So you’re a smooth talker and you have the gift of gab? It’s probably a great professional attribute. But it’s not the skill you’ll need most to grow your business.
When it comes to selling, you’re actually better off to give those golden vocals of yours a rest. Most people have been taught that selling is all about the art of persuading. So it would be reasonable to assume that if you’re a good talker, you’re a good salesperson. While it doesn’t hurt, it certainly isn’t the reason why others will buy from you.
To put things in perspective, selling wasn’t always like this. There was a time in the not-so-distant past where good selling skills meant good persuading skills. Buyers have changed in recent times, however, and the old ways of selling are no longer as effective as they used to be. Buyers are savvier and have access to more information than ever before. With the click of the mouse, buyers now have access to the web and all the resources it taps into.
Consequently, the nature of competition has changed. Buyers no longer have to rely on the local suppliers or vendors that service their territory. Competition is now global.
So how can you get your share of the business and grow when it’s becoming more and more competitive? To increase your sales, you have to increase your personal visibility (marketing and branding), as well as your credibility with the people you talk to.
While visibility focuses on what you do to get known and build awareness for your services, credibility is all about connecting effectively when you’re one-on-one with a potential buyer or referral source. Your credibility boils down to how much others respect and trust you. Let’s examine a couple of ways you can immediately increase your credibility.
Your job as a salesperson is to be sought out as someone that can be a great resource and advisor to people that are considering your products or services. Two of the ways you increase your credibility is to communicate effectively and connect properly.
There are several common communication mistakes that people make. One of the biggest mistakes is “puking” on the prospect. This often happens when someone asks about your services or you simply try to explain them. It’s easy to get excited and want to go “on and on” about all the great things that you can do. It’s that blah, blah, blah that will make your prospect’s eyes glaze over. In the process of “puking,” most people also exert some sales pressure along the way.
To increase sales, a better approach is to shut up and listen. There’s an acronym that will help you – it’s W.A.I.T. It stands for “Why Am I Talking.” When you are meeting with or talking to a prospect, there are two times when you should talk. One, when you are asking questions and two, when you are answering a question.
The reason for this is simple. The buyers that hire you want to know that you understand what they need and can deliver. Unless you ask the right questions, you can only assume that you know what they need. Once you discover needs, you have to understand wants. In other words, what’s important to them?
While needs are important, wants drive buying decisions. A good way to distinguish between wants and needs is that needs are fact-oriented while wants are emotion-oriented. When you are wearing your sales hat, you need to be able to move the buyer beyond his fact-based needs and determine his emotional wants.
Unfortunately, most people that sell don’t understand how to successfully ask the right questions and probe to the right level. To guide you in the question-asking process, there are a few fundamental principles to keep in mind. For example, ask questions to gather information not ammunition. This means that you’re not asking leading questions or trial close questions. These types of questions put sales pressure on the buyer and will have him resisting your advances. Essentially, these are ammunition questions. Sellers often will try to force a square peg (their solution) into a round hole (the buyer’s needs) using ammunition they’ve gathered from the buyer. And because buyers are savvier today, they are wise to these manipulative techniques.
Instead, focus on getting to the truth. If you can have a non-threatening business conversation, you and the buyer can determine if there is a mutual fit or not. By testing for fit with information questions, you will be able to find out what’s truly important to the buyer, so you can determine if you should work together. Sometimes you should, and sometimes you probably shouldn’t.
Because information questions eliminate sales pressure, your buyer is more likely to share his genuine concerns and be open to your services. Remember the old adage, “People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy.” Your job is to make it easy for them to buy by showing a real interest in them and what they are trying to accomplish. You can only do that if you shut-up and listen.
Shut Up And Sell More! - To learn more about this author, visit Will Turner's Website.
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