While there are many different buyer types that you have to deal with everyday, in today’s age of instant information, there is one type that has become quite formidable.  That is the Know-it-all.

You know this prospect; the one that believes he or she knows more about what you do and sell than you, your management team, your sales and marketing teams, and everyone else on the planet.  You have met this prospect; the one who argues every point, interrupts your sales presentation, tells you what are the benefits and drawbacks and knows better than you know about what the pricing should be. 

This prospective buyer in the past was not more than an inquisitive person who possessed some rudimentary knowledge of your industry, and worked primarily on conjecture.  Today however, with the internet, the modern buyer has instant access to industry information like never before.   Add to this the fact that much of that information could be misleading, incorrect or completely false, and you could have a real problem dealing with this person.  Well, here are three powerful ways to handle this buyer type successfully.

The Techniques
As always, what follows are not scripts.  I will give you examples of the idea, the concept.  The three techniques are:

• Easy
• Ally
• Referral

Easy
First, let this prospect know that it is the educated buyer, like he or she, that are not only your best customers, but provide the easiest sale.  Make it clear to the prospect that the more a buyer knows and understands about your product or service, the easier it is for you to make the sale.   

Here is an example:

“Wow!  Mr Prospect.  I am so glad to meet you.  Our best customer is an educated and informed buyer.  Whenever I meet someone who knows as much about this as you do, it makes my job so much easier…”

For the prospect who constantly interrupts your sales presentation, you might also add that due to their knowledge, you will breeze through your presentation.  Of course, that could be your regular presentation, with a few added phrases like, “As you already know…” and “You are probably already aware…”

The main point is to inform the prospect that people who know it all, always buy. This will put the prospect in a situation to either continue to express that they know it all, and in a sense, agree to buy; or to begin to act a little less informed, in which case you gain control again.

Ally
Inform the prospect that due to his or her vast knowledge of what you do, that you would like them to be your ally, your partner.  With this, you want to begin to assume more than the sale; assume the future and longevity of the relationship.  Here’s an example:

“Susan, I really look forward to working with you over the long term.  You know so much about this, and you know more about your business than I do.  I think we can really work together for years to come…”

Once again, if the prospect continues their behaviour, they confirm your assessment of the future.

Referral
Similar to the ally technique, here you want to assume the sale and the relationship as well using the prospect as a referral. 

“Steve, with your knowledge of my industry, plus of your own business expertise, you can really help me.  If most of the people I talk to knew as much as you, I would never have a problem.    I’d like to discuss having some of my potential customers call you.  With your knowledge, you would help me make a lot more sales…and I will work out some discount for you in return.”

First, let the know-it-all know that people like him or her are the exact people who always buy.

Second, help the prospect understand that they will be your best ally over a long-term relationship.

And finally, inform the prospect that they will be your best referral source and you will give them something in return.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

You can find a ton of material on terms, phrases and magic words to use while attempting to close a sale.  Some closing statements and remarks may be very helpful and some may make no difference.  However, one question is extremely damaging and will often kill the sale.

“What do you think?”
While this question may seem harmless and necessary, it is the opposite.  The problem is that this question directs the prospect’s mind toward the more “logical” spectrum of the decision making process. 

While there will always be a debate on the amount of logic vs. the amount of emotion you should use in a sales interaction, there is no question you need to use some of both.  However, the emotional part secures a positive buying decision.  People make decisions based mostly on emotion—then use logic to justify the decision.

During the close, you want the prospect to be “feeling” the emotions:

1. The problems they suffer without the product or service
2. The pain they can alleviate
3. The money they will enjoy as a benefit of your solution 
4. The peace of mind your service provides
5. Etc. 

During the close, you do not want the prospect to be “thinking” the logic:

1. Is this the right time?
2. What will my spouse say?
3. What will my boss think?
4. Is this the best price?

Avoid the “What do you think?” question.  Instead try, “How do you feel?”

The prospect needs the emotion to make a positive buying decision.  The customer then needs the logic to back up and justify that decision.  When you use too much logic in a sales interaction and not enough emotion, you get prospects that love everything about you and your product or service, yet end up buying from someone else.  During the sales close, you want the prospect to focus more on the emotion.

