Always have a toothpick handy!

You want to separate yourself from the pack?  Be a better salesperson? Listen up!

We have already talked about the importance of asking great questions to develop trust.  Unfortunately, the ability to ask clear and concise questions is of no benefit at all if we don’t actively listen to the answers.  So, I also shared the keys to effective listening in an earlier post.

What we want to do in this article is to chat a bit about what our approach should be when our customers ask questions.  Remember that perception is reality for both us and our customer.  We can’t assume that we know exactly what our customer means when they ask us a question.  Many times, I have found, our customers don’t really know what they want.  We have to help.  It takes a little proding and deducing on our part to help our customer make an informed choice.  I have always felt that a truly professional salesperson doesn’t really sell anything!  What they do is create a warm, friendly and credible environment in which the customer can discover for themselves that they want to purchase our product or service.  Never forget:

 People LOVE to buy but they HATE to be “sold!”   

Let me share an example with how easy it can be to have the wrong perception with a customer’s question.

   A lady walked into a cutlery store and was admiring the knife displays when a salesperson approached and asked if he could be of assistance.  She asked, “Are these knives very sharp?”  Her salesperson couldn’t wait to get into his sales presentation.  “Are you kidding me?” he replied, “These are the sharpest knives on the planet.  They have been designed using the newest laser technology and are guaranteed to be the sharpest knives you will ever use!”   

The lady replied, “Gee, I’m sorry then.  These knives won’t work because they are to be a gift for my elderly and frail mother and I’m afraid that she might hurt herself with knives so sharp.”  Oops!  See how easy the wheels can come off?  Obviously, the salesperson assumed wrongly that he knew what the customer meant when she asked her question. 

What should have been done differently? 

Don’t assume! That is the first piece of advice.  Never assume you know what your customer means.  The professional never assumes.  He first asks questions for clarification.  Our hapless salesperson above could have increased his chances greatly by just asking the obvious follow-up question. “Is sharpness important to you?”  He would have then learned about the feeble mom and then he would know what type of knives to show to better fit his customer’s needs.  He also would have developed trust by taking an active interest.  By discovering the ultimate use of the knives he could now act as a caring counselor and not a pushy salesperson.  He could have responded with something like, “So, if I understand you correctly, you would like to purchase some quality knives as a present for your Mom that she can use with confidence but at the same time give you peace of mind that she is not going to accidentaly hurt herself.  Is that correct?”  “YES!”  “Great, then if you would allow me to make a recommendation why don’t you inspect these knives over here…………. ”

Wow, that response is stronger than 3 acres of garlic!  It shows that not only were you listening to your customer’s concerns, but you also have empathy.   

You can, I am sure, think of many more examples depending on the type of product or service being offered.  I might also add that the best follow-up questions are asked in a conversational tone of voice.  Remember that although selling is asking…how you ask is every bit as important.  This is not an interrogation.  It is a transference of feeling and information.  

  I would be interested in hearing from you professionals out there on similar sales examples you have witnessed  that can help the rest of us.  Rick