Prejudging
This next step relates to a qualified prospect. For example, someone who has answered an advert, responded to a marketing campaign, looked at the competition, or walked into your shop, office, or showroom with a genuine interest. It does not relate to unqualified prospects or leads which we will look at in step 13.
The saying ‘you can’t judge a boo by its cover is never truer than in the sales industry. Regardless of where people live, what colour they are, how old or how young someone is, what a person does for a living, what religion or sex they are; regardless of appearance or dress, and regardless of whatever excuse or objection is voiced, nobody, and I mean no single person, is able to determine beforehand which prospects are buyers and which are not. If it were possible for a person to determine which prospective customers were going to buy, there would be no such thing as a pro-clo, simply because there would be no need for them.
At the end of the day, no salesperson alive can tell (and be too per cent sure) whether or not he has a sale until the money is on the table. To prejudge that customers aren’t going to buy before giving a full presentation is suicide. If your product were free, everyone would have one, wouldn’t they? Therefore, the only thing that stops people from buying is money, and until the price is on the table, you can never tell. For that reason the pro-clo always gives it his best shot he gives too per cent effort to each customer, and his sales figures speak for themselves.
The pro-clo knows that every customer or prospect he sees has been sold to before by someone. All he has to do is be as good as, or better than, that someone. The pro-clo also emphatically believes that each qualified client he sees should buy his product. The reason for this belief is that every pro-clo is that every pro-clo is completely sold himself.
Once again…………….. only the persuaded are able to persuade.
For my money, there isn’t a salesperson anywhere who hasn’t experienced the situation where he thought there was no chance of a sale, than lo and behold, from nowhere the client became a customer.
One more time- if you have a qualified client or customer, never assume that they’re not going to buy.
Let’s now look at an example of a salesperson prejudging his potential customers.
Supposing a couple respond to a marketing campaign from a timeshare company and they go along to have look. After a while the salesperson, who has now prejudged the couple, says: ‘ I can’t sell to this couple. He’s 45, she 20 and a different colour they’re not married, they don’t own a house and have only been in their rented accommodation for four months. He’s market trader with no accountant and she’s unemployed with bad debts, and to top it all off, they’ve seen the competition and didn’t buy because they couldn’t afford it. I just haven’t got a change with these people!
If you look for negatives, guess what you find? Obviously the above example is an extreme one, but let’s now look at how a pro-clo would handle the same situation.
First of all, the pro-clo listens to the information from his customers but what he hears is not negative, it’s positive. He knows that his customers have responded to an advert or marketing campaign.
Second, the pro-clo knows that a market trader with no accountant deals in cash and quite possible has black money (undeclared earnings/cash from under the table)
Third, the pro-clo knows that if his customers have seen the competition and didn’t buy, it was probably because the competition prejudged the customers and didn’t allow them the opportunity to buy. Instead of treating the customers like time-wasters, or outcasts the pro-clo treats them like a king and Queen.
Finally the pro-clo knows that where there is a will there is a way and with and with his special kind of treatment, he will find that way. After all, who is to say that the customers don’t have a nice little nest egg tucked away somewhere? Until the price is on the taste, you never know!
We have said before that customers come in all different shapes, sizes ages, colours, creeds, and so on but all human beings have certain characteristics in common. All our desires, needs and wants are very similar, and as emotions and we all think very similarly. Zig Ziglar, in his excellent book Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the sale, demonstrates this point superbly. The following exercise is an extract from his book, which I have added to and adapted slightly.
To prove how similarly we all think, answer the following questions as quickly as you can and don’t change your mind.
1. Think of a number between one and ten.
2. Think of a colour.
3. Think of a flower.
4. Using our writing hand, hold up three fingers.
5. Think of a fruit.
6. Think of a vegetable.
7. Think of an item of furniture.
8. Think of an animal.
Now let’s see how your answers compare.
1. Seven
2. Red
3. Rose
4. Held up all but your thumb and little finger.
5. Apple or orange
6. Carrot
7. Chair
8. Dog or cat.
It doesn’t matter how many answers you agreed with. I didn’t say we were all exactly alike. I said we were all very similar.
The point I am trying to hammer home is, all your prospects are similar too. So don’t prejudge because you never can tell!
