Secrets of closing the sale
Chapter 24: FREQUENT TYPES OF CUSTOMERS
The real joy in life comes from finding your true purpose
and aligning it with what you do every single day. — Tony Robbins
In this section,
I’ll categorize each of the different types of customers
and teach you how to effectively engage
with each of them in one to five sentences.
Some of the most common types of customers you meet are those
who are your opposite,
the skeptics,
the gullible,
the egotistical,
the procrastinator,
the self-proclaimed know-it-all. ,
people who are always hostile,
people who are indecisive,
people who are tough,
people who spend big money,
people who are stingy conservatives,
people who always ask you to lower the price.
If you look at them with children With a little humor,
you can see many types of customers.
People with “souls” of four-legged species
always “suffer” from problems in their hearts,
people with insomnia often “put aside” all problems,
music lovers like to “accompaniate” a few ups
and downs in their hearts.
your “song” whenever there is an opportunity,
and the mischievous person is just waiting to “retort”
that the price you offer is “too much of their fortune”.
Yes, there are many types of customers.
However, there are two things you really need to know about them.
First, according to sales coach Thom Norman,
customers always think they are right and they want you to admit it.
Second, they are always afraid that they will make mistakes,
especially for high-value deals.
It has been proven that at the time a decision has to be made,
a client’s heart rate beats faster than normal.
They are afraid
and that fear affects their judgment.
As a result, you find their behavior “out of the ordinary”.
In short, every client wants to make sure he
or she has made an informed decision.
There is nothing that belief plus a burning desire cannot make real. — Napoleon Hill
********
CONSULT CUSTOMERS
Make it so today is not like yesterday
and tomorrow will be different forever. — Tony Robbins
When you’re dealing with a customer,
remember this quote from Dan Bellus:
“The goal of a salesperson is not to beat the customer,
but to convince them, to make them feel happy
and fulfilled than buying your product”.
Cavett Robert’s basic formula is also something you should keep in mind:
When a customer raises an objection,
no matter what type of person he is,
you shouldn’t argue with him,
but take these four steps.
Step one,
say that you welcome his question and assure him
that the question will be answered satisfactorily
if he listens to the rest of the essay.
(Remember, protest only leads to stronger opposition,
but cooperation eliminates all obstacles).
Step two, treat the objection as a problem
and turn it into a catalyst
to “stick” that difficult customer into your sale.
Step three, ask him to commit to the purchase
that’s paramount
and the last step, if possible,
turn the objection into a buying “challenge” for him.
However, please do not misunderstand the above suggestion.
There is no one formula
or tactic that will apply to every sales situation
or every type of objection you may encounter.
However, if you are really proficient with the basic formulas
or tactics,
you will have a solid foundation to overcome difficulties
and obstacles that
do not have a common formula in themselves.
After digging deep into the objections from our customers,
I hope you find that overall,
we’re following this basic principle,
though not all of the time.
I recommend you keep that four-step formula in mind,
because as we deal with different types of objections,
I won’t need to remind you of the problem again.
Your choice of people to associate with,
both personally and business-wise,
is one of the most important choices you make.
If you associate with turkeys,
you will never fly with the eagles. — Brian Tracy
*********
REMEMBER, CUSTOMERS ALWAYS WANT TO SAY “YES”
I believe that life supports what supports more of life.
In other words, motivation does matter.
If you’re just trying to take care of yourself,
you’re part of life
and I believe life steps in
and gives you a certain level of insight. — Tony Robbins
I want to reiterate that,
as I said before,
your customers don’t want to say no,
because “no” ends everything
while they always want their needs to be met,
as well as you wish you were the one to help them do it.
Protesting is also something that people are reluctant to do.
Remember that objections are not directed at you
and you should not make them personal.
Try to stay calm to take advantage of the opportunity
to close the deal successfully.
You should remember that
you are not a preacher when dealing with clients.
You should not talk constantly
and force the customer to listen.
The best way to make a successful sale is
to give the customer the opportunity to “speak” with you.
That is why the questioning technique is used throughout this book.
Great doctors and great lawyers have used this technique
as they researched the best ways
to identify problems and devise solutions.
