In class, we discussed this core concept of attunement. Essentially, this means that the salesperson should not reveal exactly what they are selling before it is appropriate. Thia may have a lot to do with the propspect. The prospect may try and lead the salesperson to reveal this, insisting that they “show me what you’ve got.” it is important for the salesperson to try and steer the conversation to be a productive one, and not let the prospect lead them off target.
A prospect may also be attempting to gain a “free consulting” session. It is important for the salesperson to not give away all of their knowledge and expertise for “free.” Too often, salespeople are too eager to explain everything they know, in the hopes that thier vast knowledge will make the sale. An effective sales process relies on an appropriate amount of development, and most importantly, patience. The ever important fact-finding stage cannot be skipped.
Prospects will ask what you can do for them. Don’t fall into the trap; don’t immediately “dump all your candy onto the table.” Be sure you are not being used for all your information, otherwise you will lose your usefullness. Try to steer the conversation back to fact-finding, by asking, “Would you mind if I ask you a few questions first?” The best way to drive the effective sales process is to always be asking fact-finding questions, and never exhaust your own usefulness.
testacr22
Great post! As much as I agree with the rule of “don’t spill your candy in the lobby,” I think if I wasn’t prepared for some push-back from the customer, it’d be easy for me to let the rule go in those moments. It’s important to know what you’re getting into and have a plan beforehand, and this is an awesome example of that.
It all goes back to centering on the client. People often end up selling themselves on products with only a little guidance and nudging from an experienced salesman who knows that probing the client first leads to the salesman knowing the best techniques and approaches to use. If they didn’t know facts about the client, it would be more like selling to a brick wall. Nice post!