Close Sales with Leading Questions

What are Leading Questions

Leading questions are questions that help you steer the conversation to the information that helps you determine if your product is right for your client — these questions guide and convince. Most sales people are tempted to tell their buyers what to believe instead of asking questions that allow the buyers to come up with their own beliefs about the product. The difference is subtle but important.

Here are some examples:

•     What was it that brought you into our store today?
•     What are your fitness goals?
•     What type of decor do you have in mind for your new home?
•     How are you currently handling your financial planning?

By asking questions rather than spewing facts, figures and details about your products you will engage buyers rather than pushing them away. Gently lead and guide buyers toward your way of thinking by making statements regarding your product or service, then tying them down with tie-down questions such as “isn’t it?” “don’t you agree” and “wouldn’t you?”

•     The particular shade of blue in this fabric highlights the other colors you’ve chosen, doesn’t it?
•     The latest safety features are vital when considering putting your teen driver behind the wheel on his own, aren’t they?
•     Having a solid financial plan is a wise move when you have a young family to take care of, don’t you agree?

Think about the answers you need to determine if your buyer is qualified to own your product and then craft the questions that will lead the discussion in that direction. No one likes to be asked questions that they don’t know the answers to. Make your buyers feel important and intelligent for speaking with you and you will turn more of them into satisfied clients.

What are Leading Questions
Leading questions are questions that help you steer the conversation to the information that helps you determine if your product is right for your client — these questions guide and convince. Most sales people are tempted to tell their buyers what to believe instead of asking questions that allow the buyers to come up with their own beliefs about the product. The difference is subtle but important.
Here are some examples:

• What was it that brought you into our store today?
• What are your fitness goals?
• What type of decor do you have in mind for your new home?
• How are you currently handling your financial planning?

By asking questions rather than spewing facts, figures and details about your products you will engage buyers rather than pushing them away. Gently lead and guide buyers toward your way of thinking by making statements regarding your product or service, then tying them down with tie-down questions such as “isn’t it?” “don’t you agree>” and “wouldn’t you?”

• The particular shade of blue in this fabric highlights the other colors you’ve chosen, doesn’t it?
• The latest safety features are vital when considering putting your teen driver behind the wheel on his own, aren’t they?
• Having a solid financial plan is a wise move when you have a young family to take care of, don’t you agree?

Think about the answers you need to determine if your buyer is qualified to own your product and then craft the questions that will lead the discussion in that direction. No one likes to be asked questions that they don’t know the answers to. Make your buyers feel important and intelligent for speaking with you and you will turn more of them into satisfied clients.
- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/closing_sales/close-sales-with-leading-questions#sthash.LQNHYig0.dpuf

Handling Sales Challenges

We all invest time handling sales challenges. A career in selling wouldn’t be any fun if we didn’t. You see, the real pros in selling, like you and me, love solving challenges. That’s part of the reason we get out of bed every morning. In a way, we’re like the super heroes you see in the movies. We are “in the zone” when we’re helping others. That’s when we feel the most successful.

One of the best clues as to whether or not someone understands the art of being successful is their reaction to challenges. Those who achieve the greatest level of success will mentally set everything else aside when they are faced with a major challenge. They know that focused effort will help them resolve those challenges in the best possible manner and with the greatest speed. They don’t try to dodge or postpone those challenges. Rather, they face them squarely, assess the situation completely, and seek out assistance from others if needed.

Those who have made choices that led to failure or even disaster in their selling careers usually ignored their challenges. They may have hidden from them or hoped they could wait them out. Often more time was invested in worrying about the challenge than acting upon it. That was valuable time that could have been invested in finding new opportunities or creating new satisfied clients.

The key element in handling all challenges is timing. When you’re faced with a challenge, take fast and effective action. Make your decisions based on quality information and your excellent experience as a sales professional.

