NFIB

What Customers Want in a Salesperson
03/ 22/ 2002


How many times have you picked up the telephone and listened as a phone salesperson began obviously reading from a script, trying to sell you something? Not very exciting or motivating, was it? There's a reason: it probably didn't take into account your individual needs. It just rambled on and on, not addressing you at all. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses shows why the more you take the time to tune into the customer's needs and overall situation, the more successful your sales efforts will be.

Sales rule #1 can't be stated too many times -- in fact, you could put a large poster on the wall about it in your office -- SALES PEOPLE SHOULD LISTEN MORE THAN THEY TALK. Above all else, that's what connects a sales person with a customer. Without that connection, there's hardly ever a sale.

Sales rule #2 -- When a sales person does talk, it should almost always be to ask a question, not to blab on about the product. This second rule, in effect, is an extension of the first rule, because both directly allow a sales person to find out about customers -- what they need, what problems they're having, why they want to buy (or why they want to hold off until after "thinking about it"), how much they want to pay, what the item is going to replace, etc., etc. Only when you begin to understand what's really motivating a person, can you OFFER A DIRECT SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM. This is the name of the game in selling -- whether by telephone, in person at the prospect's home or place of business, through retail, or through a series of letters.

For a more complete discussion of the art and science of listening, please see the former Workshop "The Key to Effective Communication -- Listening." All communication is, to some degree, done for the same ultimate purpose: to find out what the other person or people are in need of, and what you can do to solve that need.

In sales, customers hardly ever come right out and say what they need. If they did, sales wouldn't be as challenging as it is. This makes it all the more important to connect with the customer on a person level. When you make that connection and fill a need, you just may make a customer for life.

You may say, "It's easy enough to sit down and talk with someone when you're at their office or home, but in a retail sales situation you can't do that." True to some degree. Most customers in stores won't take the time to enter into a meaningful discussion. Even so, the sales person's objective -- from the moment of first encountering the customer -- should be to ask questions about why the customer came into the store, and how purchasing something will help solve a problem or fill a need that the customer has. This can be accomplished using simple questions such as: "Are you looking for a new such-and such?" "How exactly will you be using this item?" "What specific features are important to you?" Each question shows the customer that you are trying to find out what they need -- not just trying to sell them something.

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