Once you have determined the answer to this question, handling any obstacles in the sale becomes second nature. In fact, when you know the answer to this question, you'll find yourself handling fewer objections, hitting the sweet spot in your sales calls more often, and walking away with the sale. A way to get all of the flavor and none of the fat! Here's how...

 

Customers aren't thinking of you; they are thinking of THEIR customers. So they want:

1. More sales and profits
2. Happy and loyal customers
3. Greater productivity
4. Answers to their major issues
5. Value to their business

 

Figure out how to help your customers achieve these five goals, and you are now in the driver's seat to selling success.  Think the customers want a lower price? Who doesn't? But if everyone bought on price, we would all be driving two door cars with plastic seats, wearing polyester shoes, and cutting our own hair. So, getting back to the original question, of what our customers really want: SOLUTIONS.

 

Create more demand. Concentrate on the value of your products and services--solving your customer's problems, and objections will go the way of eight track tapes.

 

Here's how to proactively eliminate objections:

 

1. Find out your customer's most pressing issue (do they want more customers, fewer shipping delays, faster service, reduced turnover, fewer headaches, better quality) --find more than one issue you can address while doing your research.
2. Address your customer's problems in your presentation and focus on how your solution solves their most pressing issues. Forget about selling your features, and concentrate on your customer's real needs.
3. Provide your customer with options. Give them choices between your option I, II, and III. Customers love the opportunity to make a decision and if you are providing three options, now you are competing with yourself; rather than the "other guys".
4. Anticipate and deal with any possible objections during your presentation. You do this by asking good quality questions in the early stage of your sales calls, and also by keeping the customer involved in your presentation. (I have a whole program on how to create dialogue with customers--leading to more sales. Our clients are amazed at how well this works with their seasoned sales professionals who aren't using this technique!) As songwriter Randy Newman once said, "We talk too much."
5. Focus on selling value--not price.  If you are meeting the customer's real needs, concentrating on the customer's issues, and helping your customer build his business; price objections are reduced and even eliminated. (Who cuts their own hair?)

 

Now you have it. The formula for finding out what your customers want to eliminate objections from the beginning. 

Yep, it's summer and the livin' should be easy. But it's hot. Very hot.

 

I'm not referring to just the temperature--but the climate. How is your industry's business climate for new products and services? If it doesn't look promising, get on the phone and drum up some interest. Believe me, with vacations abound, kids out of school, and with the air conditioners on full throttle, now is the time when your competition is taking it easy.

 

If you are taking it easy, great. If you are wondering where the business is, pick up your telephone. It's practically free! And if you need some new ideas on how to prospect, get a copy of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone". Your answers will come to you as you read. Happy Selling!