Top Sales Performers Help People Buy

Do you remember the days when sales trainers told us never to ask the prospect a question he could answer with “No”?

To be fair it was a while ago, but there are still neanderthals out there promoting the idea. There are lots of similar concepts, all based on a sales guy’s ability (and amorality) to persuade prospects to do something they otherwise wouldn’t.

Experience has taught me this is very bad advice. It harks back to the days when sales guys were smart and fast talking, and customers were dumb. But sales guys were never that smart, and customers certainly aren’t dumb anymore. Pushing people to buy stuff which won’t work for them is hard work, results in a high level of returns and claims for credit notes, and worst of all makes enemies. For every duped customer there are a hundred who’ll find out about the con. And in this way the sales guy is quickly history, back to pumping gas.

On the other hand the sales guy who contributes his/her specialist knowledge to help make sure the customer buys the right thing wins easy business, at the best prices, and gets a constant stream of referrals from happy clients. The buy/sell processes is no longer a battle of wills – it’s a collaboration between business people with a common objective. Selling is fun and forecasting a whole lot easier.

Earning the right to be the customer’s coach isn’t easy. Buyers have learned over centuries to be suspicious of sales people. The secret to winning trust and confidence is expertise and honesty. Building that expertise and honesty takes a lot of work, researching facts, understanding competitors strategies and weaknesses, knowing case studies. But anybody can do it.

When we really know what we’re talking about we can coach the customer through options, explaining likely outcomes, upsides and downsides, benefits and risks. The customer makes her own, informed decision. She won’t often buy from a sales guy when her coach is guiding her.

This advice gets to be even more valid when the owner/manager is doing the selling. The business owner knows better than anybody how his business works, what it can do, and what it can’t, what the competition can do and what it can’t.

Business owners who tell customers “No, because it won’t work and I want you as a happy customer, not a critic” are half way to the bank.