Some salespeople lose sight of the fact that part of their mission is to provide needed information to their prospects. First, you must inform prospects about how they can benefit from your product and how it represents a good value for their money. Second, you must help them make the proper buying decision. And third, you must service them. What it all boils down to is that you do a grave disservice to your prospects when you let them hang on the fence, unable to reach a conclusion. It’s important to realize that when somebody procrastinates in making a buying decision, it’s because you haven’t convinced them that it’s to their advantage to act now.
Nothing beats doing your homework so you know exactly what your prospect’s problems and needs are—and having solutions for them. You must have the knowledge and ability to pass on certain information to your prospect so he or she can make an intelligent buying decision. You must know everything about the product you sell, understand it and what it does. Learn its features, its advantages and its benefits.
If a prospect doesn’t know specific reasons why he should buy your product, he simply won’t recognize why it is of value to him. People who care about your product, but who aren’t convinced enough yet to buy will vent their objections. I interpret these objections as positive signs that if I properly handle their questions, I will make a sale.
You need to be prepared to deal with and overcome any legitimate concerns customers might have about the product or service they are getting. Look at the product you’re selling from the customer’s viewpoint. You have to understand the customer’s wants and needs. It’s all part of fitting the right product for your prospect. People buy your products really not because they understand all that much about it, but because they feel you have some kind of understanding about them and the product your selling them!
If you don’t know everything about the item you’re selling, you have no business selling it. A lot of salespeople do nothing to prepare for a potential customer or sale. They don’t know anything about the customer and, worse yet, they don’t know their products or services the way a customer has the right to expect they should.
Instead, let the prospect feel as though you served him by providing needed information so he could make an intelligent buying decision. You should praise him for his comments and observations. After all, you don’t want him to feel as though he has been talked into buying something against his will. So make him feel good about giving his consent after he had initially voiced an objection. Then when all barriers have been removed, you can move on to close the sale!