The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with
which it sticks to its job. — Napoleon Hill
********
FREQUENT TYPES OF CUSTOMERS
Don’t be afraid of new ideas.
Be afraid of old ideas.
They keep you where you are
and stop you from growing and moving forward.
Concentrate on where you want to go,
not on what you fear. — Tony Robbins
Confident customers.
Let’s start with the most persuasive type of customer.
Those are the “credulous Gary” guys.
May God bless them always!
Those are the people who give us hope
because if you work with them,
you will have a bright day.
They are the type of people
who believe that the moon is made of cheese.
When dealing with these types of clients,
you just need to be frank and open.
Tell them funny stories.
The chances of them buying from you will greatly increase
because they can love
and trust you for no reason at all.
You only need to note one thing about them:
they are easy to convince
but they don’t want to be pressured
or pressured by anyone.
Work with this type of client with your courtesy and confidence.
Diligent customers.
The second type of customer is Mr. “Sybly Sidney”.
He never believed that there were always good people
and always thought that someone wanted to “play” with him.
Not only was he skeptical,
in many cases he was also very conservative.
I want to remind you that skeptical customers are always right
and they want others to admit it.
With that in mind,
when Mr. “Surprising Sidney” makes an unsubstantiated objection,
he will express anger,
criticism or ridicule to cover up that baselessness.
When that happens,
you should say something like this:
“I’m glad you’re interested in my product,
but to make sure I understood what you just said,
would you mind repeating it? , Sir?”.
This question has two uses.
First, it demonstrates your problem-solving efforts
and shows that you value what the customer has to say.
Second, when the client repeats his objection,
he may present it in a softer tone.
When working with skeptical customers,
you should never argue or completely refute what they say,
even if it is wrong.
First, let them say everything they want to say,
let them “vent out” their anger.
Once they’ve “flowed,”
they’ll notice that you’re listening and genuinely care about them.
And your chances of finding out what they really think
and getting the deal will increase dramatically.
When a client says something heavy and groundless to get in your way,
you should politely say, “I’m glad you talked about it,
because it’s relevant. directly to the nature of the problem.
And I’m talking about this myself,
so it’s true that we have the same goal.
I’m happy for that, sir!”
Customers are hostile.
The next type of customer is called the “hostile Helen” lady.
Her attitude is similar to that of skeptical customers.
However, her animosity towards the salesperson is justified.
Maybe she have been taken advantage of
or deceived by sellers in the past.
Or simply because the previous salespeople didn’t listen to her complaints.
The solution is to listen to her explanation.
After she has vented her anger, say,
“I understand how you feel right now.
I have met many clients with similar feelings [pause for a moment].
Those people think that
when they have enough factual information,
they will have a reason to justify what they did.
They feel that their mistakes are rational,
not emotional.
Incidentally, when I heard her speak,
I thought that most people who are outspoken and open like her
[wouldn’t you dare say she’s hot-tempered
and has a grudge against sales people all the time?]
They are also people who are willing to listen to the opinions
and reasonable explanations of others.
I’m glad she expressed her concerns with such an open mind.”
Customers are indecisive.
Next is Mr. “Ivan indecisive”,
who has always wanted to start a club for those who are hesitant,
but he is waiting for the right moment,
simply because he cannot decide anything.
Mr. Ivan was like someone
who went to see a psychiatrist and,
after hearing him explain his procrastination,
the doctor said,
“I understand you have a problem
with making decisions.”
And Mr. Ivan replied:
“Yes, that’s right – ah, no, not really.”
An indecisive customer is probably the least happy of all types.
He can’t decide what to eat for lunch,
and he hesitates even more about big deals like buying a house,
a car,
a big investment,
or a life insurance plan. longevity.
He takes stimulants to have a healthy,
full energy at work,
but at the same time takes stimulants
so that if nothing happens,
he doesn’t have to worry about it.
The way to work with Mr. Ivan is that
you help him regain his confidence,
become a real man.
Show empathy for him, put yourself in his shoes.
Let him know that
you are always there to support him with all your heart,
and then make sure he is on the right track.
