The Selling Newsletter
The Selling Newsletter
from Best@Selling
A free monthly newsletter of ideas to help make your selling easier.
Selling is the easiest job in the world…Just ask anyone who is NOT in sales! Best wishes for YOUR successful selling—Maura
This issue contains:
The Selling Quote for the Month
Upcoming Programs
The Selling Ideas for the Month
Action Items
Selling Tips
What do you think?
To Subscribe to the Selling Newsletter
Need an article foryour newsletter?
About Maura Schreier-Fleming
Contact Information
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The Selling Quote for the Month
“When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn’t the slightest intention of putting it into practice.” -Otto Von Bismarck
Bismark would make a great salesperson. He recognizes that what someone says is different than what they mean. In sales all too often we hear what we want to hear. If a customer says he needs more information we assume he does need it to make the decision. We never think “He’s just avoiding saying no.” A great sales professional does something that less successful sale professionals don’t do. What is it? They are great at asking for clarification. For example, when a customer says he needs more information, the great sales professional says, “I can certainly get that for you. And what will you need that for?” Tone of voice is very important. Think of saying the question in your “pass the butter” voice which is unassuming and unchallenging. Another powerful question is “And why is that?” when a customer tells you that something is important or they’re making a change. Learning why a customer is doing something is as important as learning what they are doing. Knowing how a customer thinks will show you what could impact his decision to buy. You have to have that information. Go beyond your customers words. What they say is often different than what they mean.
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Upcoming Programs
When : Friday, October 28, 2005
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Negotiating for Business
For more information: 972-985-3749
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When : Friday, November 11, 2005
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Time Management for Managers
For more information: 972-985-3749
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When : Friday, November 18, 2005
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: No More Meeting Madness: Effective Meetings
For more information: 972-985-3749
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The Selling Ideas for this Month
No Objections Here
Successfully selling to customers is just like persuading a jury. The jury’s ideal outcome is innocence. In sales the ideal outcome is a customer purchase. The persuasion skills are the same. This is where an expert working with juries can add insight into using persuasion for selling. Dr. Susan Fletcher (www fletcherphd.com),is a psychologist in private practice who worked with Dr. Phil McGraw as a litigation specialist on high profile cases. She assisted in the production of mock trials, prepared expert witnesses and assisted in jury selection.
Establish common ground quickly and early. Fletcher says, “It’s the salesperson’s job to quickly create a ‘we-ness’ with the customer.” This means helping the customer see how similar you both are. Look for something you could comment on that you both share. It might be a college diploma from a school in the same state you attended college. You would make a statement instead of asking an open ended question. You could say, “I see you attended State College. I also attended school in Illinois.” Fletcher says to establish this common ground, “Time is the issue. Establish it on general terms and don’t be too personal or specific even when you’re invited to. Get right back on task.” She points out that if you’re selling something what you have to respect is customers’ time. You’re there to sell, not to share personal details.
Prepare to persuade. Fletcher says you have to prepare to persuade. You should have an outline in your head of what you want your customer to hear before you make your sales call. Plan three or four key phrases about your product or service. These words should be descriptive words that create visual pictures for your customers to more easily understand your message.
You should speak your customer’s language. To speak their language you have to look and listen for their key words. Key words are used a lot; are specific to their products and services and are usually descriptive and purposeful. They tend to be unexpected. They are found in customer promotional materials. Customers also use these words in their speech. Fletcher describes a banking client using ‘member’ as a key word. In the company sales literature, the bank referred to customers as members, not clients or customers. In her sales call she made sure she also referred to members. Fletcher advises, “If you can take your customer’s key words and your key words and use them together, it’s more persuasive. That’s why it’s so important to be a good listener. Take notes. Use “tell me more” to get your customer to elaborate more. ”
Punctuate to persuade. Salespeople need to highlight their important points. Fletcher suggests pausing before an important point. Make sure nothing is in your lap. Women tend to keep objects in their lap. Remove the pad or packet of materials from your lap and put it aside before making your point. This is a way of helping the listener distinguish from the listening and the persuading. With your legs and arms uncrossed, look your customer in the eye and lean slightly forward. Then speak the important words slowly as you make your major point.