Motivating a Sales Team

Motivating A Sales Team With Self Expression

by Guest Blogger, Julie Bryce

Every sales team goes through periods when they seem to be less motivated. This is sometimes down to market conditions, sometimes because of the competition and sometimes for team spirit reasons. For the manager, it is how you deal with sales team motivation that will set you apart. One thing to bear in mind at all times is each member of your sales force is an individual. There are plenty of motivational techniques that you can learn, but not all of them garner results in all cases. Be flexible and find the right motivational approach for each team member. For some, selling is a lifestyle choice, who is creating their ideal life. For others, professional sales work is a choice, but they may be equally suited to other sorts of work.

Personality Selling

Smart, fun and even witty people are often hampered in their sales work by sticking too rigidly to the corporate message. If you restrict your team on how they express their own personalities, you can often find they achieve less face time with their customers. By allowing your team members to show something of their personality the selling process becomes natural. Furthermore, by allowing a degree of freedom with self expression, so long as your staff don’t stray from your brand messages, your sales team will often feel more trusted. Customers will notice the difference, too, and it can give you an edge over a competitor who only employs ‘robots.’

Promotion Works

Every regular business needs to do promotional work to attract attention to itself. One idea is to pair up a successful member of the team with one who is not performing so well. This not only so that they can compare notes, but so that you can assess how their different personalities interact with different sorts of potential clients. Perhaps you will be able to target your team members with different types of customers. At such expos you will often have some promotional items to give away. Allow staff to choose items that suit their personality so that the concept of self expression is taken on board by clients. This approach may seem counter intuitive to many sales managers who want to equip the stars of the team with the best promotional items, however, the middle performing sellers need as much attention as those at the top, achieving the accolades.

Work Smarter

By individualizing your approach to the sales team’s management, you can find that your customer messages are improved. This is a smarter working practice than the one-size-fits-all approach. If, for instance, you allow staff to tailor make their presentations, so their personality comes across as well as the sales message, customers are more likely to buy. This can make all the difference to supporting less personal marketing material. After all, customers rarely like being treated as a group, particularly if your sales work is business to business where your customers are likely to know each other. Remember that smart working, allows your staff to collect intelligence on their customers as well as sell to them. Self expressive sales workers develop personalized relationships with their clients who are then much more inclined to speak freely about their business. Intelligence, collected like this, allows the smart business to plan in new and strategic ways which, in turn, leads to more success.

Motivating A Sales Team With Self Expression
by Guest Blogger, Julie Bryce
Every sales team goes through periods when they seem to be less motivated. This is sometimes down to market conditions, sometimes because of the competition and sometimes for team spirit reasons. For the manager, it is how you deal with sales team motivation that will set you apart. One thing to bear in mind at all times is each member of your sales force is an individual. There are plenty of motivational techniques that you can learn, but not all of them garner results in all cases. Be flexible and find the right motivational approach for each team member. For some, selling is a lifestyle choice, who is creating their ideal life. For others, professional sales work is a choice, but they may be equally suited to other sorts of work.
Personality Selling
Smart, fun and even witty people are often hampered in their sales work by sticking too rigidly to the corporate message. If you restrict your team on how they express their own personalities, you can often find they achieve less face time with their customers. By allowing your team members to show something of their personality the selling process becomes natural. Furthermore, by allowing a degree of freedom with self expression, so long as your staff don’t stray from your brand messages, your sales team will often feel more trusted. Customers will notice the difference, too, and it can give you an edge over a competitor who only employs ‘robots.’
Promotion Works
Every regular business needs to do promotional work to attract attention to itself. One idea is to pair up a successful member of the team with one who is not performing so well. This not only so that they can compare notes, but so that you can assess how their different personalities interact with different sorts of potential clients. Perhaps you will be able to target your team members with different types of customers. At such expos you will often have some promotional items to give away. Allow staff to choose items that suit their personality so that the concept of self expression is taken on board by clients. This approach may seem counter intuitive to many sales managers who want to equip the stars of the team with the best promotional items, however, the middle performing sellers need as much attention as those at the top, achieving the accolades.
Work Smarter
By individualizing your approach to the sales team’s management, you can find that your customer messages are improved. This is a smarter working practice than the one-size-fits-all approach. If, for instance, you allow staff to tailor make their presentations, so their personality comes across as well as the sales message, customers are more likely to buy. This can make all the difference to supporting less personal marketing material. After all, customers rarely like being treated as a group, particularly if your sales work is business to business where your customers are likely to know each other. Remember that smart working, allows your staff to collect intelligence on their customers as well as sell to them. Self expressive sales workers develop personalized relationships with their clients who are then much more inclined to speak freely about their business. Intelligence, collected like this, allows the smart business to plan in new and strategic ways which, in turn, leads to more success.
- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/sales_management/motivating-a-sales-team#sthash.aFmO3xYm.dpuf

Getting Artist to Purchase Music Services

What do people really want when they first meet you or reach out to you?

