about that again.” If prospects want to know about it again, that means there is an interest. A buying interest. If you tell them about it again, then you ask them if they want to place the order now, or if they want to hear more stuff again.

7. Statements about problems with previous vendors. That is huge! When prospects ask, “How long does it take to respond to a service call?” that indicates they have a service problem. Perfect time for you to ask, “Has service been problem?” “Tell me about it.” “What do type of service do you need?” “What kind of response do you need?” “So what you’re saying is, if our service is there for you when you need it we might be the best choice for you?” What you are doing here is asking for the sale, and not giving them any reason or opportunity for the prospect to say no! This type of question is a huge buying signal… you just need to be aware of it, and be prepared to answer it before you walk in the door.

8. Questions about features or options. “What will it do?” “What will you do?” “Is this standard or optional?” “Is this my best option?” “Does this model come with that?” “Is this standard?” “Do I have to pay extra for this?” What these types of questions mean is that the customer is trying to picture ownership with your stuff attached to it. Your job is to recognize the signal, and be reassuring and prepared to confirm the prospect’s choice.

9. Questions about productivity. Productivity is a little bit more subtle. They may ask questions like: (I will use a copy machine as an example because everyone uses one), “How many copies a day can it make?” “How often will it break down?” “Will it be easy for my employees to use?” “What is your service response time?” Price plus productivity equals cost. Productivity is a key ingredient in your differentiation. And your job as a salesperson is to get them from “price” to “cost.” Sometimes it may be a price issue, when it is really a cost issue. Your job is to get them to cost. HINT: you never want to be the lowest price.

10. Questions about quality, guarantee, or warranty. “How long is this under warranty?” “How long will this last?” What the customer is saying to you is: I want to own this, but I want more reassurance.

11. Questions about qualifications. “Now qualifications” take 3 different paths: One is your qualifications. The second is your company’s qualifications. The third is your product’s qualifications. ASK YOURSELF: Can all your people answer all customer’s questions on the phone? Can I call you directly if I had a problem? Do you have a special help desk? All of these things relate to some form of ownership in the prospects mind.

12. Specific positive questions about the company. “What other products do you carry?” “How long have you been making this one?” “What happened to the last model?” “Do you have a new model coming out shortly?” Major Clue: Answer all questions briefly and immediately. Don’t whip out the catalog or a bunch of slides. Instead, say, “Mr. Jones, let me take you on a brief virtual tour of our factory or warehouse. Let me show you some of our other products and how they can help you.”

13. Specific products or service questions. “How does the manual feed operate?” “Do you select the trainer or do I?” Make certain that your customer feels totally at ease about all elements of purchase and operation, including the equipment and the operation of your business. Put them at ease, but also ask for the sale.

More signals? Oh yeah! The rest of the 21.5 buying signals will be right here next week. Stay tuned!…

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

The 21.5 early warning signals that the prospect is ready to buy.

/in /by

Question: When is the prospect ready to buy?
Answer: He or she will tell you if you just pay attention (aka listen).

The link between the presentation and the close of the sale are buying signals. Recognizing the signals to buy is one of the nuance areas in the science of selling. I don’t believe that selling is an art, I believe that selling is a science. There are nuances to the process.

When you get a buying signal, the science is you taking action. The nuance is your ability to recognize the signal. If you listen to the buyer, he or she will give you the signals. One of the problems is that salespeople don’t listen very well.

Buying signal quiz: The biggest buying signal is a…
(A) Body signal or body language.
(B) A question asked by the buyer.
(C) An objection.

Is it (A) body language? NO! That is a manipulative piece of crap!
Is it (B) an objection? Sometimes. The buyer is asking for information in addition to what you said, or different from what you said.

The answer is (C) a question. You may just be thinking of them as questions that the buyer is asking… but that’s a big listening mistake! An objection means you haven’t sold me yet. But a question indicates genuine buyer interest. Your job is to listen beyond the question. Your job is to listen for the motive. Motive is a short word. Short for motivation. Get it now?

When you hear the question, that’s your signal to begin to ask for the sale or know that the sale is imminent if you answer in a way that reduces risk or creates some kind of green light to enable them (you) to move forward.