Recap
It’s time we had a little refresher to make sure that you remember to use each step on the staircase, so that you don’t trip and fall over.
Step 5 Find a want or need and them satisfy it.
Step 6 Using customer benefits, build value into your product so that price will
never be a problem
Step 7 Radiate confidence and control.
Step 8 Never prejudge that a qualified prospect isn’t going to buy, because
then you will be right.
Showing posts with label plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plan. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Don’ts
The Don’ts
1. Don’t use red.
Never write with a red pen, or wear a red shirt/ dress/blouse when you are with a customer. Subconsciously red signifies danger, stop beware, anger, red alert. Although these negative thoughts are not in the forefront of the customer’s mind, they are nevertheless there, warning the customer to be wary.
You wouldn’t wave a red rag at a bull to win favour, so don’t do it to a customer.
2. Don’t wear dark sunglasses when you are with a customer.
This gives the impression that you have something to hide, that you are a shady character who cannot be trusted. Eye contact is a must for the pro –clo.
By the same token, it’s impossible to read a customer wearing dark glasses, and you should ask him politely to remove them. I find a little hum our works best. Try saying ‘Mr Jones, what colour are your eyes?’ When he answers, say ‘would you mind proving it to me? (Raise your eyebrows and give him a knowing smile.) Works every time!
3. Don’t ask certain questions.
Never ask a customer if he understands. Not wanting to appear stupid, he will always answer ‘yes’ even when he wants to say ‘No’ Never say to a customer ‘ Your know what I mean’ or ‘Do you get my drift?’ Again, he will always answer ‘Yes’ when he might mean ‘No’ Instead, ask ‘Are you happy with that?’ Do you have any questions?’ Did you follow that or shall I go over it again?’
Also, never say to a customer ‘Let me be honest’ or ‘To tell you the truth, because it implies that you weren’t before. When someone says they’ll be honest with you, it generally means the opposite!
4. Don’t knock the competition
This has an adverse effect. The customer will think that you are trying to hide behind the competition or that you are trying to justify an inadequacy in your product. A pro-clo doesn’t knock the competition, he welcomes it, and sometimes he will even compare the competition’s product with his own in front of a customer. Remember what we said earlier. The pro-clo is sold on his product too per cent. If he thought the competition was better, he would be working for them. It is this belief, this conviction that makes the customer buy.
5. Don’t live in the past
Reminiscing can be fun and enjoyable, but only to the person doing the reminiscing. It’s the ‘also-rans’ in life who live off past performance and an old worn-out reputation. There is nothing worng with looking back, now and again-but remember, being in reverse won’t you forward.
6. Don’t fight change, welcome it.
Change has always caused, and always will cause, insecurity, doubt, unfamiliarity and fear. A pro-clo knows this but he understands that change is necessary. Without it we would all still be in the Stone Age living in caves. A pro-clo knows that change is good, it keeps people on their toes, it demonstrates a will to progress and to improve. Above all else, change creates a new challenge and every pro-clo loves a good challenge. So he doesn’t fight change, he encourages it.
7. Don’t stop learning
A pro-clo is forever reading new material, listening to cassettes and gaining new information. He is always updating his portfolio of techniques and closes and gathering new tools. A pro-clo has a relentless desire, a burning passion for knowledge and he soaks up all positive material like a sponge.
A pro-clo knows that the key to continuous success is continuous learning. If you stop learning you will eventually begin to decline. It’s like traveling in a hot air balloon. To ascend to greater heights you need to continuously supply fuel. If you shut off the fuel supply(stop learning) you will hang in suspension for a while, but inevitably you will begin to descend.
I wrote this book in such a way that it is easy to pick up and put down, because I know it is impossible to absorb all the lessons in one go. I implore you again to keep reading this book at regular intervals, use it as your personal sales manual, and keep learning. Don’t ever stop, don’t become content with mediocrity don’t remain stationary because if you do you will start to decline. Let me put it this way:
To discover how to be a true pro-clo
Continue to learn and continue to grow.
