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What are the images that come to mind when I say the word “salesperson”? How many of you would be quick to paint a negative picture by using unfavorable stereotypes such as “used car”, “slick”, “fast talker” or (worse) “liar”? If so, you better be careful because your negative perceptions may be affecting your sales effectiveness.
A few years ago, I accompanied a salesperson on a sales call and watched her conduct one of the best sales presentations I've ever seen. She was impressive in the fact that she established rapport, gained trust, asked powerful questions, understood the customer’s needs, and presented her solutions in a way that spoke directly to those needs. Sadly, she never asked for the sale, and we left empty-handed. As we got back in the car, I complimented her on the many things she did well, and I then asked her why she didn't ask for the order. “Well,” she said, “I didn't want to be pushy.”
This is not an uncommon feeling for many salespeople who possess a negative image of sales. They're afraid to ask for the sale because they fear by doing so, they will be seen as a “salesperson” and subsequently compromise the trust and rapport they worked so hard to develop. In their best efforts to distance themselves from their own negative perceptions, they leave the sales call empty-handed and open the door for their competition.
If you can relate to this, it's important you try to reshape your beliefs and develop the mindset necessary to overcome this reality. You must come to terms with your need to ask for the sale and put the prospect in a position where they can enjoy the many benefits of doing business with you. Unlike the peddler you envisioned, the professional salesperson works hard to ensure the following three commitments prior to making any attempt to close the sale:
With these conditions met, the salesperson has no reason to think they're being “pushy” by asking the prospect to choose them for the project. What if the shoe was on the other foot and you were in the process of evaluating a product or service you wanted and needed? Let's assume you really liked and trusted the salesperson and believed he or she had your best interest in mind? Let’s assume you really loved the product, too? You wouldn't be offended if they asked you to choose them, would you?
Asking these commitment questions is a little like dipping your toe in the water before you jump into the pool. When you secure each commitment, it allows you to move into the next stage of the process, moving the prospect closer to making their decision. When you secure the NEED commitment, the prospect is telling you they really want to do the work, which now gives you a good reason to tell them why you are the best contractor to do that work. When they give you the COMPANY commitment, they’re telling you they believe in your company and could see themselves working with you. This paves the way for you to talk about your products and show them how you’re planning to build their roof system, for example.
Successful salespeople are never uncomfortable with their need to ask for the sale. They work hard to follow a process that gets the prospect to them, “I want to do the work. I like your company. And I like your product”. With these three commitments, it now comes down to the salesperson going over the pricing and asking the prospect to sign the agreement. And there’s nothing “pushy” about this. If you think about it when you ask for the sale, you’re simply asking them to address the problem they want to fix by choosing the contractor they said they want to use and using the products they said they wanted.
If you think about this, when you ask for the sale, it’s nothing more than you helping them get what they told you they want; and that is the real difference here. Pushy salespeople ask for the sale because they want the commission. Professional salespeople ask for the sale because they’re trying to help their prospect.
If you want to know what “pushy” is, think about asking for the sale without getting those commitments. The prospect says, “Yeah…I don’t really want to do the work.” And the salesperson says, “Sounds great…sign here!” Now that’s “pushy,” and it’s the polar opposite of what I’m asking you to do.
If you’re interested in learning more about sales and pricing strategies for your business, please email me at: JDeRosa@SRSDistribution.com.