Post on 09-Aug-2015
Top performers effectively guide live customer interactions by facilitating dialogue with the central purpose of uncovering and satisfying a customer’s relevant business needs.
These world-class sales professionals are able to move the sale forward and establish mutually beneficial relationships.
Build Customer Engagement
Listen attentively
Acknowledge what the customer is saying
Show respect and empathy
Transition among topics
Confirm mutual understanding
Collaborate
…with your customer to define the focus of the sales call
This allows you to move smoothly from rapport-building to business
Strive to uncover the deeper need that ultimately motivates a desire to purchase.
Facilitate open exchange of information to discover needs
Asking questions can create awareness of unrealized needs
• What are you currently doing about…?
• What do you have in place now for…?
• How well is that working for you?
Skill 6 Resolve Customer Concerns
Three Types of Customer Concerns
1. Skepticism
2. Misunderstanding
3. Drawback
Skill 6
Important! Know what kind of concern your customer is expressing so you can respond appropriately.
Resolve Customer Concerns
Three Types of Customer Concerns
1. Skepticism
2. Misunderstanding
3. Drawback
Close the Call
…by asking for a clear, mutually beneficial commitment when the customer is ready to move ahead in the sales cycle.
Close the Call
Commitments Aren’t Always Contracts
Not every sales call will end with a signature on the dotted line.
Other valuable commitments include:
• Agreements to meet with other decision makers
• Agreements to review proposals
• Agreements to watch demonstrations
Close the Call
And, one more thing…
Closing should not be the primary objective of a sales call. Learn from a seasoned sales expert why, and where your focus should really be.
Summary
• Mastering these skills can help any salesperson fully engage customers and sustain solid business relationships.
• An accomplished need-satisfaction seller proposes solutions that meet critical needs, facilitates fact-based buying decisions, and develops lasting partnerships based on a deep understanding of the customer’s business realities.
Excerpted from the Crux of Selling in a Vexing World: The Need for Perspective.
Want to develop the skills to conduct customer-focused sales conversations? Find out if Professional Selling Skills® is right for you.