What makes them choose your product over someone else’s?

How do you prepare for getting people to buy? (Or, in the language I teach…to “own” the benefits of your products.)

Heaven knows the market is jam packed with incredible products. The specific answers to those questions can only come from satisfied consumers and your upline and downline team members. However, I can address the general answers to help you get started with acquiring a large volume of satisfied clients in the first place and secondly to start growing your network marketing business.

We all want the same things when doing business with people. We want quality products and good service at a low investment. That’s the bottom line. Is that what you provide? If so, shout it from the rooftops!

However, few companies can provide all three. With that being the case, you will need to learn how to address which of the three you don’t provide.

If you provide quality and service, but not at the lowest investment, your products and service better be exceptional. Everyone understands the value of using great products. There is a perceived value for excellent service as well. People actually don’t mind spending a little more money for something if they feel the service is great.

Learn how to ooze quality and service. This begins with the first impression you make whether it’s in person, over the telephone or on your web site. Everything should be first class. You want to represent your product well in order to work toward establishing credibility. And, you want to represent your company well in order to gain trust.

Dress appropriately for the type of product you sell. Then, have everyone who is on your team do the same. Develop your business “voice.” How you say what you say is critically important. Your product displays should be clean and clear of clutter. People just won’t make buying decisions if they’re not comfortable, if they can’t find what they want or, if they can’t get their questions answered quickly and easily.

The key to service is to truly understand the meaning of it, which is “to serve.” You must humble yourself as a servant in order to make others feel important. When they feel important, they will listen to you as you explain your offering or demonstrate your product and explain your business opportunity. When you make them feel important, they’ll want to be around you more often—like what happens when they join your organization and become a part of your team.

How do you make others feel important? With eye contact. With a welcoming smile. By learning and using their names. By getting to know them and asking about their children, their travels, and anything else that’s important to them.

If you meet potential clients or recruits over the telephone, be sure to smile and use a warm and friendly tone of voice. Believe it or not, people can tell if you’re smiling, distracted, bored or unhappy whether they can see your face or not. They can tell simply by the tone of your voice. I used to keep a small mirror by the telephone on my desk. I trained myself to glance into it as I reached to make or take a call. If I was smiling, I was putting my best self forward. It may sound silly, but it worked for me and has worked for many of my students over the years.

Introduce yourself and let them know “I’m here for you.” Good old-fashioned courtesy goes a long way. Even if you’re the top leader in your company, when you first meet people, if they introduce themselves using their first and last names, address them by their last names. Call them by Mr. or Ms. When you use first names too soon or get too friendly too soon by calling people by their first names many will instinctively pull back. It can put people off, which is the last thing you want to do. Develop the habit of calling people by their surnames initially, but you can also say, “It’s a pleasure meeting you Mr. & Mrs. Miller. May I have your permission to call you Robert and Margaret?” Their friends may call them “Bob” and “Peggy.” If they feel comfortable with you, they’ll suggest you do the same. It’s a very simple strategy but can truly help you get off on the right foot with new people. Of course, if they only give you their first names, use them but not so often that they wonder if you are memory-challenged.

Rather than jumping right in to tell people about our product, our service or our business opportunity, ask what made them contact you or how they came to be at the party/event/meeting. What was it that piqued their interest? Try saying, “What inspired you to attend our gathering today?” Or, “What was it that prompted your call today?” You want to get inside their heads to find out what they really want, what they really need before you try to sell them anything.

