I’m going to help you understand a way to sell that is simple and easy to remember. It’s based on plain old common sense … and it works.
Five things about Convince Me! you need to know:
Ask any company that sells a product or service – or anyone promoting a specific point-of-view – they can always use more sellers! You can never sell enough. You and your team should ALWAYS be selling.
Why then, do we overlook recruiting our best sales talent? A SMART buyer – a happy buyer, one that is a Satisfied, Motivated, Advocate who is Remorseless and Trusting – is the best sales person you can have! Your goal is to turn every buyer into a SMART buyer. When SMART buyers get excited, they tell others … lots of others.
Every sale of a product, service, or point-of-view cycles through four phases: 1) Find the buyer, 2) Educate them about what is being sold, 3) Close the sale by asking the buyer to buy, and 4) Foster the relationship to lay a foundation for future sales.
As theideamechanic I focus on the second phase: Educate your buyer and convince them to buy. While all the phases are important, I firmly believe every sale is made or broken on how well you educate your customer.
Here are the five, simple steps you need to educate and convince your buyers:
These steps are not just activities, they are also tools for your sales toolbox. My Five Tools in the Toolbox post goes in to more detail, but here’s the summary:
- Plan the trip – A sale is like taking your buyer on a trip. You need to get them from where they are (their point A) to where you want them (your point B). What will they see, how will you get them there?
- Tell your story – You have a great story to tell, so tell it! How? Use the five building blocks of convincing. Don’t tell any story, tell YOUR story.
- Show proof – When you tell a buyer your story, they need proof. They need to know what you said is true and can be counted on. Demonstrations or customer testimonials are great proof points.
- Try it – Nothing beats an awesome, memorable, personal experience. Make it real; prove what your buyer saw and heard you deliver was not just a smoke-and-mirrors performance.
- Satisfy completely – We all have questions and concerns, even if we’ve decided we’re going to buy. Every hesitation from a buyer is your opportunity to start building a long term relationship for repeat business.
theideamechanic site and our timely posts are a great way to learn. Sometimes, however, you can’t beat just sitting back in your favorite chair and reading a good book. Do I have a good book in mind? I sure do! How about this one, I hear it’s hot: “Convince Me! Why should I buy what you’re selling?”
In the book I discuss in detail the philosophies, tools, techniques, and role models behind educating and convincing your buyers. The book is published using an incredible tool – Lulu.com. With Lulu it’s easy to publish a paper book, a photobook, calendar, DVD and more – yourself. Check it out!
There was a day when advice started and stopped with a paper book or a pamphlet. Even with self-publishing and print-on-demand services like Lulu.com, paper is not the easiest way to stay current. And it’s not interactive. But if you follow theideamechanic, you’ll have tons of great ideas and tips – ALWAYS fresh and up-to-date. So why not sign up today!
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If you stopped right now and closed your browser window I’m willing to bet you would have learned some things that can help you – even this afternoon! But don’t stop now, you’re on a role. The right process is important, but so is having the right mental foundation. Read the Five Convincing Principles.
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