07/ 25/ 2006
by Julie Bawden Davis
In his courses on effective sales techniques, Doug Harvey tells students that the best way to sell something is not to sell it at all. "Selling is not, 'Here's a great product or service with all these wonderful features, so buy it,'" says Harvey, who teaches sales classes for Aquascape Designs, a Batavia, Ill.-based pond manufacturer.
"Selling is different from representing a product or service. It's more like being a doctor. Take out your sales stethoscope, listen to potential customers talk about what they want or need, and convince them that you have the answer."
Low-pressure sales experiences are a new idea, says business coach Rich Giannini of Las Vegas-based Action International. "The old style of selling focused on high-pressure sales techniques," Giannini says. "The new way involves spending most of your time building rapport and very little time in the actual sales stage."
No Pressure
Say good-bye to high-pressure pitches and keep the following low-key selling tips in mind:
Let customers talk. Encouraging prospects to talk about themselves builds rapport and gives you valuable information about what products or services are appropriate. "The first thing out of your mouth should be a question, and it should be followed by many more questions," Harvey says.
Discover what they want. You can't base sales on what you think customers want. Ask who, what, when, where and why to find out what they actually need.
Sell the benefits. Many salespeople falter when they fail to realize that it's not about selling their product—it's about selling what their product can do for a customer. "When people buy a drill, it's not the drill they want, but the hole in the wood," Harvey says.
Show passion for your product. "One of the best definitions of selling is that it's a transfer of enthusiasm," he says.