Alternatively, when you use too much emotion and not enough logic in a sales interaction, you get buyers who make quick decisions and then cancel the sale.

In addition to having a mixture of emotion and logic in your sales interaction, you also need to apply each at the right time.  While the prospect is making the decision to buy or not to buy, you want mostly emotion.  Immediately after the positive decision, then inundate the prospect with the logic they need to keep the sale sold.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

You had a great sales interaction:  Both you and the prospect were calm and comfortable.  You developed some rapport and the prospect showed some positive buying signals during the meeting.  However, when you presented your proposal it seems as though everything became silent, time began to slow down and tension filled the air as you anxiously waited for the prospect’s decision.

Below are three powerful closing questions that will ease the tension and help you maintain the flow of your sales interaction as you begin to ask for the order.

#1 – “Does that make sense?”    
This question is simple and helps the prospect understand that what you have just proposed is, at worst, reasonable.  You are not asking, “Do we have a deal?”  You are simply asking the buyer if what you have presented thus far makes sense.  Example:

“So, Susan, we are talking about three cases of our classic style blades and we will pick up the shipping cost, and as I mentioned, I am including a full year of maintenance at no charge.  So, this gives you an entire year of worry free operation for only £2,675.  Does that make sense?”

From there, simply assume the sale or address whatever issue the prospect feels does not make sense.

#2 – “Is that fair enough?”
This second question is perfect for the customer who loves to negotiate.  You know some prospects are going to insist on a lower price or higher value no matter what you first propose.  This question considers this without challenging the prospect.

“So, this gives you an entire year of worry free operation for only £2,675.  Is that fair enough, Susan?”

 #3 – “More in the future…OK?”
With this question, you want to point to the future of your business with the customer.  The proposal on the table is but a stepping-stone to a broad and long-term mutually beneficial relationship. 

“So, this gives you an entire year of worry free operation for only £2,675.  This will get us started Susan, and take care of your immediate needs.  Then, after a few months we can begin to look at a plan to outfit your whole plant—OK?”

The bridge from “hello” to “thank you for your business,” should be smooth.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

Sales people usually look in only a few areas when it comes to finding ways to increase sales.  Sales professionals look to increase the total amount of prospects they see by making more calls, sending more emails and increasing their overall prospecting activity.  Or, the sales person and management team look to increase closing averages by learning more techniques, overcoming a few more objections or being a bit more persistent. 

Understand the Sales Process

However, the easiest way to increase your sales instantly is to concentrate on raising your efficiency in smaller, seemly less important areas of your sales process.

First, you must clearly understand your sales process and your S.O.S. – Science of Selling.  You have to know all of your numbers as facts.  In other words, you must know your exact closing average, but also your appointment setting average.  Exactly how many calls do you make every day and exactly what percentage become appointments?  

You must know the exact percentage of people that answer the telephone when you cold call and precisely what percentage of decision makers (DMs) you reach.  You have to understand your sales process and S.O.S and you must base these numbers on factually data.  Once you have these numbers you can change everything!

Focus on Other Sales Activities

Let us imagine a sales person’s numbers look like this:

20 – Cold Calls

15 – Answers

8  – DMs Reached

4  – Appointments Set

2  – Sales Closed

The Usual Suspects

Again, the usual attack is to try to increase the closing percentage to more than 50% or simply make more than 20 cold calls.  However, let us look at the number of DMs reached compared to the number of calls answered.   Could we increase the amount of DMs reached, which is barley over 50%?  Is the sales person just having bad luck on reaching DMs, or is it more likely the result of sophisticated gatekeeper screens?  If the sales person could increase the percentage in this area, sales will increase even though all the other percentages remain the same.  As an example:

20 – Cold Calls

15 – Answers

12  - DMs reached = Sales person gets past more screens and increased this percentage

6  – Appointments Set = Number of sets has increased, yet the percentage remained the same

3  – Sales Closed = Closed sales have increased, yet closing average remains the same.

You are not going to double your closing average overnight.  However, can you increase the percentage of returned calls you receive or the amount of retuned emails?  Can you raise the percentage of people who opt-in for your literature?