Persuasion and strong conviction
that he should buy your product are the deciding factors.
Remember,
if he buys your product,
he will have a problem making a decision.
If you’re “hesitating” about whether
or not you should sell the item to him,
you’ll probably make him decide not to buy it.
Push him – firm but not harsh.
Internal pressure is also an important factor.
Let’s solve this problem
by asking more questions than usual.
Later in this book,
I will detail how to ask questions with lots of examples.
Incidentally, I have used more than 500 questions here.
It’s a big surprise, isn’t it?
Well, one more question, right?
Customers love to bargain.
Another type of customer is Mrs. “Betty the bargaining master”,
who always wants to buy goods at a lower price than others.
To her, every sale is a “contest” in which she must be the winner.
She will never be satisfied
if that “contest” ends without the other party refusing
to give in even half a step.
You can solve this in two ways.
First, tell her that your company requires you to treat all customers fairly,
and that’s one of the things that makes you love your company.
When she buys the product,
she is assured
that no one else can get something more favorable than her
and that in itself makes her a winner already.
That’s exactly what she wanted:
to be the winner to be the smartest,
to have the best deal.
Next, make sure it’s not just a better deal,
it’s a good deal
Especially because you can do something extra special for her personally,
such as: “There is one thing I would never do for other ordinary clients,
but for her personally,
I would personally deliver the goods to her door,
and she does not have to pay any extra cost.
Deliveries will be made today.”
Or: “I will help you with all the payment
and you will receive the goods at least 24 hours earlier”.
Or: “I will personally notify you
when the equipment is installed
to make sure it meets all of your requirements exactly.”
Customers brag.
The next customer is Mr. “Breaking Oliver”,
who always arrogantly claims that he knows everything.
In general, people who brag are people
who have serious self-perception problems.
They think the only way to get people
to accept themselves is to always contradict other people’s opinions.
They yearn to be heard
So pay attention to them,
but in a consistent and positive manner.
You can also set some challenges for them.
Under the guise of boasting, however,
Mr. Oliver can be a soft and sentimental man.
He’s also the kind of guy
who always thinks he’s right
and wants others to recognize that,
and appreciate himself.
So what is the challenge you should set for Mr. Oliver?
Use statements like:
“Our research shows that only 3% of the population can afford to buy our products.”
Or: “This order is very valuable, sir,
do you want to pay in installments or pay in installments?”.
Hit the pride of boastful customers
who claim to know everything.
You can say,
“This is a rare beautiful suit, sir,” or:
“That is a wonderful suit.
It perfectly suits his taste and personality
because it makes him a noble and luxurious person.”
Sayings like these are very effective with snobs and snobs.
At the same time, you can also show them sports superstars
or movie actors who are also following the trend.
(However, you should only say that if it’s true.) Bill Gove,
one of the top sales coaches once said,
“Never lie if you don’t want to get your head in the loop. !”.)
Customers in a hurry.
Next on the list is the lady “Heloise in a hurry”
who never wants to waste time hearing product details.
She just wants to hear factual information,
only factual information,
and that’s what we have to provide.
“I’m in a hurry.”
What people like her want to save is time, not money.
So keep it short, get to the point,
present it in an organized manner,
and try to close the deal as quickly as possible.
Assure her that you’ll take care of all the rest,
including shipping and delivery,
just as she wishes.
Happy customers.
The next customer is Mr. “Funny Jimmy”.
He is funny, kind, but can also be the guest
that makes you the most headache because of his impulsive and indecisive personality.
Usually, he only buys from people he likes.
So befriend him, laugh, and be funny with him (but be natural!).
Then, as a friend,
encourage him to make a purchase
so that he can enjoy its benefits immediately.
Customers “know-it-all”.
The know-it-all lady is always trying to impress you,
so give her a chance.
There’s only one thing you need to be aware of:
she tends to “torture” your ears non-stop throughout the day,
so keep an eye on your watch so she doesn’t take up too much of your time.
You can let her impress you by offering to pay entirely in cash,
for example.
In fact, challenging Lady Nora could be the key to getting the deal.