Once you know the general direction of their needs, you can then ask them additional questions about their likes and dislikes to help narrow their focus from everything you have to offer to the one particular product, service or benefit that will best suit their needs. If they’re seeking a business opportunity, that’s the direction you go in with your conversation. If the benefits of the products themselves are the most appealing aspect of your business, start there. Your underlying goal with each and every contact is to help the other parties find what it is they’re seeking. And helping people make decisions that are truly good for them is the foundation of true success in all types of business.

What do people really want when they first meet you or reach out to you?
What makes them choose your product over someone else’s?
How do you prepare for getting people to buy? (Or, in the language I teach…to “own” the benefits of your products.)
Heaven knows the market is jam packed with incredible products. The specific answers to those questions can only come from satisfied consumers and your upline and downline team members. However, I can address the general answers to help you get started with acquiring a large volume of satisfied clients in the first place and secondly to start growing your network marketing business.
We all want the same things when doing business with people. We want quality products and good service at a low investment. That’s the bottom line. Is that what you provide? If so, shout it from the rooftops!
However, few companies can provide all three. With that being the case, you will need to learn how to address which of the three you don’t provide.
If you provide quality and service, but not at the lowest investment, your products and service better be exceptional. Everyone understands the value of using great products. There is a perceived value for excellent service as well. People actually don’t mind spending a little more money for something if they feel the service is great.
Learn how to ooze quality and service. This begins with the first impression you make whether it’s in person, over the telephone or on your web site. Everything should be first class. You want to represent your product well in order to work toward establishing credibility. And, you want to represent your company well in order to gain trust.
Dress appropriately for the type of product you sell. Then, have everyone who is on your team do the same. Develop your business “voice.” How you say what you say is critically important. Your product displays should be clean and clear of clutter. People just won’t make buying decisions if they’re not comfortable, if they can’t find what they want or, if they can’t get their questions answered quickly and easily.
The key to service is to truly understand the meaning of it, which is “to serve.” You must humble yourself as a servant in order to make others feel important. When they feel important, they will listen to you as you explain your offering or demonstrate your product and explain your business opportunity. When you make them feel important, they’ll want to be around you more often—like what happens when they join your organization and become a part of your team.
How do you make others feel important? With eye contact. With a welcoming smile. By learning and using their names. By getting to know them and asking about their children, their travels, and anything else that’s important to them.
If you meet potential clients or recruits over the telephone, be sure to smile and use a warm and friendly tone of voice. Believe it or not, people can tell if you’re smiling, distracted, bored or unhappy whether they can see your face or not. They can tell simply by the tone of your voice. I used to keep a small mirror by the telephone on my desk. I trained myself to glance into it as I reached to make or take a call. If I was smiling, I was putting my best self forward. It may sound silly, but it worked for me and has worked for many of my students over the years.
Introduce yourself and let them know “I’m here for you.” Good old-fashioned courtesy goes a long way. Even if you’re the top leader in your company, when you first meet people, if they introduce themselves using their first and last names, address them by their last names. Call them by Mr. or Ms. When you use first names too soon or get too friendly too soon by calling people by their first names many will instinctively pull back. It can put people off, which is the last thing you want to do. Develop the habit of calling people by their surnames initially, but you can also say, “It’s a pleasure meeting you Mr. & Mrs. Miller. May I have your permission to call you Robert and Margaret?” Their friends may call them “Bob” and “Peggy.” If they feel comfortable with you, they’ll suggest you do the same. It’s a very simple strategy but can truly help you get off on the right foot with new people. Of course, if they only give you their first names, use them but not so often that they wonder if you are memory-challenged.
Rather than jumping right in to tell people about your product, your service or your business opportunity, ask what made them contact you or how they came to be at the party/event/meeting. What was it that piqued their interest? Try saying, “What inspired you to attend our gathering today?” Or, “What was it that prompted your call today?” You want to get inside their heads to find out what they really want, what they really need before you try to sell them anything.
Once you know the general direction of their needs, you can then ask them additional questions about their likes and dislikes to help narrow their focus from everything you have to offer to the one particular product, service or benefit that will best suit their needs. If they’re seeking a business opportunity, that’s the direction you go in with your conversation. If the benefits of the products themselves are the most appealing aspect of your business, start there. Your underlying goal with each and every contact is to help the other parties find what it is they’re seeking. And helping people make decisions that are truly good for them is the foundation of true success in all types of business.
- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/sellingskills/getting-people-buy#sthash.FOxUb8C8.dpuf