Keep good records and be a true professional.  Increase proficiency and efficiency in every area of your sales process and you will increase your income.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

It’s been a long time coming but my new book “eselling” is being launched in July!

It’s a completely new way to sell using the internet as your main vehicle.

I’ve put together a 60 minute online training session which explains some of the nuts and bolts of eselling.

Please click here http://www.e-selling.com to gain immediate access to the training session right now.

Thanks again

Sean

PS On that link you can also be notified of when the book is out because I will be offering a lot of freebies on the launch date! Here’s the link again http://www.e-selling.com

I’m delighted to introduce a guest blogger for today, my friend and colleague, Mark Hunter. Mark is known as “The Sales Hunter”, and offers some good advice on how to start your working week on the run. Enjoy!

Want to begin your week with good momentum and sales motivation? Here are 5 ways to do it:

1. Contact your best customers Monday morning.

Yes, prospecting Monday morning can be difficult due to people being in meetings. However, just because Monday morning may pose some prospecting challenges doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be on the phone. Monday is a great time to contact your best customers to make sure things are going well with them.

Contacting current customers will motivate you, because they’ll share with you what they like about you and what you sell. They will give you ideas you can then use with other customers. The customers you call will appreciate you reaching out – you benefit and they benefit. Starting Monday morning with this approach can set such a positive tone for your week.

2. Be prepared for Monday before Monday starts.

Far too many salespeople wait until Monday morning to figure out what they want to do. By the time they figure out what they want to do, the day is half gone. Worse than waiting until Monday morning to set a game plan is not having the weekend to mentally prepare yourself for not just a great Monday, but a great week.

Use late Friday afternoon to organize for Monday. This includes taking time to think through the successes you had in the week that is wrapping up. By reflecting back on your successes, you’ll be in a much better frame of mind to set your goals for the coming week.

After you’ve set your goals, you can then begin to organize your customer contact list and how you want to approach each contact. By taking the time to do this Friday afternoon (or Saturday if need be), you’ll have time to think through what you want to accomplish. Plus, you will feel relaxed and in a much better frame of mind to visualize success.

This is similar to the approach excellent athletes take before a major game or match. They prepare their strategy and then spend time reflecting on it and visualizing success.

3. Make your “selling time” truly “selling time.”

Be deliberate with your calendar or journal as to what times of the day you will be selling. Don’t deviate from it. If you start to deviate on Monday from your schedule, you’ll be more likely to deviate again Tuesday and throughout the week. The best performers in anything are those who are most disciplined in how they use their time.

4. Don’t make excuses on Monday as to why you can’t make sales calls.

Salespeople can be famous for making excuses as to why something doesn’t get done. Don’t establish this pattern. Don’t start each week with “reasons” you can delay making sales calls. Be honest with yourself and don’t justify in your mind that “preparing to make a sales call” is the same thing as “making the call.” If left unchecked, “preparing” is an excuse that quickly will overtake everything else.

It’s not that preparation isn’t essential. It’s just that you should be doing it at the end of the day or another non-selling time. Block out an hour at the end of the day for organizing, so that you can focus your energy during the day to actually sell.

5. Avoid the “weekend re-cappers” when you come to the office on Monday.

Monday mornings are hard for a lot of people. You know the type I’m describing. They’re the ones who always want to share one more story about their weekend or complain about how hard of a week they’re going to have. Avoid these people at all costs!

The only thing they will do is drag you down, and the last thing you need at the start of your week is someone dragging you down. The way to avoid this is by finding two people who share your desire to make Mondays great. Connect with these two people with the objective to share your goals for the week and for them to share theirs. Challenge each other toward excellence.

Start incorporating these 5 steps into your weekly routine and the results will astound you. Be the type of person who is always looking forward, scanning the horizon for ways you can improve your individual skills, strengthen your sales motivation and maximize your bottom line.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. He is known for his ability to motivate organizations through his high-energy presentations. To find out more and to read his blog, visit http://www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

Have you ever bought someone a Birthday or Christmas present and then found that they had taken it back to the shop for an exchange?

Or have you ever described a haircut style that you wanted and the hairdresser styled it in such a way that you didn’t want to be seen in public for a month?

Have you ever suggested a solution to a prospect, only to find that that they said that’s exactly what they’re NOT looking for?