VIP customers.
You can also apply the same solution
as above for Mr. “Big-eared Bobby”.
He always wanted people to know that he was important.
So, find ways to make him feel really important.
He wants to be in the middle of the stage,
so point the spotlight on him. Likewise,
Bobby doesn’t want you,
who is working with him to be a mediocre sales guy,
but someone “worthy” to do business with.
If you hit some sales record or something important,
like an award,
let Mr. Bobby know in a casual manner.
“Big-eared Bobby” will know that you’re someone he’s worth working with.
Impulsive customers.
Typical for the next type of customer we often meet is the “impulsive Irene”.
This girl made decisions on impulse.
So, convince her to sign the contract
when her impulses are at their peak.
The most difficult customer to win.
Sales coach John Hammond has identified
the most difficult type of customer to convince
is the “Al always agree” gentleman,
who never opposes anything.
He always laughed,
nodded in agreement
with you about everything during the conversation.
To work with this type of customer,
John “reveals”
that as soon as you feel
that the customer you are approaching is of the “always agree” type,
stop talking immediately,
smile,
lean back behind and said,
“Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question.
Why are you still undecided to take this opportunity,
buy the product and enjoy its benefits?”
[then stops, doesn’t say another word].
Mr. “Al always agrees” will answer in two directions.
Maybe he’ll say,
“That’s because…” and ask a question within your reach.
Or he’ll say,
“What makes you think I won’t buy it?”.
If he said that then all that you have to do is write the order.
Do you find that a perfect tactic?
Desire is the starting point of all achievement,
not a hope, not a wish,
but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. — Napoleon Hill
***********
SUMMARY,THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUSTOMERS
You are not what you think you are,
but what you think, you are. — Brian Tracy
If we try, we will be able to list hundreds of different types of customers:
those who think too slowly or too quickly,
those who think wrongly or even at all,
the big spenders,
the stingy people,
the critical people,
the people who always want a discount,
the shy, the assertive,
the impulsive, the argumentative,
the people who don’t like to listen to you,
cold customers,
or annoying people
They can be old or young,
or middle-aged;
male or female;
rich or ordinary.
No matter what kind of person your customer is,
they all want to be the right person,
want to be understood
and appreciated by others.
All of those people have physical,
mental,
and emotional needs.
Our goal is to meet those needs
so that they become our “real” customers,
not “potential” customers.
Bill Gove humorously said,
“The trouble with your deal is that you’ve just lost your best prospect.”
One thing you must always keep in mind is this:
when a client makes an unfounded and hostile objection,
it is only their way of avoiding and defending themselves.
For example, your customer might say,
“All sales guys are a bunch of scammers.”
At this point, you, as a salesperson,
should not attack him immediately.
Some traumatic experience
with bad salespeople in the past led him to this conclusion.
Surely right now,
he is looking for a real sales expert
who can convince him that
he has come to a very wrong conclusion.
He may even want to immediately buy something you’re offering.
This means he wants someone to sell him something,
and since you’re with him, that person is you!
There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that,
once unleashed,
can make any vision,
dream,
or desire a reality. — Tony Robbins
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Chapter 25: FRIENDS OF THE SELLERS
Take a deep breath,
relax and imagine yourself exactly as you wish to be. — Brian Tracy
In the face of objections from customers,
one of the most important things to do is ask questions.
As I’ve mentioned many times,
questions help drive customers to action.
They also help you uncover the biggest driving force behind their purchase,
and that’s what you need to do to be able to sell effectively.
Be careful, in some cases,
when customers complain about your company,
it can be easy for you to agree with them
and not take sides with your company.
I advise you to be extremely careful
when dealing with such complaints.
Follow the techniques I have given.
Be thankful when customers make complaints.
Listen to them and agree that it is a problem.
You should also find out if that’s the only problem.
Then assure the customer that you,
your company,
and other salespeople will do their best
to dispel their frustration
and resolve the issue in a way that
is in their best interest for them.
Next, use that very reason to emphasize
why that client should do business with you and your company.
