There are only two reasons we buy anything. We either want to get rid of a problem or we want something we don’t have yet.
Your job in sales is to lead your prospects to fully articulate their issues so they agree that the problem is worth solving and the outcome is one they want.
To effectively do so you need a framework where you control the structure and direction of your sales conversation and your prospects provide the content within it.
In essence the structure is PRESENT -> FUTURE and the OBSTACLES stopping them from getting what they want.
PRESENT: Starting with the present. Where are they right now? What’s the problem they’re facing? Why is this problem important to them to fix? Why now?
What will happen if they don’t fix it?
FUTURE: What do they want instead. The outcome they’re looking for. Once again drill down into why they want this outcome – both from an emotional and logical standpoint.
OBSTACLES: Now ask what’s holding them back. What have they tried as solutions? Do they really want to fix the issue? Are they willing to commit whatever combination of time, money or effort required?
Your solution is the BRIDGE over their obstacles. It takes them from their present to their future.
Once they’ve agreed they want a solution, ask if they’d like to learn more about what you offer.
Give them a high level overview. Do not get tempted to drill down and talk about every feature and benefit. Their eyes will glaze over.
Tie your solution’s benefits back to the specific outcomes they want.
And finally, invite them to take action and buy.
When you genuinely believe you can solve their issues make a specific invitation. “We can do X which will cost you $Y. We can start next week.”
You’re looking for a yes/no answer. Either way is fine. A “maybe” just strings everyone along.
The biggest mistake we see is people NOT asking for the order. If you don’t ask, both parties walk away unsatisfied.
You know you could solve their issue. They wanted it solved and now feel let down.
When working with our clients this is a major area we drill and skill as everything hinges on your prospects being really clear as to what they want and why. And then ensuring you have the confidence to ask for the order and be absolutely fine with the answer, be it a yes or no.
Wrapping up, if you want to improve your sales performance, contact Rashid on 0414 913 334 and discuss our Effortless Selling program.