All these examples show how hard it can be at times to create a ‘future picture’ of events that everyone can agree on. A sale can only be made when there is agreement on what the solution looks like. In other words, a sale takes place when the prospect and salesperson share a common ‘future picture’ of what the solution will look like, and your product or service helps them to achieve that ‘future picture’.

One way you can determine what that picture looks like is by painting the picture as it is now and identifying the changes that have to be made in order to paint the picture as it needs to be in the future.

The best way to do this is by asking quality questions. Imagine you’re selling cars and the prospect says, ‘I’m just looking around, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to buy another car yet.’

Some salespeople would immediately start showing some of the stock they have and presenting solutions, maybe to problems that don’t exist in the prospect’s mind.
The best way to approach this is to create a need for that change in the prospect’s mind. Questions like, ‘What is prompting you to look around? What would make you actually think about changing your car? If you were to change, what kind of things would you want on the new car that you don’t enjoy now? How would you know that you’ve made the right decision when you changed?’

All these questions look at the current situation, and drive (excuse the pun!) the prospect to think about a future position they may see themselves in.
Only when you have created enough pain associated with the current picture will they want to move away from that pain towards a different future picture.

On the other hand, a prospect might not be experience pain with the current situation. It’s only when the future picture is painted in such a way that they see rewards or opportunities that they can’t obtain with the current picture that they will make the necessary steps to change. In other words, they now associate pain with their current comfortable position, pain that didn’t exist before they saw the new possible bright future picture!

By helping your client paint that future picture for themselves, you open the way for your products and services helping them to realise that future and draw them towards it.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

We often say that that, don’t we? And it can be a dangerous misconception.

You see, if you start with that premise that they are always right, when they mention something that you absolutely KNOW without a shadow of a doubt will harm their business (or yours) then can their viewpoint be construed as necessarly RIGHT? What if the decision they make wasn’t thought through well enough? What if you backed up that decision and the end result was wrong for the customer? Your agreeing with them may have taken them in the wrong direction.

Additionally, if you agree at all times witn the customer simply to make it seem you are a committed supplier, you will find the demands from them grow and grow, with them expecting more and more from you.

Instead, make sure that you help the customer consider any decision they are going to make. The consideration should be made on three dimensions:

Cost or investment; how much will this decision coat them in the long0-term?
Time; how long will this decision take to come to fruition?
End results; will the results be right for the customer’ business?

By asking these questions of yourself, you get the customer to recognise that the way forward may not be the way they originally planned. But by holding back simply because you live by the myth that the customer is always right could take you towards the edge of the cliff, with no way of stopping.

Be observant, be a great listener, be assertive and think what’s right for their business. The customer who is wrong will forgive you in the long-term.

Happy Selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

Here’s a short video that I put together about why the modern day buyer has changed.

You know what? They’ll take the shirt off your back if you’ll let them!

Press play below…

Let me know what you think by making a comment below

Heppy selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

On our time management programmes, we discuss the opportunities for salespeople to work productively on important issues like research of prospects and clients, and planning for calls, plus reviews and reports.

Most salespeople tell us they simply don’t have time for this…they are too busy firefighting or out in the field.

How can you become more effective in the way you use your time and identify those times you want to spend on the ‘non-urgent but important’ tasks?

Here are some ideas:

1. Before planning some time on your own, get any material you’ll need. You do not want to search through your emails to find a report… and then answer 10 other emails and follow a link to an interesting article your colleague sent and then…yea, you get the point. Be prepared for the time you have actively set aside.

2. Guard the time (Carpe Diem). See if you can find somewhere quiet and where you can concentrate. Reserve an empty confeence room or office. Leave your phone on silent on your desk. Don’t take it with you. Commit to 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes or however long you can to devote uninyerrupted time to the task in hand. You are simply unavailable for this time.

3. Work systematically. Don’t let your mind wander. Be vigilant with the information you are trying to get. Search Linked-in, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and the like for specific contact information. The time spent will be well-worth-it.

4. Make it a habit to spend short time-bursts on clear objectives that will help you prepare your sales portfolio or review lessons from past visits. That way, you will look forward to these powerful times that will create excellent results for you to enjoy.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…