After receiving a strong complaint,
say to the customer,
“Sir, can you repeat exactly what happened
so that I can fully understand it
and we can work it out together?
solve the problem?”.
Behave like an arbiter,
a neutral person,
you should not deny your client’s right to judge,
but also don’t put your company in a difficult position.
It was the right move because later,
when everything was clear,
it turned out that the customer had exaggerated the matter.
If that’s the case
and you make a promise again
that you may not be able to deliver,
you will lose face,
your company will lose even more credibility,
and that customer will be more prejudiced against your company more.
With this tactic,
you should be able to defuse most of your customer’s anger
without having to blame other salespeople.
This helps to increase customer confidence in your company.
The greater the opposition,
the more rigorously you must adhere to this tactic
because wise people often don’t want to make overly eloquent promises.
When riches begin to come they come so quickly,
in such great abundance,
that one wonders where they have been hiding
during all those lean years. — Napoleon Hill
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AGAINST, OR IS IT JUST ONE QUESTION?
When it looks impossible
and you are ready to quit,
victory is near! — Tony Robbins
When you hear objections, make sure you’re addressing an obstacle,
not answering a question.
You can easily spot the difference between them.
A question is asked to find out information,
for example: How much does this dish cost?
How long will I receive the goods?
Do you have the blue and yellow ones?
Do you have a more expensive (or cheaper) one?
Do you have larger (or smaller) sizes?
Those are the questions to ask for answers.
In general, the sentences asking like this shows
that your customers are interested in your products
and they often appear in the audience in the main part of the presentation.
Under normal circumstances,
I’ve always believed that
you should answer any questions as they arise,
as long as it doesn’t spoil your presentation.
For example, at the beginning of a presentation,
a customer asks you,
“What is the price of the product?”,
you can answer immediately
or not depending on whether your product is priced competitively
or belongs to the category group of high-end,
expensive items.
If you have a price advantage,
your experience,
knowledge, and judgment will prompt you to respond immediately.
If your product is of outstanding quality
and offers many benefits
but its price is not competitive,
you should avoid answering the above question
until you have explained
and introduced the benefits of the product. .
When faced with this situation,
smile kindly and say,
“I’ll answer that question in a moment.”
Or: “I’m glad you’re interested in product pricing.
In a few minutes,
I’ll cover it.”
If the customer insists on an immediate response,
you can say,
“I’d be happy to answer, sir,
but that’s a bit like having to pay for a suit
before you’re ready to go
and know what it looks like.
All I want is that you can clearly see the benefits of the product,
so you will understand the value of the “bargain” you are about to get.
Another answer might be:
“There are so many factors that
affect the price of a product such as size,
model, contract terms, or delivery method,
I don’t know how to answer,
before we narrow down the options
I can offer you.”
When a customer asks about a price issue
before you’ve had a chance to showcase the value
or explain the product’s benefits,
you can also deal with it in the following way.
You look directly at the customer,
smile,
and say,
“So that’s what you think is important.
I am delighted to see that
you are so interested in this product.
I will cover that shortly.”
Then, calmly and spontaneously continue the presentation.
The problem is that most people focus on their failures rather than their successes.
But the truth is that most people have many more successes than failures. — Jack Canfield
**************
PERFECT TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ON “PRICE”
Success is not something you achieve, conquer, climb, or complete.
Success is a process; it’s a way of life. — Tony Robbins
The speed at which you deliver your presentation is important.
Don’t talk as fast as you’re on the track,
but after saying you’ll get to the price point soon,
quickly describe some compelling product features
and benefits that
work support for price issue.
After taking all measures to delay the “announcement” of the product price
because you have not completed the main content of the presentation,
if the customer still insists on knowing the price,
I do not believe that you may be further delayed.
Deal with it by offering the highest possible price,
including all features,
parts,
added benefits,
or bundled services.
You can say, “The highest possible price is…”
and then tell them the exact number.
“However, the actual number may be lower
when we determine exactly what your needs are.
I think your biggest concern is
whether the product meets your needs or not?”.
And, while the client searches for answers,
you keep coming back to your presentation.
