PEOPLE purchase
products and services for both logical and psychological reasons.
Some products and
services because they make life easier for us by saving us time, effort and
money.
The reasons for
purchasing these types of products are logical; for example, you buy a washing
machine primarily because it saves you time and effort.
In today's social
environment, many products and services can be regarded as
"unnecessary", in that they satisfy various "wants" rather
than "needs".
Some products and
services give us pleasure (for example, an entertainment system) or make us
feel that we stand out from the crowd (such as staying in five-star hotels), and
thus enhance our self-esteem. People buy these products or services for
psychological reasons.
Effective salesmen
are aware of the different reasons why people make a purchase and can use these
reasons as levers to make a sale.
Persuasion
Successful salesmen
have mastered the art of persuasion. There are two main ways in which people
can be persuaded: "direct" and "indirect".
Direct persuasion is
straightforward as it involves behaviours such as emphasising the advantages
and disadvantages of not purchasing a product or service.
Indirect persuasion
is more difficult as it involves a salesman establishing his credibility and
getting the customer to both like and trust him.
Good
relationships
Caring for the
customer is of utmost importance when it comes to sales. People are unlikely to
care about your product or service if they feel that you do not care about
them.
Successful salesmen
focus on building relationships with their customers rather than on what they
stand to gain from making a sale.
Developing good
relationships with customers is one of the cornerstones of being successful at
sales. To do this, you must be trusted and liked by them.
People will trust you
when they believe that you are credible and concerned about their interests.
Being open with customers and keeping your word are also crucial if they are to
trust you.
Connect with your
customers by showing them that you have similar interests, views and
values.
Find out more by
listening to them and asking open-ended questions such as "What is it that
you really want from this product/service?"
Listening
Too often, salesmen
want to talk rather than listen because they are focused on what they stand to
gain rather than on what the customer stands to gain from the purchase.
Being a good listener
is a gift. When people listen actively and deeply, they suspend judgment and
pay attention not only to what the customer is saying but also to the
non-verbal cues he is giving.
Non-verbal cues are
more important than what is actually said. Successful salesmen can identify the
often unstated needs and concerns of their customers through non-verbal cues
and then match these needs and concerns to products or services.
Self-talk
Salesmen have to deal
with rejection on a regular basis. Self-talk, or what you say to yourself, is a
motivational tool.
One of the barriers
to being both an effective listener and a successful salesman is inappropriate
self-talk.
Effective listening
and self-motivation depend on being able to control one's self-talk. It is easy
to be distracted by self-talk (for example, "this customer is very
demanding" or "I have not had lunch as yet") when a customer is
talking.
The trouble is that
people notice when you are not truly listening. When this happens, you appear
insincere or uninterested and the relationship is damaged.
Successful salesmen
know how to use self-talk to stay motivated and avoid self-defeating thoughts.
Remember that what you say to yourself colours how you see the world.
Article by Dr Gian Casimir, honorary academic adviser of Training Edge International. He was a lecturer with Wharton School in the University of Pennsylvania and currently lectures at the University of Newcastle in Singapore. He has worked in the sales industry for several years as a consultant in Australia and with MNCs.
E-mail Gian.Casimir@trainingedgeasia.com Website: www.trainingedgeasia.com.
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