This is an actual conversation I had with a sales “professional” the other day.
We were looking for a new phone system and the guy was blabbing on about features that he’s telling me that I’m going to love.
Stopping him in mid sales presentation…
I asked him, “Do you even know what I want?”
“Ah, um.. no.” was all he could say.
“Well then how can I buy from you? When you’re all done here I’m going to have to tell you ‘I have to think about it’, and you’re going to think you have a chance at a sale – which you don’t, but certain etiquette dictates I have to fib to you. Then you’re going to try to chase me down to see if I’d made a decision yet and I’m going to want to avoid you because I made it up when we were sitting here.”
– “So should we start over?”
He’s looking at me like this has never happened before. But of course it has – every time he did his presentation, the difference is that nobody’s ever called his attention to it before.
“Yeah.. let’s start over. How would you like me to start?”
“Ask me about what I have, how I wish it would work, my idea, even what I like about it – listen carefully – and think if you actually have what I need. If you have features that you really must tell me about, phrase them as a question. Ask me, ‘If I could see how that would work or help.’ Does that make sense?”
He replied “It does”
The rest of our time together was conversational, and I actually found that I liked the guy. And yes, we did buy his phone system and every year I get a card from him asking me if I’m having good holiday season and an arrow and a smiley face pointing to it being a question rather than just something to say. It makes me smile, exactly what you want your client to do.
What about you?
Do your prospects smile?
Do you ask them questions?
Do you make them think about what you’re asking or think they just want you gone?
It makes a difference.
Test it and let us know what you find.
If you need help making the above fit what we do, please ask, we can help.