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Do You Fold Like A Taco?
Have you ever eaten a soft taco? The shell isn't hard - it is soft - and folds over really easily. They are delicious! In business, however, I see too many people fold like a taco when they are negotiating with a customer. It's not pretty. The customer may not even be asking for a discount/added value but at the slightest sign of hesitation a.k.a silence - the salesperson drops the price or keeps throwing in extras "to sweeten the deal." This isn't called selling - it is called Folding Like A Taco. Get Comfortable With Asking For The Investment This Sales Diva does not believe in CLOSING the deal with a customer. I see it as OPENING the door instead. I also know that in a relationship (which is what you should have with your customer by the way) there is some give and take involved. But you can't be the one doing all the giving! So follow these 4 steps: 1. Come in with your best offer right out of the gate. Years ago when I sold television advertising with Canada's largest networks - I had a client that always asked for every concession FIRST and then they tried to bounce the offer back and forth between competitors. However I have always had one rule. Integrity. I will never forget the conversation with my customer. When he said the other TV station had dropped their price, I asked the owner a question. "Roger - what would have happened if I hadn't brought this proposal to you? You would have paid the full price that they were asking. In essence - by dropping their price so quickly - they have shown you they were overcharging you in the first place. I brought you the best offer right out of the gate. Our product is like yours - extremely high quality - and I know that you always stick to your word with your customers - just as I do. My offer stands." He looked at me and there was a long silence. He said "Kim - I never thought of it that way. I will go ahead with your proposal." HOORAY! 2. Don't start your conversation with price. Give your customer the investment only after they understand the major benefits of your product or service. If you start with price - I guarantee you are heading down the rocky road of objections. 3. Allow the customer time to think. Just because there is silence doesn't mean you need to start "folding your price." Let them think it over. 4. Look at the word COMPROMISE in a new way. You know what the dictionary has to say on the word COMPROMISE? "A settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions." Look at the word this way: CO-M-PROMISE. Basically it is a promise made by 2 or more people to meet in the middle. It isn't called ONEPROMISE! If your customer is genuinely concerned with the investment - then you have some choices. You can either fold like a taco and drop the price considerably. (Not a Diva recommendation!) Or you can provide added value/decrease in pricing based upon a commitment from them in a volume buy, or repeat business over a duration of time. You can also decrease your price but also delete some of your services as well. Say "I can definitely work within your budget, however, we will have to reduce "this" from the package. Remember - Desperation Isn't Pretty! Once you have established a relationship with a customer that is based upon you folding like a taco - you will find it very difficult to increase your rates in the future. So stick with your guns, believe in yourself and what your business brings to the table! Copyright© 2005 Sales Diva, Kim Duke of The Sales Divas helps women biz owners and entrepreneurs attract amazing clients and customers, effortlessly! To learn more about increasing YOUR sales - and to read her FREE how-to-articles, visit her website http://www.salesdivas.com
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Coaching Achieving Sales Goals Requires Drive & Motivation How did you do this past year on your sales goals? Acquired Expertise: Attitude and Confidence "I recommend the 5.8 GHz Digital Phone, because it suits your needs well, provides adequate service for your area, and has the additional capabilities you requested." The sales clerk spoke with confidence, implicating she knew this to be true, and bringing the client into focus with her needs. Her attitude of confidence presented the product well, and the sale completed. The Pipeline: Curious, Desperate, Inspired? You do have a "Pipeline" don't you? You know, the directional map of how you are going to encourage complete strangers to part with their money to buy what you are selling! The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do We all make mistakes and some salespeople seem to make a lot of them. What scares the vinegar out of me is that most salespeople keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Now in my book - that's just plain STUPID! How to Master the Art of Salesmanship I put together this little article because, although basic, we all must "master the art of selling". With out this skill, the foundation on which you build your business will not be a solid one. Mastering the "art of selling" is simply knowing how to present whatever it is that you are selling, to the buyer in such a manner that they feel buying it from you will solve their problems or fulfill their dreams. Three Types of Salespeople "There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who are wondering what happened." You've probably heard that one before. Actually, there are two different types of salespeople and they are easy to tell apart. Five Tips To Increase Your Sales 1. You could end your ad copy with a discounted price. Just list your regular price and then offer a discounted price off the order 'right now'. You could also offer a rebate that takes effect instantly. For example, you could say, "Instead of paying $99, you could order now and get an instant