Archives for May 2015

Reading what a person means by their facial expression or the way they hold their body can be very dangerous. Reading body language can tell you things if you are expert at it. But it can lead to misinterpretations and confusion if you just have a passing acquaintance with how to interpret what you see. One thing you can and should do is notice when the body language shifts dramatically and ask a question about it. Don’t interpret anything, don’t assume, don’t guess, just ask. The video gives a couple of good examples at about the 1 minute mark.

Get more than your foot in the door. If you try to break in to a new account by lowering your price, you will be stuck at a low and possibly unprofitable price point. And what is worse, you will be vulnerable to the next company that pulls the same strategy and beats your price. You will find it most difficult to change your image form the “low price people” to the “quality work” people. I am not against a small concession here and there when it is necessary to     reduce the risk to the client for working with someone new. But, it should only be done when absolutely necessary and only with the understanding that once the prospect is comfortable normal terms and conditions will apply. Call at the right level, find a niche you can fill or a problem only you can solve and get your whole body in the door … not just your foot. You might check out the 17 questions that only top salespeople have the guts to ask I am offering over to the right of this article. They can help with differentiating you and getting your whole body in the door.

What’s the best way to ask a question? What phraseology is most likely to get you an answer to the question? What technique should I use to ask the money question? These are all fodder for sales training classes. Trainers spend hours devising new ways to ask simple questions and overcome salespeople’s resistance to asking the question. The fact is that there is no one right way to ask. So just ask. The resistance you feel to asking is based on your belief systems. The best way is to ask the question on your mind in the context of the conversation you are having and ask it using your words. The trainers words will probably not fit, the words you get from a book will probably not fit. Every situation is different and every prospect is different … even in the same company selling the same product. So if you need to know or are just curious or are trying to get to a deeper level … just ask.

Urgency is an integral part of the compelling reason to buy. It may seem that knowing when they need something defines the urgency. However, consider the difference between these two situations. “I need it by June 3^rd because I am making a presentation to the board of directors on June 4^th.” OR  “ I want it by June 3^rd “.  Sometimes it is a good idea to ask what happens if you don’t get it by June 3^rd? If they say “no big deal we’ll get it in July, then there really is no urgency. If they describe a problem that will occur then there is real urgency to get the purchase made.  Knowing when the decision must be made is good to know. But knowing why it must be made by then is critical to establishing urgency.