Symptoms:
Unskilled salespeople are so predictable! They use the "pull" approach, constantly trying to convince and persuade the buyer to buy from them. Of course, the buyers are on to these tactics and are doing their best to "push" the salesperson away. Often, even buyers who are ready to buy will feel trapped and push the salesperson away because they don't want to be sold.
Diagnosis:
Clearly a new approach is needed. Why not give the buyer a little room to operate? Giving the buyer an option to exit can have magical results when you have a sincere buyer. This gives you a chance to probe for problems and priorities and put "in the ways" in the way, or go for a "no", thus arriving at the right conclusion for both parties without wasting everyone's time. In any case, rapport is maintained, trust is strengthened, and you're doing the disqualifying, not them.
Prescription:
An "easy exit" is an opportunity for you to make the buyer feel comfortable by bringing up situations that may still be a source of concern. Unless you want to take all the pressure yourself in the old fashion way, it's better to let the buyer make decisions about their own problems. In effect, you're providing them with an "easy exit". You'll find that one of two things will happen: 1) they'll convince you that your concern is unwarranted and that it's really not an issue (proving to you that they really are sincere) or 2) they'll admit that your concern is valid. Here are some examples:
- "If we don't have a fit, it's okay to tell me."
- "We may invest some time together today looking at your situation only to find that we're not the right solution for you. If we're not, you need to be comfortable telling me that. Okay?"
- "That problem doesn't sound like it's causing you that much trouble. Are you sure it's really important enough to do something about it?"
- "Would it be fair to say that it sounds like the company isn't really that committed to finding a solution just yet?"
- "I get the feeling that this is much more than you had planned to invest. Do we need to talk about that some more?"
It helps to keep your "antenna" up at all times to assess what the buyer is implying when they make a statement. Often a buyer will not tell you the whole truth regarding a problem but will send out bits of (mis)information instead. It's your job to relieve pressure and help discover what the buyer is really saying.
Your role is to gently diminish and deny their problems and priorities and their commitment to do something to fix it, thus getting them to defend their position and prove to you that they are ready to take action. Any time you give them a chance to run away from doing business with you and they don't take it, they're sending a message that they want to do business!
Critical Thinking:
What is your favorite way to give exits?
The Drill:
Final Thought for the Morning:
“Every brand isn't for everybody, and everybody isn't for every brand.” ~ Liz Lange
“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.” ~ Ann Landers
Your Top 3 Goals & Tactics for the Week
LAST WEEK: Update us on how things went last week with your stated Goals and GD Tactics.
THIS WEEK: Please share your Top 3 Goals for this week and the GD tactics you plan to deploy.