Increase Your Sales Skills With 2 Simple Steps
We have all been there. Whether in a department store looking at clothes, a sporting goods store looking at bikes, or a car dealership looking at cars. A salesperson approaches you and tells you everything there is to know about that product. They understand their product and are convinced that by dazzling you with their knowledge, you will most certainly spend your hard-earned money on that product.
What do you think? Have you ever been persuaded to make a purchase solely because the salesperson was knowledgeable? I highly doubt it! Of course, we want them to be knowledgeable and possess the ability to explain a product, however just like Simon Senick mentions in his YouTube video about starting with “why”, telling a prospective buyer about your product and how great it is, has been proven to be ineffective. Just ask Tevo.
Recently, I had the opportunity to shadow a market leader during a role play with a sales team member at a health club. At the end of the tour, the leader conducted a “feedback” or “coaching” session. The salesperson was asked how they thought it went. He stated confidently that he was able to explain every product thoroughly. Through conversation and additional feedback, it was revealed that the prospective buyer in this role play had no interest in all the products and frankly did not need all the products. I was reminded of the previously mentioned Simon Senick video and a recent podcast on the How to be Awesome at Your Job podcast where Sandy Rogers was a guest. Sandy uses the term “lead with the need” when it comes to customer service. I see this as a key to sales as well.
Let’s step back to our role play. This was a prospect at a health club. The salesperson had asked the questions. They had checked the boxes. “What is your goal”? What is the time frame”? What is your why and how”? The questions were answered, and he was going to make a sale, right? Not necessarily. Getting that critical information is only one piece of selling this prospect a membership. Sure, this conversation will help build rapport and will put the guest at ease, but it does not guarantee a sale. We must now use that knowledge to explain how our products and services can help the prospect obtain their “why”. That is where we “lead with the need”. “Sir, you said you wanted to lose 30 lbs? We have a starter pack that is designed to help you with that, and I will explain it more later after I show you the club”, sound good? During the tour of the facility, in each section that you believe will be valuable to the prospect achieving their goals, you continue to “lead with the need”. “Sir, you stated that you wanted to lose 30 lbs. One thing that will be beneficial in accomplishing this, is cardio based training. This section of the club has several pieces of equipment that you can utilize for cardio and we will have a coach show you how to use this equipment during that starter package that I mentioned earlier”. Clearly, if I am the prospect and I am told this, I am much more interested in the starter pack than if the salesperson had said, “We have a starter pack and it contains 3 personal training sessions. During this training you will learn about how to use cardio based training equipment”.
The lesson here is if you are trying to sell something, it is not about you and how much you know. It is about the human being to whom you are selling the product. Do you want to be a sales champion? If you want to be a sales champion, you can start implementing these 2 simple steps. Start with the “why”. Then, when explaining the value of the product and how it can help, “lead with the need”.
This method can be applicable to selling anything. 2 simple steps that will help take your sales skills to the next level!