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Qualifying the Prospect
In the last article, I talked about going to the first meeting, which might only be fifteen minutes long, asking the prospect about their relevant problems, and them promising to return with some ‘Proof’ to back up the ‘Premise’ you offered in the meeting that your company was expert in solving those problems.
The best proof is your product literature, backed up by specific case studies of relevant customers, ideally people they might know personally and can call up for a reference. You should watch closely for how the customer reacts to this proof.
They may be the sort of person that likes to pore over literature (visually oriented), in which case let them do so, indicating now and then a particularly interesting illustration or diagram. Alternatively, they might be less interested in looking at the documentation, but keener to chat (sound oriented), in which case engage them in conversation, subtly steering them back to your company’s products and services when they wander off onto the subject of their recent ski trip.
They may be only interested in the ‘Big Picture’, the overall concept of how you will improve things in their company. Alternatively, they may be interested in the ‘Tiny Detail’, the precise information on how exactly you deliver on your promises.
The key here is to listen carefully, observe the signs, and wherever possible mirror the customer’s behaviour. This may seem obvious, but ‘Hunters’, if left to their own devices, will naturally do a ‘Big Picture’ sell, irritating a Finance Director, who would like to know precisely what you deliver. ‘Farmers’ are really into the detail, but might bore people with short attention spans.
For most sales situations, you’re looking for repeat business, with the customer willing to see you on a regular basis. If you’re not making the process fun and interesting, whether it’s providing ‘Big Picture’ or ‘Tiny Detail’, then you’re radically reducing your chances of another sales visit.
Some sales training goes deeply into techniques like Neuro Linguistic Programming, using psychology-based techniques to increase your chances of bringing the customer around to your way of thinking. These can be very effective, but remember that anyone who feels manipulated, even unconsciously, will be less likely to buy again.
It’s often said that you need acting skills to be a successful salesperson. Certainly it helps to ‘get in the role’ as you head out the door and go on a sales visit. You’ve left real life behind (‘Parent’, for example) and are now ‘Salesperson’ (‘Keen Sales Executive for Allied Widgets’). You are now in an improvised play with an unknown cast (customers) and made-up dialogue.
You should do what all actors do, especially those that specialise in improvisation, which is listen carefully and accept any ‘offers’ (buying signals) that pop up in the conversation.
But if you are an actor in a play, you should be ‘Sid James’, who always seemed to play the same part (himself) in every film, rather than ‘Kevin Spacey’, who is so talented and versatile he could play any character, including a sleazy sales manager in Glengarry Glen Ross.
You should be yourself: natural, honest, well meaning and helpful, rather than pretending to be someone else. People buy from people, and are therefore much more likely to place an order if they like you and know who they’re dealing with.
But you are still in a play, and it’s not real life. This comes in very handy when the customer says ‘no’. Experienced salespeople get used to this and move onto the next prospect, but most people have a natural fear of rejection. If you do feel this way, remind yourself it’s not personal. You’re an actor in a play.
It’s rare to experience an extreme negative customer attitude in the first few minutes of a sales call. If you do get a very hostile response, the person is probably game-playing, adopting one of the classic three roles in Transactional Analysis: Persecutor (bully), Rescuer (lecturing you on your own job) or Victim (saying “I’m only trying to help!”, when you object to either of the first two behaviours).
People play games for a multitude of reasons, but none of these reasons are about you or your company. Maybe they had an argument with their boss or partner; maybe they’re not feeling well; maybe they’re worried about global warming. Whatever it is, you’re not there as a counsellor, you’re there to sell, so you should spot the game-playing early, not get involved, and withdraw politely.
But let’s paint a more optimistic picture. The customer seems to like you and is very interested in what you have to offer. It’s an easy conversation, and each time they open their mouth another buying signal comes tumbling out.
Looks like a sale may be imminent! I’ll tell you what to do about this next week.
First published in The Daily Telegraph