If the customer says that the price is the same as
what he expected or even lower,
you should ask a closing question like this:
“It is clear that our equipment meets your requirements
and have the price you want,
do you want us to install it today or another day?”.
You become what you think about most of the time. — Brian Tracy
**************
YOU DON’T NEED TO ‘PRODUCE’ ALL CUSTOMERS’ COMPENSATIONS
There is no hope of success for the person
who does not have a central purpose,
or definite goal at which to aim. — Napoleon Hill
In any customer meeting or product presentation,
you must remember that your job is to sell,
not “answer every objection”.
So you don’t have to answer all sorts of questions
to get the deal done at all costs.
In fact, customers are very rarely completely satisfied
with everything related to your product or service.
And the good news is that
your customers don’t have to like everything about your products
to buy them.
For customers to buy,
you just need to make them happy with the product you are offering,
rather than what they will trade for it.
Example: I bought a suit
even though there were two things I didn’t like.
First, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the price of the suit,
but with the help of Doyle Hoyer,
my friend and I’m also a clothing seller,
and Redhead,
I had enough reasons to justify buying it
(even though the suit was expensive,
it was good quality, durable,
and it made me look successful. ..).
Second, I don’t like having to wear a belt when wearing those pants,
however, that’s just a small “minus” point.
Despite these two objections
I still bought the suit
because I really liked the color and it fit me perfectly.
Plus, when I tried on the suit,
my lovely Redhead
(she deserves the number one compliment in the world)
approached me
and said, “You look great in this suit in there!”.
What I want to “send” to you is:
Are there objections that you do not solvable,
however, the probability of that happening is very low,
so don’t worry too much.
When faced with an objection,
let me remind you once again that you are selling,
and an objection that,
when handled well,
becomes a positive factor in helping you to sell more.
Make your life a masterpiece;
imagine no limitations on what you can be, have or do. — Brian Tracy
****************
YOUR JOB IS NOT TO RESOLVE AGAINST
When you have inspired thought,
you have to trust it and you have to act on it. — Jack Canfield
Young salespeople (I mean “young” in experience)
or volatile salespeople often have the misconception
that their job is to deal with any objections from customers.
It is this mindset that leads them to encourage
or challenge the customer to continue to raise other questions or objections.
This is very likely to happen
when they have just answered a “convoluted” question
or a “complex” objection brilliantly
(from their point of view, of course).
As a sales trainer,
I’ve met salespeople who cross their arms,
smack their chest (literally) and say to customers,
“I assure you I can handle it all right satisfy any objections,
could you make a few more objections?”.
With that attitude, he will lose the deal
because then the customer will feel that he is complacent
and overzealous in flaunting their knowledge rather than solving their problems.
The greatest achievement was, at first,
and for a time, but a dream. — Napoleon Hill
**************
MINIMUM OBJECTIVES BY RECOGNIZING THEM
When you focus on serving, there is no fear in you. — Tony Robbins
You can reduce the intensity of objections by rephrasing them.
For example, when a customer says:
“The quality of your product certainly does not meet our requirements.
I don’t believe it’s still usable after three weeks,
let alone the three years in your warranty!”
That is quite a strong objection.
But you can completely calm it down by lowering your voice,
looking directly at the customer,
and saying,
“As far as I understand,
you’re trying to make sure our product is of lasting
and worthy quality in the money he spent.
That’s what you’re wondering, isn’t it, sir?”
Or, you can also say,
“So your problem is or isn’t that right, sir?”
(You shouldn’t say:
“To solve your problem…”)
Surely the client will accept that
you rephrase the objection they just raised.
(Most customers often have extreme objections,
especially if they are not really interested in the product at the time.
This can cause salespeople to get frustrated and give up, and that’s it.)
what the other customer is expecting.)
By speaking more softly,
you can continue the conversation in a positive direction.
Remember that you are using your sales skills to persuade,
not use weapons to defeat the customer.
That will benefit both you and your customers.
The majority of men meet with failure
because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans
to take the place of those which fail. — Napoleon Hill
****************
ALWAYS BE POLICY WHAT YOU’RE IN CORRUPTION
The more you seek security, the less of it you have.