8. Don’t waste time
Time is the most precious thing in the world, and life is too short to waste it. A pro-clo makes full use of his time, he plans how to use it to give optimum benefit. However, things don’t always go according to plan, and when a pro-clo finds he has time on his hands, he doesn’t loaf around. Instead, he asks himself: ‘what is the most worthwhile thing I could be doing right now?’ When he comes up with the answer, he gets straight to it!
Remember to plan time for recreation and with your family and don’t get side-tracked. A pro-clo plans his time and times his plan.
9. Don’t give losers the time of day
In every sales organization there is always a group or negative salespeople that you should avoid like the plague. These losers are so easy to spot- They’re the ones that take an hour over a gallon of coffee before they start work in the morning, the ones that are forever hanging around the office or canteen and the ones that congregate in the pub after work to drown their sorrows. All these losers seem to do is complain, make up excuse, spread gossip and start rum ours.
All losers are sinking, and they are so afraid of going under that they try to pull everyone else down with them, thinking that they will find safety in numbers. When all is said and done, these birds of a feather will always flock together and there is very little you or I can do to change that. In this instance, the old saying ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ is wrong’. A pro-clo says ‘If you can’t beat them, avoid them –but do it politely, there is no point in adding fuel to their fire.
In staying away from the losers ‘ pro-clo often alienates himself, but that doesn’t really bother him. He knows that sometimes ‘it’s tough at the top’, but it’s always tougher at the bottom.
10. Don’t ever give up
Fight the good fight, and when all else fails, when you’re in dire straits, when there is no hope whatsoever, admit defeat. There is no shame in it- but before you do, try another close.
1. Don’t use red.
Never write with a red pen, or wear a red shirt/ dress/blouse when you are with a customer. Subconsciously red signifies danger, stop beware, anger, red alert. Although these negative thoughts are not in the forefront of the customer’s mind, they are nevertheless there, warning the customer to be wary.
You wouldn’t wave a red rag at a bull to win favour, so don’t do it to a customer.
2. Don’t wear dark sunglasses when you are with a customer.
This gives the impression that you have something to hide, that you are a shady character who cannot be trusted. Eye contact is a must for the pro –clo.
By the same token, it’s impossible to read a customer wearing dark glasses, and you should ask him politely to remove them. I find a little hum our works best. Try saying ‘Mr Jones, what colour are your eyes?’ When he answers, say ‘would you mind proving it to me? (Raise your eyebrows and give him a knowing smile.) Works every time!
3. Don’t ask certain questions.
Never ask a customer if he understands. Not wanting to appear stupid, he will always answer ‘yes’ even when he wants to say ‘No’ Never say to a customer ‘ Your know what I mean’ or ‘Do you get my drift?’ Again, he will always answer ‘Yes’ when he might mean ‘No’ Instead, ask ‘Are you happy with that?’ Do you have any questions?’ Did you follow that or shall I go over it again?’
Also, never say to a customer ‘Let me be honest’ or ‘To tell you the truth, because it implies that you weren’t before. When someone says they’ll be honest with you, it generally means the opposite!
4. Don’t knock the competition
This has an adverse effect. The customer will think that you are trying to hide behind the competition or that you are trying to justify an inadequacy in your product. A pro-clo doesn’t knock the competition, he welcomes it, and sometimes he will even compare the competition’s product with his own in front of a customer. Remember what we said earlier. The pro-clo is sold on his product too per cent. If he thought the competition was better, he would be working for them. It is this belief, this conviction that makes the customer buy.
5. Don’t live in the past
Reminiscing can be fun and enjoyable, but only to the person doing the reminiscing. It’s the ‘also-rans’ in life who live off past performance and an old worn-out reputation. There is nothing worng with looking back, now and again-but remember, being in reverse won’t you forward.
6. Don’t fight change, welcome it.
Change has always caused, and always will cause, insecurity, doubt, unfamiliarity and fear. A pro-clo knows this but he understands that change is necessary. Without it we would all still be in the Stone Age living in caves. A pro-clo knows that change is good, it keeps people on their toes, it demonstrates a will to progress and to improve. Above all else, change creates a new challenge and every pro-clo loves a good challenge. So he doesn’t fight change, he encourages it.