What do people really want when they first meet you or reach out to you?
What makes them choose your product over someone else’s?
How do you prepare for getting people to buy? (Or, in the language I teach…to “own” the benefits of your products.)
Heaven knows the market is jam packed with incredible products. The specific answers to those questions can only come from satisfied consumers and your upline and downline team members. However, I can address the general answers to help you get started with acquiring a large volume of satisfied clients in the first place and secondly to start growing your network marketing business.
We all want the same things when doing business with people. We want quality products and good service at a low investment. That’s the bottom line. Is that what you provide? If so, shout it from the rooftops!
However, few companies can provide all three. With that being the case, you will need to learn how to address which of the three you don’t provide.
If you provide quality and service, but not at the lowest investment, your products and service better be exceptional. Everyone understands the value of using great products. There is a perceived value for excellent service as well. People actually don’t mind spending a little more money for something if they feel the service is great.
Learn how to ooze quality and service. This begins with the first impression you make whether it’s in person, over the telephone or on your web site. Everything should be first class. You want to represent your product well in order to work toward establishing credibility. And, you want to represent your company well in order to gain trust.
Dress appropriately for the type of product you sell. Then, have everyone who is on your team do the same. Develop your business “voice.” How you say what you say is critically important. Your product displays should be clean and clear of clutter. People just won’t make buying decisions if they’re not comfortable, if they can’t find what they want or, if they can’t get their questions answered quickly and easily.
The key to service is to truly understand the meaning of it, which is “to serve.” You must humble yourself as a servant in order to make others feel important. When they feel important, they will listen to you as you explain your offering or demonstrate your product and explain your business opportunity. When you make them feel important, they’ll want to be around you more often—like what happens when they join your organization and become a part of your team.
How do you make others feel important? With eye contact. With a welcoming smile. By learning and using their names. By getting to know them and asking about their children, their travels, and anything else that’s important to them.
If you meet potential clients or recruits over the telephone, be sure to smile and use a warm and friendly tone of voice. Believe it or not, people can tell if you’re smiling, distracted, bored or unhappy whether they can see your face or not. They can tell simply by the tone of your voice. I used to keep a small mirror by the telephone on my desk. I trained myself to glance into it as I reached to make or take a call. If I was smiling, I was putting my best self forward. It may sound silly, but it worked for me and has worked for many of my students over the years.
Introduce yourself and let them know “I’m here for you.” Good old-fashioned courtesy goes a long way. Even if you’re the top leader in your company, when you first meet people, if they introduce themselves using their first and last names, address them by their last names. Call them by Mr. or Ms. When you use first names too soon or get too friendly too soon by calling people by their first names many will instinctively pull back. It can put people off, which is the last thing you want to do. Develop the habit of calling people by their surnames initially, but you can also say, “It’s a pleasure meeting you Mr. & Mrs. Miller. May I have your permission to call you Robert and Margaret?” Their friends may call them “Bob” and “Peggy.” If they feel comfortable with you, they’ll suggest you do the same. It’s a very simple strategy but can truly help you get off on the right foot with new people. Of course, if they only give you their first names, use them but not so often that they wonder if you are memory-challenged.
Rather than jumping right in to tell people about your product, your service or your business opportunity, ask what made them contact you or how they came to be at the party/event/meeting. What was it that piqued their interest? Try saying, “What inspired you to attend our gathering today?” Or, “What was it that prompted your call today?” You want to get inside their heads to find out what they really want, what they really need before you try to sell them anything.
Once you know the general direction of their needs, you can then ask them additional questions about their likes and dislikes to help narrow their focus from everything you have to offer to the one particular product, service or benefit that will best suit their needs. If they’re seeking a business opportunity, that’s the direction you go in with your conversation. If the benefits of the products themselves are the most appealing aspect of your business, start there. Your underlying goal with each and every contact is to help the other parties find what it is they’re seeking. And helping people make decisions that are truly good for them is the foundation of true success in all types of business.
- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/sellingskills/getting-people-buy#sthash.FOxUb8C8.dpuf

