START Making More Sales
By Sales Strategist, Human Behavior Expert, and Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
80% of my audiences? SALES. After more than 35 years working with top sales organizations and teams around the globe — there isn’t much I haven’t seen or heard of in both success stories — and EXCUSES for why money is left on the table. Here’s what I know…
The top excuses for not making a deal? What salespeople say: Price. Product. Economy. Marketing. Territory. What customers say: “I didn’t connect with the salesperson.” Ask yourself, “Could it be that I’m getting in my own way?” The key to making the most in sales is your ability to determine the selling style your customer relates to the best.
Bottom line: If someone is going to be a bit uncomfortable in the sales process, it should NEVER be the customer. The salesperson is the one who has to be adaptable and willing to change things up to create the kind of trusting connection that will close the deal. THAT’S the sweet spot in the sales business.
Instead of excuses? Take a good long look in the mirror and ask yourself, “What could there be about my selling style that might not fit with my buyer’s personality and comfort zone?” There’s a high probability THAT is what’s standing in the way of even higher sales. Here’s what I know about salespeople: ego plays a huge part in each sales relationship. That can be a good or a bad thing. On one hand, you have to have a healthy dose of ego to be a great salesperson. Ego is what turns on the confidence, charm, credibility, and charisma necessary to turn a NO into a YES. However, ego can also get us in the “all about me” mode rather than an “all about the customer” mentality – and that’s where we run into trouble.
A better strategy? First, realize selling is not about the salesperson. Ever. It’s about the customer. Member. Client. To sell anything, we must be able to create an atmosphere that puts them in the mood to believe in us, trust us, and buy. So? Instead of charging headfirst into selling, using your own go-to sales personality, check out the buyer’s style of receiving information, and then? Make your adjustments. Quickly. Let me try and simplify a complex subject and take you inside the mind of the typical BUYER. Basically, they fall into two categories:
- Bottom-line buyers: They want numbers, statistics, information, and hard facts. They are NOT into chit-chat, small talk, or warm, fuzzy feelings. They are not concerned about being your friend or getting to know you. They want to be assured you know your stuff and can answer any question or deal with any problem that comes along.
- Relationship buyers: These folks want to get to know you and, yes, LIKE you before they’ll even begin to think about signing on the dotted line. They NEED small talk and interaction. If you view chit-chat as unnecessary and a waste of your time, you’re leaving tons of money on the table. For them, it’s much more than small talk – it’s an interview to determine whether you’re the person for them … or not.
If you’re a bottom-line salesperson, your relationship buyers aren’t connecting with you. They see you as hurried. Cold. All about the money. If you’re a relationship salesperson, you’re losing bottom-line buyers with the idle chatter. And desperate attempts to “build a relationship”.
Match your style to the customers – and watch your sales go higher and higher.
Sometimes salespeople talk first and listen later. Flip that around. Tune in to the “audience” in front of you – and leave your own filter (ego) aside while you assess what style makes the costumer most receptive to what you are offering. Are they bottom-line or relationship driven? If you can determine that within the few minutes – and you can set your ego aside enough to adapt to them – you have a much better chance of landing the sale.
Those are the kinds of things I love to teach sales audiences. How to size up the people in the room within minutes so they know exactly the right approach to make that customer feel safe enough to like them, trust them, and most of all – do business with them. That way, instead of leaving money on the table, they are more likely to develop a better connection with their customers, and, when they follow the OTHER nine steps in this series, create long-term business and referral relationships.
That is the goal, right? So, starting today? No more excuses!
Here’s a quick video I did on the topic!
If you’d like to learn more about closing more sales and building a stronger business, book me to come in and take your sales team to the next level! It will be fun, dynamic – and a big boost to your bottom line productivity!
