Selling Anything Of Value

To sell a product or a service to anyone, you need to ask many questions of the person you are helping to buy your product or service as necessary for them to see that value, which is greater than the price that you are charging( I find that it needs to be 5 times as valuable as the price many times) in the conversation in that person’s mind. It is not about what you think. It is never about what you think.

You see there are three conversations in a buying situation. Notice I said buying situation. This is the first hack, you must help the person buy and keep them safe while they are figuring it out. Now, back to the three conversations in a buying situation:

1) The conversation you have out in the open between the two of you.

This is the conversation that beginning salespeople pay attention to. While important on the surface, it is not the most important conversation for the seller to pay attention to.

This is a terrible place for the salesperson to be. This means that you are probably trying to think f what to say next, wrong answer. You have probably lost this sale or at very least damaged your brand. You will be seen as not listening to their problem.

Hack #2 – If the prospect is meeting with you or bought your first product, you know that they have a problem that they think you can help them solve. Problem is, many times they do not know what that problem is. If they knew, they wouldn’t need you or your product or service.

Back to our conversations:

3) The conversation in the mind of the buyer.

This is the one that the seller needs to discover. How, you ask?

Answer – by asking the questions that help them figure out the problem for themselves. When they see it in their mind’s eye, and have the resources to solve it they often buy from you.

You or your marketing are seen as the authority because you ask questions that help them figure it out.

Why ask questions?

Because when you make a statement the prospective buyer can only answer in their mind Yes I believe that statement, or No I do not. But, it does not help them figure anything out.

If you ask a question pertaining to the variables they will have to figure out to be successful, these areas gain traction in their mind as being important. Examples:

1) Why work with me versus working with someone else? It is essential that they look at alternatives because they are going to do that as it is, it might as well be you their new trusted advisor
( remember they met with you because they think you might be able to help them) to go divergent(away from you as the solution) so they can find that you are the only solution that they know, like and trust.

2) How much money do you want to make with this or will you save with this? Get them thinking about their situation. Keep them safe but never take responsibility for the situation you find them in. You did not cause it, you are just helping them find it, because obviously you are there so they could not find it themselves.

Get them thinking about their situation. Keep them safe but never take responsibility for the situation you find them in. You did not cause it, you are just helping them find it, because obviously you are there so they could not find it themselves.

3) Will you be willing to follow or system or our directions or do you think( divergent) you can do it yourself? They must verbalize it, not so you hear it, but so they hear it and make a commitment to themselves.

They must verbalize it, not so you hear it, but so they hear it and make a commitment to themselves.

4) How much do you think you will need to spend on this solution? Not how much is it, but how much they think it is. You need to know what they bring to the table as far as their idea of budget. Remember

Not how much is it, but how much they think it is. You need to know what they bring to the table as far as their idea of budget. Remember

Not how much is it, but how much they think it is. You need to know what they bring to the table as far as their idea of budget. Remember price before you understand the value in their mind, is like asking the question how much is a bag of groceries???? The answer depends on what is in the bag doesn’t it. What materials are used, methods are used, etc. etc. “It depends,” is always the answer until you fully understand their situation

5) How much time do they have to work on this solution?

What they answer will determine what they can do.

6) How much of a budget do they have to spend?

What they think it costs and what they can afford to spend are sometimes different numbers. Make sure you understand their situation.

7) This is the most powerful question. What will this solution give you that you do not have already?

What are the consequences of your actions? How do they affect your life as a person?

After each of these questions, (shut-up) and listen until they stop speaking.Then acknowledge that you heard them in a way that seems natural to you, then follow up with “what else?”

If you think you have exhausted all questions, always ask one more. It may be that last question that helps them figure out that you and your product or service are the solutions to their problems.

Learn when to talk and when to get to the point. People are different and there are 4 main communication styles that any person selling anything must understand.

1) executive, just get it done types. get to the point and ask questions that help them figure out their problem in the most efficient manner possible. They hate to waste time, and will often get mad not at you but at the frustration of the situation.

2) The Talker – Let them talk or they will get their feelings hurt.

3) The Analytical person- Be organized with your questions and procedures because that is how they think. Help them see the solution because they often times think in pictures

4) The Team player – Everything is about stability and being a team player with them. building community and they put the team in front of themselves. The person everyone always counts on. It is hard to gain their trust but once you have it you have it for life.

People will usually be two of these above in differing proportions. Figuring out what type of person they are will make or break your buying opportunities for them. People buy from people they know, like and trust, people that are like them. But trust is hard to gain and easy to lose. Always do what you say you are going to do, and despite what some people say, always under-promise and over-deliver, remember it is not about hte value to you of this sale, but the sales of a lifetime customer that is happy with you and talks about you to others that will make you a success.

I learned this from my mentors over the years and through my experience using these ideas in the real world of business from 1993 to now( whenever you read this) My mentors have been Skip Barcey and Dr Tizziani, Dan Kreutzer and Robert Lambert of The Samurai Busienss Group, Robert Wright Ph.d and Dave Wood and all the leaders of Empower Network around the World.