Use everything you’ve got. Fletcher adds, “Watch your customer’s body position and mirror it. Every nonverbal clue you give should convey confidence and credibility. Start with a firm handshake. Your hips should be directed at your customer and your shoulders should be squared with your customer’s. Pay attention to distance between you and your customer. Watch that you are not too close or too far and lean forward as you speak. Materials must be prepared so you are not sifting though your suitcase.”
She says you’ll know your persuasion is working if your customers ask more questions; want more information and use the key words you use.
Successful selling is being innocent of pushiness and coercion. If you’re going to be guilty, it had better be for using persuasion effectively.
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Action Items
1. What can you notice to establish rapport with a customer?
2. What important points are you planning to make in your presentation? Make sure you incorporate persuasion as you make those points.
3. Next sales call pay extra attention to the body position of your customer. Which direction is he facing? Is it at you or is his body pointing away? Notice what’s working and do something different if it’s not!
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Selling Tip
From Maura’s ebook: 97 Ways to Sell More Now E-Book
https://www.bestatselling.com/selling_tools.htm#5
Tip #10. Conduct a seminar and teach what you know. Invite clients. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. It also showcases you as an expert. Teach your clients about something you know that will help boost their business.
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What do you think?
Here are the results of the selling survey:
1. What part of selling do you find most challenging?
Reaching prospects on the telephone 46.9%
Maura’s comments: Are you leaving a message that sounds confident? Does it include a compelling reason to call you back? (A good reason is what you can do FOR your customer.) Are you persistent?
2. Where do you get sales support and guidance from?
Other sales professionals 43.3%
Reading books 33.3%
Manager 13.3%
Maura’s comment: Isn’t it interesting that managers are the last source of guidance?
3. What would be most helpful to make selling easier?
More customer feedback 29.4%
Maura’s Comment: Then why don’t you ask? Why is a powerful question and salespeople need to ask it more.
Let me know what you think about selling.
Click here to take the selling survey
You can email: info@bestatselling.com for the responses.
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I’m always looking for success stories and other tips from sales professionals. Please feel free to email me at info@bestatselling.com with ideas that have worked for you.
If you want to build customer relationships for long-term business, you can easily do it using Exacttarget (www.exacttarget.com) and their CANSPAM compliant broadcast services.
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To Subscribe to the Selling Newsletter
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Need an Article for Your Newsletter?
Articles from this newsletter may be used in your free publications or posted on your web when given the following credit:
Written by Maura Schreier-Fleming, Best@Selling (www.BestatSelling.com). Maura works with business and sales professionals who want to sell more and be more productive at work. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results.
For free articles, selling ideas and morale boosters
visit https://www.BestatSelling.com
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About Maura Schreier-Fleming
Invite Maura to speak at your next conference or sales meeting! Contact: info@bestatselling.com
Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals to make it easier to sell more and be more productive at work. Her Best@Selling clients want to create long-term client relationships. They include Fujitsu, Fannie Mae and Dr Pepper/7UP. She has an M.S. in Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech and was Mobil Oil’s first female lubrication engineer in the U.S. With over 20 years of sales experience, she teaches the art and science of selling with a unique hands-on perspective and a great deal of real-life insight. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results (a book filled with ideas to make selling easier and more productive. Her business column ‘Selling Strategies’ appears in the Insurance Record magazine and her column ‘Street Talk’ appears in Jobbers World. You can contact her for seminars at company or trade association meetings at 972 380 0200 or info@BestatSelling.com
Privacy: At Best@Selling we take privacy issues very seriously. Your information remains with us and will never be sold, shared, or distributed in any manner, for any reason.
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Contact Information
1. Our Web site: https://www.BestatSelling.com
2. E-mail: info@bestatselling.com
3. Call: In Dallas 972 380 0200
4. Write us:
6757 Arapaho Rd., Suite 711-183
Dallas, TX 752448
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(c) Copyright 2005 Maura Schreier-Fleming. All rights reserved
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