As a professional salesperson, your job is to recognize the question, the buying signal and then convert it to a sale. Recognizing it is the hard part. Here are the “how to recognize” ground rules…

  • Here’s a rule of thumb: Any question asked by the prospect must be considered a buying signal!
  • Here’s a rule of dumb: Preventing the question from being asked by talking too much, thereby preventing you from uncovering vital elements to make the sale.

Your job is to ask customers and prospects in order to give them an opportunity to think, respond, and ask you. Questions beget questions.

  • Here is a rule of dumb dumb: avoiding the question by being sales cute. EXAMPLE: “Ahhhh how much is this?” “Well, how much do you want to pay?” Or even ignoring the question, which is what they taught you in old, manipulative sales school by saying if they really want to ask that question they will ask it again. Give me a break!

Don’t try and make the prospect feel bad while you use your arrogance and actually go past the sale.

But here is the rule of dumb da dum dumb. Answering the question and not asking for the sale. That would be called a big big big mistake.

So, here are the 21.5 buying signals and questions to look for:

1. Questions about availability or time. Are these in stock? How often do you receive new shipments? Now let me explain something to you. There is a principle in selling, which is the principle of leaning forward. Questions make the prospect lean forward with interest to the answer that you provide. Now, when you understand these signals, you’re going to notice them all the time. Your job as a salesperson is to get the prospect to lean forward with interest. “What is your normal delivery time?” “What’s the warranty?” How much more of a buying signal could you want?

2. Questions about delivery. “How soon can someone be here?” Well, when do you need it? “How much notice do I have to give you?” Answer their question, and at the same time ask them a question to begin confirmation of the sale.

3. Questions about rates, price, or statements about affordability. This is a big one. “How much does this cost?” “What is the price?” “I don’t know if I can afford it.” What they are saying is “I want it!” The only question is how much? So the next part of that would be…

4. Questions or statements about money. “How much money would I have to put down to get this?” Or even, “This costs too much.” Those are huge buying signals. When someone wants to know the price, or what the terms could be or even if they are objecting to it, it means that they are interested in it.

…There’s MORE – #5-21.5 coming over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for more buying signals.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Don’t “close the sale” – all you have to do is ask for it.

/in /by

Seems too simple. Just ask.

In most cases to get the sale – at some point you must ask for it. “Yes, Jeffrey,” you say, “but when do you ask? What’s the perfect time to ask?”

How do I know? No one knows that except you. I can only tell you it’s a delicate combination of the prospect’s buying signals, and your gut feeling.

How and what to ask are easier to define than when. Since the “ask” is a critical part of the sale, you’d better be prepared with a number of options for the how and what part.

Important note: Here’s what never to ask: “What will it take for me to get your business?” or “Where do I need to be to get your business?” Those are insult questions. Great salespeople figure out what it takes, and then do it.

More important note: Many salespeople are “ask reluctant.” If this is you, just realize the worst that can happen when you ask is that the prospect says “no” – which to any good salesperson means “not yet!” Big deal. Ask you chicken!

Here’s the WHAT and the HOW.

How do you ask for the sale? Here are 7.5 ways…

1. Ask – What’s the risk? When you ask the prospect what risks are associated in doing business with you, real objections may surface – or – (and here’s the best part) there are usually none that come to mind. You say – “Well, Mr. Johnson, when would you like to start not risking?” and the sale is yours.

2. Ask – When is the next job? If you’re making a sale where there are lots of opportunities (printer, supplies, temp help, construction, graphic design) you only need to get one job (order) to prove yourself.

3. Ask – for an indirect commitment. Could you arrange your schedule to be there at delivery? How many people will need to be trained? When can we set up training? (This is the assumptive position, explained in-depth in an earlier article.)

4. Ask – What’s preventing it? Is there anything preventing you from doing business with us? What’s in the way? What are the obstacles?

5. Ask – Is that the only reason you’re hesitant? If there’s an obstacle or objection ask – Is that the only reason? In other words, Mr. Johnson, if it wasn’t for (objection) then we could…

6. Ask – or communicate creatively – Go to the 5¢ & 10¢ store (pretty much dates me doesn’t it) and buy some plastic fence and a few plastic (rubber) people. Wire one person to the fence that most resembles (or would be non-offensive to) the prospect. Send it in a box to the prospect — and include a flyer declaring it’s “National Get Off the Fence Week.” Tell the prospect he’s been thinking about it long enough – and what better time to get off the fence, and place an order than during this special celebration week? Tell him he’ll be helping underprivileged salespeople all over the world by getting off the fence and placing an order. Create some laughter. Have some fun. Make some sales.

