In many ways the obsession with total marks and not how they were arrived at, is reminiscent of how buyer’s buy-selectively. “What did he get?” This question was asked by millions of Kenyans last week immediately after the results for the national examination (KCPE) were announced. The expected response to a child’s performance in the
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In all three instances, the seller let down his guard. What about you? What mistake has cost you the sale Let’s talk today of mistakes that can cost us the sale. Years ago, as a novice insurance sales agent, I once landed a huge prospect. I was now in his office, this Chief Engineer of
Gatekeepers exercise the basest form of leadership-position authority. Gatekeepers are a challenge to overcome in selling. Not an excuse why you shouldn’t. I’m referring here to askaris (security guards), receptionists and such other personnel who have the capacity to deter you from meeting the buyer as you must go through them. So what to do?
Usually, this requires that you understand his circumstance because it is the lens through which he is looking at the problem. Think for the buyer to accelerate the sale. Leave nothing for his imagination Spell out how you see the sale going through from his point of view. And do this without disrupting his circumstances,
Assurance. A singular word that means a plural of emotions. And, retained, or new, sales. Assure buyers by addressing needs, not wants. Assurance is a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise. Assurance is what a customer who is going through uncertainty needs- not what he says he wants. Confused? Hang on. You have
Show up unannounced…say you have something to show…and more So the prospect (possible buyer) is refusing to see you. What to do? First, it is not necessarily a given that him not seeing you means he is avoiding you. He could be genuinely busy with other more pressing matters, or, waiting to give you something
When a woman says, “We should…” almost always she means, “You should…” So, when selling…. Most likely that salesperson you admire, keeps taking the cake because of her choice of words when selling. Appropriate word usage is indispensable to successful selling. This has got nothing to do with being an accomplished linguist. Far from it.
Options offer the buyer a sense of control. “I’m the one making the decision,” she feels. “Would you like to sign with the blue pen or the black one?” This is a technique in closing. It’s an example of what is called an alternative close. When you stop to think about it, does it really
Attacking is deftly persisting through every challenge coming your sales way without losing your enthusiasm. And persistence is an admirable quality-even to those who do not manifest it. While attending a funeral out of town last Friday, I was reminded of the importance of persistence to successful selling. Several hawkers were present, each selling the
The inability to speak the respective buyer’s language just prolongs the sale or loses it altogether. Customize your product’s value argument across the organization’s hierarchy. This is an indispensable ingredient for success in the business-to-business (B2B) sale. The B2B sale is one where an organization sells to another organization. For instance, an engineering firm selling