Think about it… the last time you could see and hear that someone was working hard to sell you something, didn’t you shut down?
Even when you agreed to an appointment with someone to hear all about what they had to offer, didn’t you set up a shield of resistance?
Why? Because we want to make our own decisions. None of us wants to feel like we’ve been pushed or coerced into doing something – even when it’s something we want to do.
That’s why, as a sales person, you have to walk a fine line.
If you never ask for the sale, you probably won’t get it. But if you come on too strong and ask too often, your prospect will likely run the other way.
There are certain situations when you know the buyer wants to buy – or at least probably wants to. Not too many people call a real estate agent and ask to see homes if they aren’t at all interested. Not too many people go shopping for a car if they don’t want one. Even in a shoe store, most people who go in and ask to try them on are at least thinking of buying.
But… if you try to push them into a decision too quickly, they’ll simply find someone else to help them.
So, I think you should forget about the rehearsed scripts and sales pitches you might have been taught. Don’t say things like “What will it take to get you into this house (car, pair of shoes) today?”
I also think you should avoid telling people they have to decide right now or the offer will go away.
Once one of my (until then) favorite speakers was going to be in town, so I called to see where, when, and how much for a ticket. When the person on the phone told me that if I hung up without buying, I couldn’t get a ticket, I told him that in that case, I didn’t need a ticket.
Today’s marketing atmosphere is about building trust – and no one trusts someone when they can feel that person pushing them.
Graphic courtesy of Stuart Miles |FreeDigitalPhotos.net