But the more you seek opportunity,
the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire. — Brian Tracy
When a customer comments,
“I simply don’t care,”
use their intonation and tone of voice to determine if it’s a small,
moderate objection,
or really a major objection.
If it’s just a minor or moderate objection,
you could say:
“I was a bit surprised
when you said you weren’t interested,
because my product will…
[insert some of the main benefits of my product.] product].
However, I’m sure there’s a reason for your lack of interest.
Would you mind sharing it with me?”
Again, you’ve put the customer in a position to respond.
Sales training expert John Hammond says that,
since he started using this approach in 1957,
there have only been two clients
(oh, how well he remembers his customers!)
from refused to say why they weren’t interested.
This saves you from having to guess what the reason is,
John says,
and so you can focus your mind on dealing with real objections.
And if the customer’s tone is harsh when he says,
“I don’t care!”,
you should use Charlie Cullen’s approach.
Be bold enough to repeat the statement in a questionable form,
and remember to put it in a loud voice:
“You don’t care?”.
This workaround forces the customer to reply to you, and it works!
Think about this.
Even if you’ve only been in sales for three days,
you’ve probably heard at least one client say,
“I want to think about this more,”
as soon as you finish your presentation.
To help you better understand this situation
and give you some personality insights to prepare for closing,
I’d like to share some of the methods
I’ve introduced in my previous articles in my sales training.
I once asked participants,
“How many of you consider yourself an honest salesperson?”
(All arms raised.) I continued:
“So, how many of you,
honest sales people,
have ever told another salesperson that you want to ‘think more about this’?”
(Again, all hands go up.)
Follow-up question: “How many of you, honest sales people,
after telling another salesperson is that you want to ‘think more about this’,
have you really thought about their offer honestly,
seriously and thoroughly?”.
This time there were only very few arms. raised.
Then I continued to ask,
“So are you, the ‘honest’ salesmen,
trying to get rid of that salesperson?”.
The answer can be “yes” or “no”.
Sometimes, the customer really wants to end the conversation
or get rid of the salesperson.
Sayings like: “I want to think about this…”
or “You can talk to my lawyer…”
(or to your banker, your partner, your colleague) etc)
is a simple way to end a conversation politely.
However, there is still another possibility.
Most people don’t want to use the word “no,”
because it’s too blunt and definitive.
By saying no, the customer puts an end
to their relationship with the salesperson.
And so, to avoid having to say no,
they make up other excuses.
As a salesperson,
if we understand this basic thing,
we will figure out how to handle the situation,
because, as long as the customer doesn’t directly say no,
we still have a chance to make a sale.
At this point,
salespeople need to always remember that they are also a customer
and they need to think from the position
of both the seller and the buyer.
This represents the empathy
I discussed in chapter 8.
When you are empathetic,
you can understand the other person’s problem
and help them solve it.
In fact, customers don’t “think more” at all.
Do not overlook the important thing
that I am about to talk about here.
In most cases,
when a customer says “I’ll think about it,”
they don’t and they end up saying no.
However,
I can assure you that it is better for a customer
to say no today than it is to say no tomorrow.
The simple reason is that tomorrow,
you will forget that rejection.
Tomorrow, you can go after a new client
and you won’t expect the previous one.
Once you lose hope in customers,
you will get stuck and stop trying to find potential customers.
Then, the deal you missed yesterday
will also cost you the deal of the next day.
Obviously a “yes” tomorrow is better than a “no” today.
But I want to emphasize that,
if the customer doesn’t make a decision for some obscure reason,
in most cases tomorrow their answer will still be no.
So, how do you overcome this obstacle? First, smile and say:
So great! I’m glad to hear that he wanted to think more before buying
[item name],
because he obviously wouldn’t waste time thinking about it
if he really didn’t care.
I assume you want to consider to avoid making the wrong decision,
is that so,
sir? [Wait for the customer’s reply.]
Do you agree that a long, quick thinking time is not the point?
If I get what you mean, your main goal is to guarantee
that you will make the right decision,
regardless of whether you think about it more for 2 minutes or 2 days.