What do people really want when they first meet you or reach out to you?
What makes them choose your product over someone else’s?
How do you prepare for getting people to buy? (Or, in the language I teach…to “own” the benefits of your products.)
Heaven knows the market is jam packed with incredible products. The specific answers to those questions can only come from satisfied consumers and your upline and downline team members. However, I can address the general answers to help you get started with acquiring a large volume of satisfied clients in the first place and secondly to start growing your network marketing business.
We all want the same things when doing business with people. We want quality products and good service at a low investment. That’s the bottom line. Is that what you provide? If so, shout it from the rooftops!
However, few companies can provide all three. With that being the case, you will need to learn how to address which of the three you don’t provide.
If you provide quality and service, but not at the lowest investment, your products and service better be exceptional. Everyone understands the value of using great products. There is a perceived value for excellent service as well. People actually don’t mind spending a little more money for something if they feel the service is great.
Learn how to ooze quality and service. This begins with the first impression you make whether it’s in person, over the telephone or on your web site. Everything should be first class. You want to represent your product well in order to work toward establishing credibility. And, you want to represent your company well in order to gain trust.
Dress appropriately for the type of product you sell. Then, have everyone who is on your team do the same. Develop your business “voice.” How you say what you say is critically important. Your product displays should be clean and clear of clutter. People just won’t make buying decisions if they’re not comfortable, if they can’t find what they want or, if they can’t get their questions answered quickly and easily.
The key to service is to truly understand the meaning of it, which is “to serve.” You must humble yourself as a servant in order to make others feel important. When they feel important, they will listen to you as you explain your offering or demonstrate your product and explain your business opportunity. When you make them feel important, they’ll want to be around you more often—like what happens when they join your organization and become a part of your team.
How do you make others feel important? With eye contact. With a welcoming smile. By learning and using their names. By getting to know them and asking about their children, their travels, and anything else that’s important to them.
If you meet potential clients or recruits over the telephone, be sure to smile and use a warm and friendly tone of voice. Believe it or not, people can tell if you’re smiling, distracted, bored or unhappy whether they can see your face or not. They can tell simply by the tone of your voice. I used to keep a small mirror by the telephone on my desk. I trained myself to glance into it as I reached to make or take a call. If I was smiling, I was putting my best self forward. It may sound silly, but it worked for me and has worked for many of my students over the years.
Introduce yourself and let them know “I’m here for you.” Good old-fashioned courtesy goes a long way. Even if you’re the top leader in your company, when you first meet people, if they introduce themselves using their first and last names, address them by their last names. Call them by Mr. or Ms. When you use first names too soon or get too friendly too soon by calling people by their first names many will instinctively pull back. It can put people off, which is the last thing you want to do. Develop the habit of calling people by their surnames initially, but you can also say, “It’s a pleasure meeting you Mr. & Mrs. Miller. May I have your permission to call you Robert and Margaret?” Their friends may call them “Bob” and “Peggy.” If they feel comfortable with you, they’ll suggest you do the same. It’s a very simple strategy but can truly help you get off on the right foot with new people. Of course, if they only give you their first names, use them but not so often that they wonder if you are memory-challenged.
Rather than jumping right in to tell people about your product, your service or your business opportunity, ask what made them contact you or how they came to be at the party/event/meeting. What was it that piqued their interest? Try saying, “What inspired you to attend our gathering today?” Or, “What was it that prompted your call today?” You want to get inside their heads to find out what they really want, what they really need before you try to sell them anything.
Once you know the general direction of their needs, you can then ask them additional questions about their likes and dislikes to help narrow their focus from everything you have to offer to the one particular product, service or benefit that will best suit their needs. If they’re seeking a business opportunity, that’s the direction you go in with your conversation. If the benefits of the products themselves are the most appealing aspect of your business, start there. Your underlying goal with each and every contact is to help the other parties find what it is they’re seeking. And helping people make decisions that are truly good for them is the foundation of true success in all types of business.
- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/sellingskills/getting-people-buy#sthash.FOxUb8C8.dpuf