rebate of $20 - you only pay $79!" Sales 101: Asking for the Order "Ask, and you shall receive", a biblical principal that offers some of the best sales advice for beginning salespeople and experienced sales professionals alike. The best sales presentation imaginable generally will not yield the desired results unless the salesperson asks for the business. Why Salespeople Dont Take Risks Proponents of traditional sales training simply teach the material, sometimes in a very entertaining format, but they place the responsibility for using the material on the salesperson. How to Sound Just Like a Salesperson Prospect - "So now that I've told you what we are looking for, do you think that you can help us with this?" The Power of Confidence My experience has taught me that people want to buy from sales people who are confident in their abilities. Taking control of the circumstances and situations around you will develop your self-confidence. When you consider the amount of rejection that many sales people encounter, the fact that many salespeople lack self-confidence is not surprising. Top performing people in any industry typically possess a high level of self-confidence. They may not necessarily possess this confidence all their lives. Humanize the Sales Process Q & A Prep Your Customer When I first moved to Seattle, I worked for 9 years as a paint contractor. It is amazing the lessons I learned from this field, that I now carry into the field of sales. For example, before anyone can paint, you must plan what colors and textures you would want. You must have a vision of the finished product before you start. Next will come the preparation work. Before you apply a long-lasting, beautiful finish, you must "prep" the surface by washing, spackling, caulking, or priming. The actual painting comes only after you have spent countless hours preparing for it. The Canned Sales Pitch Myth Canned or scripted sales approaches are rarely successful, because one size does not fit all in selling. Getting Them to Buy: The Two Most Important Pieces to the Sales Pitch Why are some sales pitches more persuasive than others? Are the salespeople just naturally more convincing, or do they know secrets about creating a sales pitch that the rest of us don't? Generate Sales with Lead Generation Marketing Tools One of the best projects to undertake as an online marketer is to master the art of generating sales from your warm market contacts. A warm market is simply people who have already been exposed to your business and marketing plan. It can be described as "breaking the ice" with your potential customers. The best way to generate a warm market is with lead generation marketing tools. Qualifying vs closing The art of effective question asking (qualifying) determines the effectiveness and the success of the "close".EXAMPLE: Let's assume you are a candy sales rep. You sell both chocolate and non-chocolate candy. I'm your potential customer. You know nothing about me but you are trying to sell me chocolate candy. You proceed to tell me how great the candy tastes, how exquisite the texture is, how incredible the quality of the chocolate is, and, by the way, how affordable this candy is because your company is doing a promotion on this outstanding chocolate candy. However, you don't sell me a single piece of chocolate candy. WHY?You assumed I liked chocolate candy and I would buy it based on the information you provided. But the most important thing you forgot to identify or ask me is "do you like chocolate candy?".The answer is "no, I hate chocolate candy?". But since you never took the time to understand me as your potential new customer, you lost today's sale and future sales a well. Better Approach: I'm still the customer, you are still the candy sales rep. You're still promoting chocolate candy. The difference is - upon meeting me and establishing a rapport, your first question might be."Do you like chocolate candy?".My response "no, I never eat chocolate candy".Your response "you never eat chocolate candy, why?".My response "because I'm allergic to it". QUESTION: Do you believe it would make any difference to me, the customer, how the chocolate looks, tastes, is processed, or even how affordable it is? Your answer should be "no". However, just because I don't eat chocolate candy doesn't mean I don't know a number of other people who love chocolate candy. Also, you sell hard candy not just chocolate candy, so maybe the next question would be:"Do you eat any kind of candy?".My response "occasionally".Your response "when you say occasionally, how often is that?".My response "2 to 3 times per month".Your response "when you do eat candy, what type of candy do you eat?"My response "hard-type, mint candies".Your response "have you ever tasted our incredible hard, mint candies?".GET THE PICTURE? "Its all about asking, not selling." Once you have identified what's important to me, the customer, you have positioned yourself to sell me what I want - not what you have. The Choice between Yes and Yes: A Psychological Revelation Three year old Kara was throwing a tantrum. She did not want to go to bed, of that she was certain. How to Build Rapport in 7 Seconds! I had my first official sales training by a man who believed in being very assertive, almost pushy. At the time this conflicted with my reserved nature, and for the next 6 months did not even make one sale. Grow Sales Using Image Tactics In my dreams, I envision being the marketing consultant equivalent of Oprah or Tiger Woods. Oprah, for her premise, "You're a woman and only you are responsible for yourself." Tiger Woods, for his ultimate dedication to the game. Respectively, this is what they're known for or what their personal value can be identified as; put another way, this is what their brand identities are.
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