7. Don’t stop learning
A pro-clo is forever reading new material, listening to cassettes and gaining new information. He is always updating his portfolio of techniques and closes and gathering new tools. A pro-clo has a relentless desire, a burning passion for knowledge and he soaks up all positive material like a sponge.
A pro-clo knows that the key to continuous success is continuous learning. If you stop learning you will eventually begin to decline. It’s like traveling in a hot air balloon. To ascend to greater heights you need to continuously supply fuel. If you shut off the fuel supply(stop learning) you will hang in suspension for a while, but inevitably you will begin to descend.
I wrote this book in such a way that it is easy to pick up and put down, because I know it is impossible to absorb all the lessons in one go. I implore you again to keep reading this book at regular intervals, use it as your personal sales manual, and keep learning. Don’t ever stop, don’t become content with mediocrity don’t remain stationary because if you do you will start to decline. Let me put it this way:
To discover how to be a true pro-clo
Continue to learn and continue to grow.
8. Don’t waste time
Time is the most precious thing in the world, and life is too short to waste it. A pro-clo makes full use of his time, he plans how to use it to give optimum benefit. However, things don’t always go according to plan, and when a pro-clo finds he has time on his hands, he doesn’t loaf around. Instead, he asks himself: ‘what is the most worthwhile thing I could be doing right now?’ When he comes up with the answer, he gets straight to it!
Remember to plan time for recreation and with your family and don’t get side-tracked. A pro-clo plans his time and times his plan.
9. Don’t give losers the time of day
In every sales organization there is always a group or negative salespeople that you should avoid like the plague. These losers are so easy to spot- They’re the ones that take an hour over a gallon of coffee before they start work in the morning, the ones that are forever hanging around the office or canteen and the ones that congregate in the pub after work to drown their sorrows. All these losers seem to do is complain, make up excuse, spread gossip and start rum ours.
All losers are sinking, and they are so afraid of going under that they try to pull everyone else down with them, thinking that they will find safety in numbers. When all is said and done, these birds of a feather will always flock together and there is very little you or I can do to change that. In this instance, the old saying ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ is wrong’. A pro-clo says ‘If you can’t beat them, avoid them –but do it politely, there is no point in adding fuel to their fire.
In staying away from the losers ‘ pro-clo often alienates himself, but that doesn’t really bother him. He knows that sometimes ‘it’s tough at the top’, but it’s always tougher at the bottom.
10. Don’t ever give up
Fight the good fight, and when all else fails, when you’re in dire straits, when there is no hope whatsoever, admit defeat. There is no shame in it- but before you do, try another close.
Recap: Step
Recap: Step
The do’s The Don’ts
1. Leave your work at work 1. Don’t use red
2. Take regular exercise 2. Don’t wear dark sunglasses
3. Create a things to do list 3.Don’t ask certain questions
4. Do what you don’t want to do 4. Don’t knock the competition
5. Dress like a professional 5. Don’t live in the past
6. Be courteous and smile 6. Don’t fight change, welcome it
7. Accept when you’re wrong 7. Don’t stop learning
8. Motivate yourself 8. Don’t waste time
9. Set yourself goals 9. Don’t give losers the time of day
10. Give more than you need to 10. Don’t ever give up
The do’s The Don’ts
1. Leave your work at work 1. Don’t use red
2. Take regular exercise 2. Don’t wear dark sunglasses
3. Create a things to do list 3.Don’t ask certain questions
4. Do what you don’t want to do 4. Don’t knock the competition
5. Dress like a professional 5. Don’t live in the past
6. Be courteous and smile 6. Don’t fight change, welcome it
7. Accept when you’re wrong 7. Don’t stop learning
8. Motivate yourself 8. Don’t waste time
9. Set yourself goals 9. Don’t give losers the time of day
10. Give more than you need to 10. Don’t ever give up
The plan of action for Sales
The plan of action
A pro-clo always works to a plan action. He has a strategy, a sequence of events, a proven formula that he follows with each presentation.
Depending upon the product or service there are many adaptations of this plan of action, but a typical sequence of events will run something like this (assuming the appointment has been made.)