What you want is to have a right decision after being provided with enough information
that can help you clarify the problem, right?
So, can we think together and talk for a few more minutes before he makes a final decision?
Who are you now?
Who have you decided to become?
Make this decision consciously.
Make it carefully.
Make it powerfully.
Then act upon it. — Tony Robbins
****************
FOUR QUESTIONS STRATEGY
People refuse to take chances in business,
because they fear the criticism which may follow if they fail.
The fear of criticism,
in such cases is stronger than the DESIRE for success. — Napoleon Hill
In fact, he had to ask himself four questions
and he answered “yes” to three of them, namely:
(1) Do I like it?
(2) Do I want to own it?
(3) Can I afford it?
[Between each question, you should pause for a moment.]
The other decisive question is:
(4) When will I start enjoying the benefits it brings?
Apparently he was the only one who could answer that question.
But let me add that
the price may stay the same or even increase,
do you think you should buy to enjoy those benefits now?
When this book was first published, Mark Gardner,
director of E. F. Hutton in Houston, Texas,
read and applied it by asking customers;
“You want to think about this
because I may have gone too fast on some important points
during the presentation, right?”
or “What do you really want to think about?”,
“Can you be more specific about what you want to consider?”
(After he had the answer, Mark continued.)
“Sir, won’t you say that, in order to make an informed decision,
you need to have the following?
1. Perfect access to information;
2. Professional commodity pricing capabilities;
3. Relationship with the company’s management?
Yes, that is exactly what we are trying to solve.
What we are discussing is to come to an important decision.
Customers who share his views may say,
‘I need to think about this more’ or ‘I’ll call you back later’.
Actually what they want to say again is ‘Hmmm,
I don’t like your idea’.
So, let’s talk honestly about this.
You don’t have to be so mean.
Please tell me what else makes you uncomfortable?
Do you need any more information?
As a business person,
I have a responsibility learn about…”
This is what Dick Gardner,
founder of the National Sales Training Foundation (NASE) showed me.
If your client is a humorous person
and when he says he wants to think about it a little more,
look him in the eye, smile,
and do an over-excited move like throwing a fist in the air decisively
to the point of showing his watch and saying, “Go on!”.
In general, this action often makes customers laugh happily.
More importantly,
it breaks the tension and helps the deal go more smoothly.
Use this tactic with consideration.
But I dare to “bet” that
unless you are selling specials that are vital,
this tactic will always work.
Another tactic that works especially well for products
that can be used for a lifetime.
All you have to do is say,
“Sir, it’s hardly worth the cost
because this product will follow you and serve you for life.
So the cost of using it will decrease every year,
every month,
every day if you buy it now instead of waiting 5 months or 5 years to buy it.
So, do you feel that you should enjoy its benefits right now?”
We all have our own story.
And we stay attached to our story.
This can stop us from growing and living.
You wanna make your life better?
Change your story, change your life. — Tony Robbins
****************
LETS START LOGICALLY AND END EMOTIONALLY
Success attracts success
and failure attracts failure
because of the law of harmonious attraction. — Napoleon Hill
Remember that when dealing with an objection,
you need to start with a logical response
but end with an emotional statement.
The thinking area of our brain is only a tenth of the emotional area,
so people make purchasing decisions for emotional reasons,
not for logical reasons.
When you encounter an objection
and you resolve it to your satisfaction and trust,
you can be proud that you’ve come a long way toward a deal.
At this time, customers will be friendly,
they will pick up the product to observe carefully.
But sometimes they just silently read the contract
or some promotional material you provide.
Let’s say a customer has a question
or objection that you can’t answer.
Answer the following way:
“That’s an important question, sir,
otherwise you wouldn’t have raised it.
But because no customer has ever asked this question,
I can’t give you a complete answer for the time being.
But I will definitely get more information
from customer support to get an exact answer.
If possible, I would like to see you early next week…
You must never say:
“Do you understand what I am saying, sir?”.
Instead, ask, “Is that correct, sir?”
or: “Are you satisfied with what I have just presented?”.
The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the expectations of your peer group.
Choose your peers wisely. — Tony Robbins
