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The Customer Hidden Inside

Written by: Gary Silverman

Article Overview: There’s a customer hidden inside each of your prospects. Are you able to find them? Salespeople got spoiled during the super-heated market of just a few years ago. The demand exceeded the supply, money was cheap and readily available, and there were more prospects than we were physically capable of handling. This was particularly true of Realtors and Car salesmen.

The Customer Hidden Inside

You could still shortcut and prequalify and still achieve extraordinary results. Houses received multiple bids and 0% financing on automobiles actually led to shortages of the most popular models. Prospects were settling for their second or third choices. That obviously isn’t true anymore. There is a hangover from all of this. Many salespeople haven’t adapted to the reality of the current marketplace. They continue to shortcut and pre-qualify. Meanwhile, the real buyers aren’t showing any emotion about the purchase, act somewhat aloof, display no sense of urgency, are shopping the deal only, and are not volunteering much information to the sales person. They all should get Oscars for their performance. Many of these prospects are “Hot” and are ready, willing, and able to buy but they refuse to show their hand. It is up to the professional salesperson to bring the ”buyer” out from inside. If salespeople continue to look for shortcuts, here are some good ones:

Be yourself...everyone else is taken. Show that you are first a person and second a salesman. Make your prospect understand that you are just like them, performing a job, with the same levels of daily stress that they experience. Talk about yourself, your family, your interests, and your company. Without selling yourself first, you can’t expect to sell your product or company.

Know your competition inside and out. Determine their strengths, weaknesses, pricing, and position in the marketplace. Never demean their product, know YOUR product better. The feature and benefit presentation must address how your product better suits your prospect’s needs. If for some reason you do not have the right product for your prospect, move on. You cannot sell somebody something they don’t want.

Be enthusiastic, dress for success, and make your prospect feel comfortable. Offer them your hospitality. If you have a sense of humor or you are entertaining, leverage it, people like to laugh and this is a good way to reduce the tension. This will distinguish you from the pack.

Be realistic, people are taking more time to make their buying decisions. Do the right job during your initial visit so you earn the right to follow them up. If your prospects aren’t taking your calls or answering your e-mails than your initial contact wasn’t successful...move on. If most people are ignoring your follow-up calls try role playing with your manager, a peer, or a family member. They may provide insight as to what you are doing wrong, or it may just be your product or price.

Get to know as much about your prospect as you can. Ask questions while you are making your presentation so it comes off more casual than a rigid customer interview.

Have fun! Train yourself to feel relaxed and look relaxed. You will have a positive effect on how your prospect feels.

Have you ever noticed how once a sale is made, your prospect evolves into an entirely different person? Once the pressure of decision making is behind them they are faced with the anticipation of taking ownership and thinking about the future. Many times your prospect becomes a good friend and source of referrals. View each one of your new prospects as a potential friend and they may actually surprise you.

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Article Tags: automobiles, choices, current marketplace, dress for success, emotion, hangover, hospitality, leverage, oscars, prequalify, professional salesperson, prospects, purchase act, sales person, salespeople, sense of humor, sense of urgency, shortcuts, strengths weaknesses, tension



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