Learn to Read Your Customer’s Mind

 

A lot of people are fascinated with illusionists who seem to be able to read minds by telling you what card you are holding, what number you are thinking of, how much money you have in your bank account; that kind of thing. These tricks may seem magical or supernatural, but they are simply the result of hard work and lots of practice. The real trick is knowing what and how to practice.

The same thing is true in sales. Wouldn’t it be easier to become a top sales person if you could somehow read your customer’s mind and know exactly what he wanted to buy, how much he was willing to pay and under what terms he wanted to close, BEFORE you began making your presentation? It may be easier than you think. You just need to know what and how to practice. Here are a few tips to help you "magically" discover how to do just that.

Understand buyer motivations. When a customer makes a purchase, it is for one of three reasons:

• Productivity – he is looking for a way to get something done faster or cheaper.
• Profitability – he is trying to save money or increase cash flow.
• Image – he wants to look better or feel better.

If you can identify which of these three goals is motivating your customer, you can structure your presentation to appeal to those goals and offer solutions that will help your customer reach those goals.

Ask the right questions and pay attention to the answers. If you want to learn to work this kind of sales magic, the first thing you must do is stop talking about your product and start asking questions that will help you understand what your customer needs and wants.

There are two distinct types of questions. They have different functions and are used at various times to accomplish different purposes.

Open Questions Open Things Up

The first type of question is referred to as an open question, because of its open-ended nature. The structure of this question invites your customer to speak freely and share their feelings, insights or opinions on a variety of subjects without setting any limitations.

Open questions usually start with words like:

• Who - Where - What - When - How - Why
• Or maybe simply, "Tell me about ?" or "Could you explain ?"

Use open questions when you want to find out more about your customer’s needs, problems, concerns, or experiences. Asking open questions is a very important tool to be used early in the conversation, when your customer is more likely to express opinions and talk casually. A sales rep who is skilled and practiced at asking open questions can obtain a great deal of very important information.

Open questions can:

• Uncover needs
• Gather information
• Clarify
• Focus Attention
• Stimulate reflective thinking
• Obtain feedback
• Determine resistance
• Determine readiness
• Direct the conversation toward closing

You must apply the information you receive from the customer directly to some aspect of the sales process in a way that will help you understand what the customer wants and how your products and service can provide that for him. Pay attention and connect the dots.

Get Right To The Point With Closed Questions

The second type of question is the closed question, so called because it tends to close off conversation by eliciting a short, clear, direct answer – sometimes as simple as yes or no. Closed questions are useful when you need to receive quick, basic facts from the other side about some aspect of their situation.

Use closed questions when you want to:

• Obtain specific facts
• Gain a quick, clear response regarding an issue or a proposal.

Some examples of closed questions are:

"When is the earliest date you would be willing to take delivery?"

"Are you the final decision maker for this deal?"

"How many units do you need for this project?"

Most sales reps think their job is to sell. Well, yes and know. Your FIRST job is to ask good questions and list carefully. If you excel at this job, your customer will tell you what he wants to buy and why, sometimes without even realizing it. Once you have "read his mind," then – and only then – that you have just the thing to meet his needs.

 

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October Sales Quick Tip of the Month -- Counter Discounting with Value

One of the most universal complaints heard from sales managers is that their sales reps are being pressured to discount price in order to be competitive in the eyes of customers. Of course, the more you discount, the more you have to boost volume but, in the meantime, customers expect you to discount even more. Keep that up and pretty soon you are out of business. As a rule, discounting to stay competitive is a bad idea. If your price is fair to you and to your customer, change the subject. Get the conversation off of price and onto value. Emphasize how well the product meets the customer’s specific needs. Carefully explain things like your superior product quality, outstanding warranty and stellar service. Help the customer clearly understand that he is getting much more for the money, and be enthusiastic about the opportunity. Customers will always ask for discounts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t close the deal without one. Act like your product is worth it, and they are much more likely to feel that way, too.