 The other day I had lunch with
George Coutts, a friend of mine. George has worked in sales most of his
career, and is now a sales executive at Duro-Test Canada.
Sales
is not my forte, but I recognize good selling skills when I see them,
and George is one of the best. Over lunch, we shared some horror
stories about incompetent
salespeople we had known over the years, and some stories of
outstanding sales success and sales technique. We discussed what it is
that differentiates great salespeople from awful ones.
We ended up trying to compile a list of the most important
'rules' for good selling. George came up with these ten,
which I thought were outstanding, and well worth sharing with readers:
- Invest in face-time with customers:
It's tempting, especially if it's bad weather or if you're not entirely
comfortable with a customer, to try to resolve an issue or make a sale
by telephone or e-mail instead of face-to-face. But many studies have
shown that only 'face-time' builds relationships and trust, and that
customers are willing to buy more, buy faster, and pay more (sometimes much
more) from people they trust and have a relationship with. The
'savings' from the omitted trip are often a false economy. In fact,
some research indicates that time spent with a customer (even time on
the golf course) correlates more highly than any other variable
(including price, product quality, and sales skill & experience)
with sales volume. It shows you care.
- Solve the problem, don't excuse it: Generally
the customer is not terribly interested in whose fault the problem was,
or why it occurred, or that you feel badly about it. These explanations
only become pertinent if you're unable to solve the problem quickly. So
make it easy on yourself -- fix the problem quickly to the customer's
satisfaction. No apology required.
- Return calls promptly: Nowhere
does the very human tendency to procrastinate cause more grief and
damage than in unreturned phone calls (and nowadays, unreturned urgent
e-mails). It is fine to say you are going to need some time to get the
answer to the question that prompted the call, but return the call
immediately, even if it's only to acknowledge you received it. And
allow some leeway in what you tell the customer when you call -- always
under-promise and over-deliver, rather than the other way around.
- Make it easy for the customer to buy:
Simplify the customer's life. If the customer is seeing you, he/she
generally is willing to buy. Use every possible way to make it easy --
one-stop shopping, minimal paperwork, on-the-spot service, organized
displays, processes and layout, a hassle-free buying experience. Save
them time, reduce the number of substantially-similar choices, suggest
appropriate buying criteria. Offer advice if it's requested or
obviously needed. Be helpful.
- Give the customer something 'extra':
A free gift, some unexpected service or add-on, samples, free delivery.
The extras differentiate you from competitors, and they're memorable.
- Listen first, sell later:
It is much easier when the customer buys on their own initiative, than
when you have to sell. Pay attention, indicate that you have heard and
understood the customer's needs (feed back to them what you heard).
Prompt them with questions ("if we did this for you, would that help
you decide?") that put the transaction decision back in the buyer's
court. Learn to read the body language, an important part of
'listening'.
- Show, don't tell: Let
the customer see, touch, sense the product. Let them try it for
themselves. Take it out to them, or let them take it home. Demonstrate.
- Understand that the customer is not buying your product: They're buying the benefits
it brings. "Coolth", not an air conditioner. A 1/4" hole, not a 1/4"
drill bit. It's the job it does, not its features and attributes, that
counts. When you look at it this way, nothing is a commodity.
- Don't sell yourself short: Nothing
sells itself. Your knowledge, experience, helpfulness, advice,
appreciation of the customer's needs and wants, responsiveness,
self-confidence, courtesy, attentiveness, and even your mere presence
are an inseparable part of every product and service you sell. Although
it may not be apparent, or appreciated, what you do counts. It's
important. It makes a difference. When you convey that you know that to
your customer, it makes an even bigger difference.
- Know your customer, know your products: The
more you know about your customer's business, the more you will
understand their needs, and the more you will sell. The more you know
about your own products, the more you will be able to match those
products to the customer's identified needs. Don't hoard this
knowledge: Tell your colleagues what you learn about your customers,
and their unmet needs and frustrations, even if there's no obvious sale
in it for your company. And spread what you learn about your own
products around your company too -- it's astonishing how 'silos' emerge
within even fairly small companies, between which even critical
knowledge rarely passes.
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MADE IN CANADA
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