Evaluating Your Customer

It is one thing to make a sales presentation, but it is another thing to make a sales presentation without first evaluating your customer. For all you know, you could be selling your customer something that they already have, or something they don't want, don't need, or can't afford.

This is why it is so very important to take your customer in, sit them down, make them feel comfortable, and get to know them and what their needs are. Once you have done this, you can then sell them a product based on what their needs are and not what you think they are.

On a personal note . . .

I learned the importance of evaluating your customer the hard way. A few years ago, I was a branch manager working in a bank branch. One particular customer of the bank approached me in my office about opening a savings account for her daughter.

Once I explained to her the process of opening a savings account, I proceeded to tell her all about a current promotion we were having on our home equity loans. She sat there and listened very politely and patiently as I very proudly went down the list of all the benefits, features, and tax breaks that come with a home equity loan.

Once I had finished my rehearsed presentation, she said to me;

That all sounds very nice, and it is something that I will consider in the near to distant future. She than went on to tell me that she and her husband rented the house they lived in.

So there you have it, I tried to sell a home equity loan to someone without a house.

Needless to say, my face turned a deeper shade of scarlet, and I felt like an idiot.

But hey, I learned from my mistake. Had I asked some simple probing questions before I went straight for the sale, I would have saved myself a lot of embarrassment.

You will be amazed at what you can find out from people just by asking them a few simple questions about themselves. Remember, people love to talk about themselves. Their jobs, their pets, their kids, just about everything.

I once had a friend who owned a shoe store, and his inventory was made up mostly of sneakers. One day a man walked into his store to buy a pair of sneakers. As my friend assisted him with his decision, he struck up a friendly conversation with him. As it turned out, this customer ran a basketball camp during the summer and he loved to talk about it. A few minutes into the conversation, my friend and his customer had come to an agreement. All of the boys and girls that attended the customers basketball camp would receive a 10% discount on their sneakers if they purchased them at my friend's store.

So, as you can see, my friend increased his sales that summer simply by striking up a conversation with his random customer and asking a few questions. Imagine going to your doctors office with an ailment and having him prescribe you a medication without asking what your symptoms were. Would you take the medication?

The same principal applies.

It really isn't rocket science, it's just friendly conversation, get to know your customer and watch one sale turn into many.

Why service only one of your customers needs when you can service them all.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, both as a loan officer and a sales manager. He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com

---

Objections Are Buying Signals? Usually!

How well do you handle objections?The fact is, most people... Read More

Sales Lessons from Bob Vila

There's more to what he does than meets the eyeWith... Read More

Stop Selling! for the Million Dollar Contract

During the introduction of the "Stop Selling!" philosophy, we typically... Read More

Six Simple Steps to Increase Sales and Decrease Stress

Have you ever found a lead on a scrap of... Read More

Why ALL Sales Decisions Are Based On Emotion - Heres The Proof!

Have you ever gone into a newsagent, picked up a... Read More

More Customers! Less Work!

Wouldn't it be nice if there were an inexpensive method... Read More

A Simple Sales Strategy: Talk to Yourself!

You are about to speak to a potential client, go... Read More

Better Listening Skills = More Sales

Today's business environment is intrinsically tied together by ongoing information... Read More

The Dos and Donts of an Elevator Pitch

The dreaded question: "What exactly does your company do?" It's... Read More

Why Salespeople Dont Take Risks

Proponents of traditional sales training simply teach the material, sometimes... Read More

Business Appointment Success or Failure

One of the quickest ways to loose a sale is... Read More

Top 5 Low Cost Ways To Get More Sales Leads And Sell More Without Cold Calling

Cold calling may now be outdated. People have become defensive... Read More

Increase Your Sales With an Incredible Offer

What are you selling?Coaching? Consulting? Professional services? A product? Information?To... Read More

How to Master the Art of Salesmanship

I put together this little article because, although basic, we... Read More

Reaching Goals in Direct Sales

From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals... Read More

Small Business Computer Consulting Freeloaders? and How to Avoid Them

If you've been in the small business computer consulting industry... Read More

Closing The Sale

Several weeks ago I asked my Newsletter subscribers to send... Read More

Sales Leads: 10 Sure Fire Ways To Unleash An Avalanche Of Sales

If you knew a few sure fire ideas that have... Read More

Selling Yourself - Its Not About You

I recently found myself suffering from a lousy cold; all... Read More

Sales Letters - How to Write Them

You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More

Increase Your Selling Confidence

1. Be on time. In fact, arrive a few minutes... Read More

Why More Sales Training Comes Before More Marketing Expenditure

In most businesses, when sales are slow or low, the... Read More

The Art Of Persuasion: 7 Tips To Successfully Persuade Anyone

The saying "No man is an island" is an undeniable... Read More

The Golden Week of Selling

Have you ever heard of the Golden Hour? I live... Read More

Say What?!? Sales is a Profession?

What exactly is the sales profession? Without a common dialogue... Read More

Simple Technique for Isolating Objections

To isolate any objection quickly you can use this effective... Read More

Want to Make More Money? Fish in a Bigger Pond!

Setting prices is a dilemma most service business owners encounter... Read More

Sneaky Sales Tactics

The reason why you have a job in sales is... Read More

Sales Performance and Motivation: How to Get Your Edge Back

Performance and motivation are like chocolate & peanut butter; the... Read More

Sales Language: Whats Wrong with But?

Language is one of the most important tools you have... Read More

Get Tough

You deal with rejections, frustrations, disappointment, and possibly disrespect on... Read More

Value Add Negotiating for Sales Professionals

Imagine this scenario. You are a sales representative for Baker... Read More

Change Takes Time

I am writing this at the Philadelphia Airport on my... Read More