What do people really want when they first meet you or reach out to you?
What makes them choose your product over someone else’s?
How do you prepare for getting people to buy? (Or, in the language I teach…to “own” the benefits of your products.)
Heaven knows the market is jam packed with incredible products. The specific answers to those questions can only come from satisfied consumers and your upline and downline team members. However, I can address the general answers to help you get started with acquiring a large volume of satisfied clients in the first place and secondly to start growing your network marketing business.
We all want the same things when doing business with people. We want quality products and good service at a low investment. That’s the bottom line. Is that what you provide? If so, shout it from the rooftops!
However, few companies can provide all three. With that being the case, you will need to learn how to address which of the three you don’t provide.
If you provide quality and service, but not at the lowest investment, your products and service better be exceptional. Everyone understands the value of using great products. There is a perceived value for excellent service as well. People actually don’t mind spending a little more money for something if they feel the service is great.
Learn how to ooze quality and service. This begins with the first impression you make whether it’s in person, over the telephone or on your web site. Everything should be first class. You want to represent your product well in order to work toward establishing credibility. And, you want to represent your company well in order to gain trust.
Dress appropriately for the type of product you sell. Then, have everyone who is on your team do the same. Develop your business “voice.” How you say what you say is critically important. Your product displays should be clean and clear of clutter. People just won’t make buying decisions if they’re not comfortable, if they can’t find what they want or, if they can’t get their questions answered quickly and easily.
The key to service is to truly understand the meaning of it, which is “to serve.” You must humble yourself as a servant in order to make others feel important. When they feel important, they will listen to you as you explain your offering or demonstrate your product and explain your business opportunity. When you make them feel important, they’ll want to be around you more often—like what happens when they join your organization and become a part of your team.
How do you make others feel important? With eye contact. With a welcoming smile. By learning and using their names. By getting to know them and asking about their children, their travels, and anything else that’s important to them.
If you meet potential clients or recruits over the telephone, be sure to smile and use a warm and friendly tone of voice. Believe it or not, people can tell if you’re smiling, distracted, bored or unhappy whether they can see your face or not. They can tell simply by the tone of your voice. I used to keep a small mirror by the telephone on my desk. I trained myself to glance into it as I reached to make or take a call. If I was smiling, I was putting my best self forward. It may sound silly, but it worked for me and has worked for many of my students over the years.
Introduce yourself and let them know “I’m here for you.” Good old-fashioned courtesy goes a long way. Even if you’re the top leader in your company, when you first meet people, if they introduce themselves using their first and last names, address them by their last names. Call them by Mr. or Ms. When you use first names too soon or get too friendly too soon by calling people by their first names many will instinctively pull back. It can put people off, which is the last thing you want to do. Develop the habit of calling people by their surnames initially, but you can also say, “It’s a pleasure meeting you Mr. & Mrs. Miller. May I have your permission to call you Robert and Margaret?” Their friends may call them “Bob” and “Peggy.” If they feel comfortable with you, they’ll suggest you do the same. It’s a very simple strategy but can truly help you get off on the right foot with new people. Of course, if they only give you their first names, use them but not so often that they wonder if you are memory-challenged.
Rather than jumping right in to tell people about your product, your service or your business opportunity, ask what made them contact you or how they came to be at the party/event/meeting. What was it that piqued their interest? Try saying, “What inspired you to attend our gathering today?” Or, “What was it that prompted your call today?” You want to get inside their heads to find out what they really want, what they really need before you try to sell them anything.
Once you know the general direction of their needs, you can then ask them additional questions about their likes and dislikes to help narrow their focus from everything you have to offer to the one particular product, service or benefit that will best suit their needs. If they’re seeking a business opportunity, that’s the direction you go in with your conversation. If the benefits of the products themselves are the most appealing aspect of your business, start there. Your underlying goal with each and every contact is to help the other parties find what it is they’re seeking. And helping people make decisions that are truly good for them is the foundation of true success in all types of business.
- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/sellingskills/getting-people-buy#sthash.FOxUb8C8.dpuf