What do people buy?
They don't buy your wonderful presentation.
People buy solutions and visions.
How do you find out what buyer will think that is?
Ask.
Ask questions.
Spend most of your time asking questions of your prospects, and you will have the opportunity to find out if there is a solution or vision that they want to buy.
When I say solutions or visions, here's what I mean. People buy solutions to problems or deep felt pains that they have or fear happening. People also buy visions that represent the means of attaining their desires.
Of the two, most people will have a stronger motivation to solve or avoid a problem than they will to do something to attain a desire. Don't believe me? Just look at how many people claim to dislike or even hate their jobs. Anyone *can* get a new job or start a new career. Most people never do though. Why? Because the fear of going into the unknown or losing their secure paycheck is more painful than enduring whatever pain or frustration they might have in the job they claim to hate or dislike.
Let's say that If you wanted to sell someone on changing careers. You would need to first deal with whatever they feared in the process of changing careers. Only after successfully addressing this you could ever complete this sale and motivate them with the exciting possibilities that the new career offered.
A business might have a need for a particular product or service that offer. You look at this business, and you just know that they need it. It would make real difference to the way they do business, how they treat their customers, how much revenue they take in, or how efficient they are.
None of this matters.
Nope. That is your perception. The only thing that really matters is whether or not the people who run this business perceive that something needs to be changed. Businesses buy something when they recognize that a change needs to occur to fix or avoid a problem, or to realize a vision for the future.
Now, some prospects are walking pain statements. They'll hand you their problem right up on a silver platter and ask you if you can solve it. These tend to be the easy sales. We love these.
Unfortunately for us, there aren't enough sales like this in most industries to make our sales goals off of. Not all people or businesses perceive that they need to change. Not all buyers are aware of the problems, pitfalls, or opportunities that are out there. This is especially true when you sell an innovative or new product, and people are not even aware that what you offer exists.
So herein lies the challenge and the opportunity for us as salespeople (and the reason why businesses have salespeople instead of a stack of order forms in their corporate lobbies). We are paid a lot of money to find the prospects that are unaware of the problems and possibilities, and to show them the consequences that await them.
People are motivated by consequences. This is one of most important things you can learn in persuasion. Consequences are what people fear or want most. This is the root motivation for what people do, or don't do - what they buy or don't buy.
Earlier I said that by asking questions of your prospects you will have the opportunity to find out if there is a solution or vision that they want to buy. I used the word opportunity specifically, because just asking questions is not enough.
You must ask the right questions at the right time. Use questions impotently, and not only will you not learn what motivates your prospect, you'll likely hear "I want to think about it, call in me in a couple of weeks". This in most cases is just the same as losing the sale.
© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.
Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
I just got off the phone with a friend of... Read More
Steps - it is unrealistic for most salespeople to expect... Read More
If you plan to do sell your product or service... Read More
Ever wish that your presentations could be as much fun... Read More
Why would a prospect buy from you rather than from... Read More
You have all seen them,the sales letters that never ends.... Read More
Color psychology is the biggest question I receive on a... Read More
As a professional service provider you face special challenges promoting... Read More
VOICEThe Image the customer has of the Salesperson is vital.... Read More
Does your Sales Pipeline leak? If you answered no, you... Read More
"Hello, is (pause) puh-TREE-shuh home?"So started my weekend lesson in... Read More
Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her... Read More
Lance has what it takes and then some.Did you know... Read More
Sean works for a major telecom company.During one of our... Read More
With the dot.com revolution crushing once solid business models on... Read More
You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More
When you are in sales and you come across a... Read More
Selling is a tough job, and sometimes you may need... Read More
One of the top brewing companies in America is a... Read More
As I prepare this issue of this Newsletter, at 37,000... Read More
When a request for proposal (RFP) comes in, you get... Read More
Not all mannequins are made to look like full-grown adults.... Read More
On an introductory call, how do you gather all of... Read More
Selling isn't something you do to people, it's something you... Read More
You stand there, in front of your great presentation material,... Read More
1. Settle On The Right Way ForwardThe purpose of your... Read More
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
Let me create a picture for you. This is the... Read More
No matter what you sell--products, services, or causes--one of the... Read More
How do you get people's attention and build their interest... Read More
Ask any salesperson, "At what point in the selling process... Read More
In some situations, attempting to intimidate the other person will... Read More
Make sure you target women. It's true for almost anything... Read More
Terminology / AcronymsABC figures: This is the independently audited sales... Read More
Part I of this article explored how strategies of Neuro-Linguistic... Read More
I've recently been hearing sales companies talk about how they... Read More
Here are five sure-fire ways to guarantee you will not... Read More
One of my first internship jobs as a college student... Read More
You have all seen them,the sales letters that never ends.... Read More
Whether you're a conventional sales person, a professional ? such... Read More
We use only 5% of God's given potential, 95% of... Read More
It is vital that insurance salespeople have a steady stream... Read More
Writing good sales copy is not an art, it is... Read More
Can you close a sale in just seven seconds? If... Read More
Selling With Purpose What is it about selling that makes... Read More
How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who... Read More
I would like to share a disturbing little secret with... Read More
For technology companies, service after the sale has emerged on... Read More
When you are in sales and you come across a... Read More
What do you think it is? Many experts insist it's... Read More
While living in the technology age where everything is computerized,... Read More
1. Animate your window display.How often do you change your... Read More
A mobile auto detailer and their profits are tied to... Read More
Products for sale need to be displayed in a manner... Read More
Many companies are looking to improve upon the speed, security,... Read More
There are seven major reasons why adults continue their pursuit... Read More
You've polished your sales page over and over againuntil it's... Read More
On an introductory call, how do you gather all of... Read More
So, you are taking your products and heading to a... Read More
If you live in England then you will already be... Read More
Let me tell you about my friend Peter who has... Read More
You can have your cake and eat it.What is it... Read More
Along with having an innovative supply chain, there's another reason... Read More
Looking for new leads, new contacts, new business opportunities? Do... Read More
This evaluation is not for the "weak-kneed". Real questions to... Read More
Selling a service isn't the same as selling a product.... Read More
Sales |