When the salesman entered my house we first had to pass through a reception room to go through to the room where my PCs are. The reception room, which doubles as a gallery and storage room for my painted art canvases, is usually a conversation starter for visitors and a good rapport builder.
10 Ideas for a Better Sales Pitch
#1: Be in the Business of Selling Ideas#2: It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Act
#3: Use Mirroring
#4: Make Each Word Count
#5: Ask Questions
#6: Use Imagery
#7: Understand Cultural Differences
#8: Create a Personal Brand
#9: Realise Salespeople are Made and Not Born
#10: Never Stop Learning
This broadband salesman asked me a lot of questions and complimented my work. I wanted the broadband regardless of his flatter patter but he was right to ask those questions and take an interest in me. Questions solicit responses and responses help us build a picture of our prospect. As sales people there isn't always a lot of time to build rapport so it must be done effectively.
Although indulging a person normally solicits reciprocation, beware; transparency can result in outright rejection. In a selling context, getting too close to a person with whom you do not have adequate rapport sounds their alarm bells. Your customer may hang up the phone or walk away or become angry. They do whatever it is that human beings do. Never mind these set backs. Put it down to experience as you move forward.
Incidentally, it was me who ended up asking questions and making a sale when the engineer from the broadband company delivered my router and set up my network. The first thing he commented on was how interested he was in my work and how much I charged. I asked a few questions and found out he was in a covers band playing at none other than a local club specialising in tribute bands where I intend to (hopefully) do some networking and make sales.
Take an interest in people and you never know where the conversation will lead or what it might yield.
Tips
- When talking, your send to receive ratio should be 20/80. In other words, let the prospect do 80% of the talking with you interjecting 20% when appropriate. If your prospect is shy or of few words, encourage them. With a considered approach, it’ll soon flow.
- Find the pain. To stir up or unsettle a prospect a little helps get the truth. Do it tastefully. Understandably, most of us are wary or reluctant when confronted by a prying salesperson. “I can’t tell him that!” we say to ourselves anxiously. “He might sell me something!”
- All you ever need do is ask questions. There is nothing offensive or rude about asking “why?” People enjoy talking about themselves even when angry.
- If you ask a question, shut up and give the prospect chance to answer. There may be a silence. Unless they really struggle to answer, be patient and don’t fill these pauses.
