One Word For Sales Success

With everything available online, sell this instead

In a time when anything can be purchased with the click of a button, from couches, cars, to condominiums, why would anyone waste time going to a physical location and speak to another human?

In a word, relationships. The good kind, mutually beneficial, one where both seller and buyer are pleased with a transaction.

With so many products and services available, consumers are seeking guidance now more than ever, preferably from known and trusted sources, who can offer much more than what can be found online.

Salespeople, who both understand and practice relationship building, position themselves and their companies above all competitors. In so doing, consumers seek these very individuals prior to making a purchase, specifically for a higher dollar, durable item.

For those anticipating a high pressure, sell at all cost scenario, rest assured, many establishments have completely done away with this method and opting for a friendlier, low stress interaction. Should you feel pressured by a salesperson, stressed or anxious, walk out and go elsewhere. Gone are the days of boiler room sales tactics, replaced with friendlier, pleasurable interactions, and rightfully so.

Good salespeople, ones worth speaking to anyway, will not pressure a prospective client, opting instead to calm and comfort, looking to establish a lasting, reciprocal relationship.

New car, who dis?

The used car salesmen has become a caricature familiar to us all. A shady sort, unconcerned with client needs or budget, looking to make a sale above all else. Even in the car buying world, this has become somewhat dated. Reputable dealerships have trained salespeople to build relationships instead, to understand needs of clients, prior to making any recommendations.

While conversing with a good friend who happens to be an award winning salesman, an industry leader and insider, he confirmed shifting attitudes in both sales and client relations.

Before we get to far ahead, establishing a relationship with a client doesn’t entail dinner, drinks, or showering them with gifts (although some would not object), it is about understanding the person you are selling to.

Are they married, single, have a family, any pets, own or rent a home, type or place of work, which activities do they enjoy most?

When someone walks through the door, asking if they’re single may not be an ideal ice breaker, but if the conversation is one of genuine curiosity, seeking information and understanding your client, it will end up there.

In the car analogy, establishing a relationship, helps answer these questions, which can and will change over time, ensuring buyers are presented with options most likely to fit their needs, and most of all love their purchase.

Sit on it

Recently we decided, our couch, most used piece of furniture in our home, needed to be replaced. In looking for options online, we quickly became frustrated and overwhelmed.

Regardless of how something looked, was described, reviewed or rated, how would it feel to sit on?

In discussing this quandary, my wife recalled a purchase from a local furniture store where the saleswoman made an impression on us. We decided to seek her advice, and soon after walking through the door, we knew it was the right call.

Although we didn’t recognize each other initially, when she began speaking, we knew it was her, and reintroduced ourselves.

She asked if we needed help right away or if we would rather walk through the store first. As we continued speaking, she established why we needed the couch, where it would go, what it would be used for, our preference for color, firmness, lower profile or higher back, material, shape, size. A level of detail neither my wife or I had not considered until now, then and most importantly, she encouraged us to sit on every couch, lay on it if we preferred, and relay our preference.

We were not prepared to make a purchase then and there, in realizing this, she took on the relationship model mindset. Drawing the dimensions of the room, she promised to send several options of the two models we enjoyed sitting on most.

Therein lies the difference between in-person and e-commerce. Sitting on or in, establishing a feel, sensory input outside the visual, and finally, an experienced, knowledgable individual providing needed reassurance. Relationships also ensures, should you have an issue once you make a purchase, someone will be there with an answer.

Usable information

Sure, we live in the information age, but how much of that information is usable?

There is no substitute for using or living in something before making a decision if it truly is the right fit for you.

Several brands are now offering this very service, drive our car for a month and if you’re not happy, we’ll take it back, relationship building at it’s finest, eliminating the stress associated with a high dollar purchase.

You are seeing this type of approach with an increasing number of products, and may soon see it applied to homes, specifically condo or town homes. Rent to own, live here for a month or two, if you’re not happy, you can pick up and leave.

A good salesperson becomes extremely valuable, serving as a reference for the product or service they’re selling, accumulating a level of knowledge and experience unmatched by online resources.

How many homes have you purchased, cars or couches you drove or sat in, what do you know about location, upholstery, craftsmanship or quality?

Well, they’ve put in the time, they know more, and that’s a great for both parties. They have not only seen and understand what clients like or don’t like from previous purchases, they also have a sense of whether something is well made, durable, and will stand the test of time.

Should something go wrong, no need to find an absurdly large box to ship the item back, they’ll be there to make things right, after all, they love you, as a client anyway.

How to apply

What does any of this mean for you? If you’re still cold calling, spamming inboxes, or finding new ways to irritate prospective clients, just stop. Consider a more subtle approach, ask questions, provide value, usable information, not just, sign up for my newsletter or buy my book.

Establish yourself as a knowledgable, valuable resource in your current or anticipated field, and offer guidance in that area.

Establish relationships, because no one wants to be sold, they prefer to be understood, guided, and directed into products and tools that will improve, or make their lives easier.

Show them the way.