7. Create an offer so good that you can end by asking “fair enough?” “Mr. Johnson, I don’t know if we can help you or not – but if you bring your most important examples to lunch on Friday – if I can help you, I’ll tell you. And if I can’t help you, I’ll tell you that, too. Fair enough?” Here’s another – “Mr. Johnson, give me a trial order and let me earn your business. If it’s not everything I claim and more, you don’t have to pay for it. Fair enough?” (“Fair enough” should always be accompanied by a “can’t say no deal.”)

And when all else fails:

7.5 Ask – with humor – “Mr. Johnson, I finally figured out what it will take to get your business – all you have to do is say yes! The more adventurous salesperson will add – “When would you like to do that?”

Most important note: Ask for the sale when the mood is right. The worst possible place is in the prospect’s office. Best place is a business breakfast, lunch or dinner. Next best is your office. Next best is a trade show.

The rule of thumb is: ask early, and ask often. The best way to master the skill is – practice in front of someone who can say “yes.”

OK – That’s how and what to ask. When to ask is next week.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

What would Ben Franklin think of the Ben Franklin close?

/in /by

The Benjamin Franklin Close (also known as “The Balance Sheet Close”) is one of the classic old time sales tactics used to “close a sale.” Never heard of it? Shame on you – not enough sales training.

The scenario is this: You’ve made your presentation, but the prospect is on the fence, and won’t make up his or her mind. You’ve tried everything, but can’t get them to budge.

Then you say, “You know Benjamin Franklin was one of our wisest citizens, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Johnson?” (Get prospect’s agreement) “Whenever he was faced with a decision — and he had some pretty big ones back then – he would take a plain piece of paper, draw a line down the middle and put a plus (+) on one half, and a minus (-) on the other.”

“In his genius he discovered that by listing all the positive elements on the plus side of the paper, and the negative things on the minus side, the decision would become obvious – pretty sound concept, agreed?” (Get prospect’s agreement)

“Let me show you how it works. Since you’re having a tough time deciding, let’s list the benefits – some of the reasons you may want to purchase. Then we’ll list the negatives. Fair enough?” (Get prospect’s agreement)

Now you list every good thing about your product or service. Get the prospect to say most of them. What the prospect says will be the main points of interest to him. Take your time to develop a complete list. THEN YOU SAY – OK, let’s list the negatives, and hand the pen to the prospect, and push the list towards him. Don’t say a word. Usually the prospect can only think of responses having to do with price or affordability.

In theory this sounds like a good way to close a sale.

The big problem with the Benjamin Franklin Close – it’s old world selling that not only doesn’t work, it annoys the prospective buyer. Try that close on someone who has ever taken a sales course, and it’s an insult.

The reality of the sale is – the prospect has already made up his mind – he’s just not telling you.

So, should you just forget it and never use the Ben Franklin Close. Heck no – just use the Ben Franklin principle in a different way. Do what Ben would have done – figure out a new way and a better way, and use it.

Here’s a powerful new way to re-use the classic Ben Franklin Close close:

Use it on yourself – before you make the sales call.

  • Use it as a preparation tool.
  • Use it as a strategizing device.
  • Use it to get ready to make a big sale.

Get a plain piece of paper (or your laptop), and draw a line down the middle of the page.

on the plus side…

  • List the prospect’s main needs.
  • List the questions you want to ask.
  • List the benefits and main points you want to be sure to cover.
  • List one or two ideas you’re bringing to discuss.
  • List one or two personal things in common to discuss.
  • List the decision makers.
  • List why you believe they will buy.

on the minus side…

  • List the reasons why the prospect may not buy – and your responses.
  • List the obstacles you may have to overcome.

Now you’re ready to make the sale, and Ben helped you.

If you use the Ben Franklin Close on yourself, before you go in to make the sale, then you can ask the buyer intelligent closing questions. For example, questions that might lead with the phrases – What are the major obstacles…? Or, What would prevent you from…? Or, Is there any reason not to proceed with…?

That’s a Ben Franklin close that Ben would be proud of – the one you prepare for yourself. You close yourself before you make the sale. Wow!

Try this new version of an old classic. Ben would be proud of you. So would your boss.