1.Meeting/ greeting
I think it is enough for me to say that nobody gets a second chance to make a first impression. Smile, be friendly, be polite and courteous. Shake hands- get the customer used to it. Remember to take control as soon as possible. Ask the customer to do something: ‘Would you come this way?, ‘Would you mind turning the television off, ‘ Is it all right if I sit here?’ and so on.
ii. Setting the scene
When you first meet a customer, his defense shield, that protective
Barrier, will be in place to product him form being sold, to protect
him from the unknown. The pro-clo chips away at this barrier until
it eventually comes down, until the customer is relaxed and
receptive. The best way to start this process is to put your cards on
the table and tell the customer what you are going to do. Once you
have done this the customer will no longer be afraid of the unknown
You will have made him aware of what is going to happen, and he
will start to relax.
If you give the customer an escape route, if you tell him in so many words that you’re not going to try and sell him anything and it’s OK if he doesn’t buy, he will relax that much quicker. I’m not suggesting you let the customer off the hook, I’m suggesting that you imply to the customer that this is what will happen if whatever it is you are selling is not for him. The pro-clo always makes the customer want the product, but the customer doesn’t know that. The technique of setting the stage will be covered in more detail later in this section (Step 16).
2.Building rapport
Warm the customer up before moving in to pitch him (Step 18, covered in depth on page 84). This is the crucial stage, the time when the sale can make or break even before the actual presentation. Here, through relaxed conversation (usually with a tea or coffee), the pro-clo builds common bonds, friendship, trust, credibility, warmth and makes the customer receptive.
3.Presentation
Short and simple (covered in step 20)
4.Recap
Once you have made your presentation, recap before you close to make sure your customer understands everything and to make sure there are no last-minute doubts or questions. First, we tell them what we are going to do, then we do it, then we tell them what we’ve just done.
5. price /close
If you don’t work from a published price list, hold back the price until the end. Sell them on what they are going to get first, then tell them the price. When you go into a shop to buy a pair of shoes you don’t walk in and ask ‘How much are your shoes?’
A pro-clo always works to a plan action. He has a strategy, a sequence of events, a proven formula that he follows with each presentation.
Depending upon the product or service there are many adaptations of this plan of action, but a typical sequence of events will run something like this (assuming the appointment has been made.)
1.Meeting/ greeting
I think it is enough for me to say that nobody gets a second chance to make a first impression. Smile, be friendly, be polite and courteous. Shake hands- get the customer used to it. Remember to take control as soon as possible. Ask the customer to do something: ‘Would you come this way?, ‘Would you mind turning the television off, ‘ Is it all right if I sit here?’ and so on.
ii. Setting the scene
When you first meet a customer, his defense shield, that protective
Barrier, will be in place to product him form being sold, to protect
him from the unknown. The pro-clo chips away at this barrier until
it eventually comes down, until the customer is relaxed and
receptive. The best way to start this process is to put your cards on
the table and tell the customer what you are going to do. Once you
have done this the customer will no longer be afraid of the unknown
You will have made him aware of what is going to happen, and he
will start to relax.
If you give the customer an escape route, if you tell him in so many words that you’re not going to try and sell him anything and it’s OK if he doesn’t buy, he will relax that much quicker. I’m not suggesting you let the customer off the hook, I’m suggesting that you imply to the customer that this is what will happen if whatever it is you are selling is not for him. The pro-clo always makes the customer want the product, but the customer doesn’t know that. The technique of setting the stage will be covered in more detail later in this section (Step 16).
2.Building rapport
Warm the customer up before moving in to pitch him (Step 18, covered in depth on page 84). This is the crucial stage, the time when the sale can make or break even before the actual presentation. Here, through relaxed conversation (usually with a tea or coffee), the pro-clo builds common bonds, friendship, trust, credibility, warmth and makes the customer receptive.
3.Presentation
Short and simple (covered in step 20)
4.Recap
Once you have made your presentation, recap before you close to make sure your customer understands everything and to make sure there are no last-minute doubts or questions. First, we tell them what we are going to do, then we do it, then we tell them what we’ve just done.
5. price /close
If you don’t work from a published price list, hold back the price until the end. Sell them on what they are going to get first, then tell them the price. When you go into a shop to buy a pair of shoes you don’t walk in and ask ‘How much are your shoes?’
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