Sales Gorillas Carry The Biggest Sticks!

To my way of thinking, marketing is the process of differentiation, getting qualified prospects to step forward and identify themselves, and for having customers choose your company and brand over all others. However, this is where marketing ends and the sales process begins.
You see; the sales process is face-to-face. It is one-on-one communication at its best, efficient, succinct, and persuasive. It is the correct psychological sequencing and presentation of thoughts and ideas carrying with it, action-oriented impact. It is the ‘how’ of saying something, rather than the ‘what’ we say, and is the essence of building a bonded connection between two strangers meeting for the first time. For those companies and individuals mastering this art of persuasive communication, they become the ‘sales gorillas’ of the marketplace carrying the biggest sticks through a jungle filled with ever-increasing numbers of competent competitors!
Effective sales communication represents how we package ‘word symbols’ for painting the most seductive picture about our product or service. It is the process of using facts, figures, percentages, quantifiable testimonials, and relevant customer stories to help persuade, build credibility, and provide instant trust with those customers who stand before us.
Why is this important? Because, information that is most relevant are the only facts your customer will take away from the sales communication process. If we fail to impact with information that is important to them, then our sales efforts become no more than ‘dust in the wind.’ In short, the customer is selfish and wants only what is best for him or her. Understanding this important point is a most crucial aspect of good salesmanship, and something you must never forget.
However, when scrutinizing sales don’t be misled by the major misconception that a salesperson should do all the talking. Maybe in the ‘old days’, but not in today’s world with instant customer sophistication and broad knowledge gained through a few well-targeted keystrokes. Today, the sales process is one of interaction, of including the customer and respecting their opinions. More than ever before, customers are informed and want to be included as a part of their own decision-making process. This is not only a desire on their part, but is essential for quicker closings on the part of the salesperson.
Additionally, for building those lasting relationships great salespeople ask numerous questions in order to keep their customers actively involved in the sales process. They speak only 40% of the time, while listening 60% as a coveted rule of thumb. The rewards for this interactive course of communication are many, but those that really stand out are:

1. Quicker credibility
2. Instant and enhanced trust
3. Faster closings with less friction.
4. Higher referral rates

You may be asking what the best types of questions are for holding to this rule? Well, I like to call them, questions of preference. They are open-ended questions that ask: how, why, what, when, and where? They are not questions to be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, but questions that reach deeply into the customer’s gut and invoke feelings, rather than thinking. They are what the customer prefers over all other things! These types of questions move directly to the heart of a customer’s likes and dislikes. They help to quickly identify major objections, while providing stepping-stones for positive sales discourse as the sale process continues unfolding. And most of all, asking questions of preference shows you care about your customer’s desires and respect their views enough to include them in the sales process.
Let me ask you a relevant question. When was the last time a salesperson really cared about what you thought? Weren’t you impressed when they did? Wasn’t this the salesperson you wanted to help by referring others, by going back time and again to spend your hard-earned dollars with him/her? Well, you get the point. Being helpful, informative, and allowing your customer to become an integral part of the decision-making process, is salesmanship at its finest.
In summary, find what is most beneficial to your customers. What is it in your product and service that sets you apart, that will get a prospect’s juices flowing? How can you best communicate this by packaging word symbols so your presentation evokes the kind of information and emotion needed to easily close the sale? When you master these persuasive sales communication techniques, you will find yourself quickly becoming a ‘sales gorilla carrying the biggest stick in the jungle!’

About The Author:

Greg O. Bacon is the founder of MXMRQ® Corporation and Results Now!™ Business Growth Advisory Service helping business owners from $0 - $50 million annual sales to grow and increase their profit potential to its fullest. Information, examples, and consulting fees for your business can be found at: www.mxmrq.com. Permission to reprint this article is granted if full author credit and website reference is kept intact.


Sales Gorillas Carry The Biggest Sticks! - To learn more about this author, visit Greg Bacon's Website.

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