I think it was Franklin who said, “A close in time saves nine – objections,” but history has distorted it for the people who knit. Pity.

Free GitBit – If you would like a few famous Ben Franklin quotes that will inspire you, motivate you and help you see the obvious in a new way go to www.gitomer.com and enter BEN FRANKLIN SELLS in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

I’d rather have no advice than bad advice.

/in /by

I can’t help it. I read some bad sales advice today and I gotta say something. I’ll try to keep it positive, but my tongue is already bleeding from biting it.

The title read: When sales calls stall.

Every salesperson has experienced that barrier in one form or another, so I wondered what this “expert” had to say.

NOTE WELL: I try not to read current sales material because I don’t want to copy, or be accused of copying someone else’s work or ideas.

It started with the usual sales dialog: you have a meeting with a prospective customer, they’re hot, hot, hot, for your product or service, they ask for a proposal, you quickly oblige, and a week later you call the hot customer, and they have evaporated. Won’t return your calls or emails.

What to do?

Get ready – here comes this guy’s (name withheld) expert advice:

He recommends every manipulative “sales technique” from implying urgency, buy today or the deal goes away, to getting creative (whatever that means – no explanation or examples given), to use intrigue, to connect (no explanation or examples given). He advises: be prepared like a boy scout, appeal to a higher authority, assume all is well and they are just busy, use the admin as an ally, and a bunch of sales talk mumbo jumbo that any seasoned executive or their assistant would smell like a skunk that hasn’t bathed, and laugh at you. And oh by-the-way, NEVER take your call again, let alone buy from you.

This is why this type of approach to a reluctant or otherwise busy buyer will NEVER work…

FIRST: The prospect is not returning your calls for a reason. Wouldn’t it be important to find out why? If you could discover that, it would help your next 1,000 sales calls.

SECOND: Why did you ever offer a proposal without making a firm face-to-face follow-up sales appointment in the first place? This is one of the most powerful – yet mostly overlooked – elements of the sales cycle.

THIRD: Stop trying to sell. Stop trying to be cute. Stop trying to be manipulative.

FOURTH: For goodness sake, stop trying to butter up the admin or executive assistant. These people are smarter than your lingo and loyal to their employers, not you.

FIFTH: The salesperson (not you of course) did a lousy job in the presentation, left some holes, never discovered the prospects real motive to purchase, was subjected (relegated) to a proposal/bidding process, never followed relationship-based strategies, was more hungry for the sale and the commission than to uncover what would build a relationship. You didn’t connect – you didn’t engage. Why are you blaming the prospect for not calling you? Why don’t you take responsibility for doing a poor job, and taking a lesson? Not a just a sales lesson, a relationship lesson.

POINT FIVE CAUTION: Maybe their daddy decides, and you never met daddy let alone know who he is. Maybe someone else higher up the ladder told your prospect “NO,” and your prospect is embarrassed, or doesn’t care, to tell you.

SALES REALITY CHECK: In sales you have ONE CHANCE. One chance to engage, one chance to build rapport, one chance to connect, one chance to be believable, one chance to be trustworthy, and one chance to meet with the real decision-maker. One chance to differentiate yourself, one chance to prove your value, and one chance to ask for (or better, confirm) the sale.

BAD NEWS: If you miss your chance, or blow your chance, recovery chances are slim. OK, none.

Not being able to reconnect with a prospect is not a problem, it’s a symptom. And it’s a report card on how well you’re doing. Or not doing. How well the relationship is going. Or not going.

GOOD NEWS: Lost sales and sales gone wrong are the BEST places to learn.

BETER NEWS: If you make a firm commitment to meet a few days later – not by phone – to meet face-to-face, you have a better chance of discovering the truth,

BEST NEWS: Once you get to TRUTH, you have a chance at SALE. Or better stated, you will have created the atmosphere where someone wants to BUY from you.

Sales techniques are increasingly becoming passé. So are the people that stress using them, rather than emphasizing the relationship and value based side.

I grew up selling, and I grew out of it.

If you have lost a connection, or if a hot prospect evaporates, or refuses to call you back or respond to you, the WORST thing you can do is try a sales technique. Why don’t you try something new? Try being honest. No, not just with the customer, with yourself.

I promise that a harsh self-discovery lesson may not help you reconnect with who you lost, but it’s connection insurance for the next thousand. Take a chance. It’s the best one you’ve got.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].