Quit Being a Sales-person and Be a Sale-person

Too many sales are lost because of just that—“sales.” Success in selling comes from listening to what the customer is (and may not be) telling us. Unfortunately, we don’t usually listen this closely, and instead we wind up selling multiple solutions to a single problem in the hopes that one of the solutions fits. When this happens, the customer can get overwhelmed and confused, putting the sale in jeopardy.

It starts when marketing comes out with the “greatest” new product or service yet to hit the market. Marketing proclaims this latest development will solve any problem of any customer and continues to layer it on with an assortment of product characteristics. All the while the attentive salesperson is absorbing all of this information and subconsciously looking for ways to apply every last thing marketing has put forth. It’s only natural for the salesperson to begin believing the marketing hype, and right here is where one of the biggest “quiet mistakes” in sales occurs: The salesperson adopts the mindset that their latest product or service will satisfy any and every customer’s any and every need. We call this a “quiet mistake” because the mistake is not made in front of a customer (such as misquoting a price or missing a key date); rather it’s made quietly because it occurs long before the sales call. Such mistakes make it hard to see the consequent loss in sales.

When dealing with a customer, a salesperson must exhibit patience not only to find out the needs of the customer, but also to find out which need in particular is the best match for the salesperson’s offering. Instead of taking the time to validate the needs they hear, salespeople can be tempted to treat all needs as equal, or worse yet, to endorse the universal appeal of their product or service. This failure to narrow your focus is where many sales are lost.

That’s why it is important to think in terms of “sale,” and not “sales.” Top-performing salespeople sell to the customer’s primary need. Average salespeople, on the other hand, sell to numerous needs, and in so doing overwhelm the customer and lose the sale. To avoid being a “sales”person, focus your attention on a chief concern of your customer. This will not only result in a higher closing percentage, but it will also allow you the opportunity to focus your attention on the next chief concern in the future.