Buyers are like patients. Assuming they know the root cause of their problems leads to a misdiagnosis— a hit-and-run
One of the most self-defeating assumptions sellers make is that the buyer has all the answers about him or his (the buyer) business. Well, breaking news: he doesn’t. Assuming so, kills the sales momentum. To keep the sales momentum moving show insight and build trust.
It is because of this assumption that many sellers simply hit-and-run. They present their product or service expecting the buyer to “see” how it fits into his life or business and hop to the next buyer. This is the most basic of selling. It’s like selling bread.
Buyers are like patients: diagnose, don’t just sell
To grow, a shift is required; the realization that buyers are like patients and most only share symptoms and are unaware of root cause. To grow and become relevant, help them in identifying it— become their third eye.
For instance, the CEO buyer displays confidence, assurance and certainty because he is the leader and not because he has the answers to all the problems. In any case, what’s the alternative? Walking around uninspired, with his head hanging telling everyone his problems?
Sellers, who work with CEO’s e.g. bank corporate relationship managers, oil company sales people who sell through dealers, and consultants, become useful to the CEO when they display a genuine desire to assist in solving his challenges and not merely to make a sale. What does this mean? It means thinking long term, understanding his company’s strategic direction and his vision.
With these in mind, it means providing business value with every interaction if the sales momentum is to be kept going. It means sharing industry insights and ideas and showing how they impact his business.
The “hoho” principle: small acts, big trust
For example: “Wacha nikuongezee moja ya urafiki,” and she adds an extra capiscum (hoho) to your purchase of the standard 4 weekly from her. And that good turn yields another that keeps the relationship going. As you likely have before: “Kama hauna change ni sawa. Utanipatia next time.”
“Hii siezi kuilipisha. Wewe ni customer wangu. In fact, wacha nikuonyeshe kutoa airlock ndio ikihappen tena utatue. Lakini sijakuambia usiniite ikiwa ndio unaprefer.” And your plumber—deliberately blocking obvious future sales—proceeds to show you. He knows you’ll call him for the big jobs—the ones you can’t handle—because he has earned your trust.
Read: How to sell professional services like a plumber
Or, you sell hospital beds. A hospital you are eyeing to sell to is hesitant because they’ve had bad experiences in the past. Instead of abandoning them or worse pushing your product, you ‘sell’ service first. You spend a year addressing their concerns, consistently offering support, helping with other equipment issues, and proving your reliability. Effectively, you get in early with the buyer. Come the annual review of contracts you are viewed with significantly less suspicion.
Share insights, not just prices
Or back to the decision maker or CEO. It is an exciting dynamic what continues to happen in the digital landscape: data, voice and TV are rapidly slowly losing their silos. Just as banking and mobile.
Giving your (informed) insights into how you see the landscape shaping out makes you a useful member of that industry’s or CEO’s think tank.
This could include sharing links via email with caption, “This may help with your running strategic objectives.” To get the pump station dealer to buy more fuel from your company requires more than, “You need to order more from us.”
It requires well thought out insights into how he can get more vehicles fueling at his station. Think like him. Such insights are not always directed at closing a sale. No; that ship sailed with the sale of bread. The insights are intended to keep the sales momentum going; to demonstrate that “we are in this together”; it’s us versus the problem, not you against us.
It is the consummate seller who accepts that not all interactions must be immediately commercial.
Keep sales momentum: earn buyer’s trust
One of the things those who find themselves selling to CEOs will admit, is that the CEO won’t simply open up to you.
You must earn his trust enough for him to show a chink in his armour—that he does have a weak spot. And when he does ultimately take the risk to open up to you, the last thing you want to do is abuse that privilege. Abusing it comes in the shape of having a lose mouth, talking to him in a self righteous manner and expecting that your input should be his decision.
Your input is just that—input. And it’s only one of many. The ultimate decision is his—he is still the vision carrier. It’s much like men in the pub may give their input about how you should deal with the wife problem. It is the unwise man who takes such advice and blindly implements it.
Sales momentum
But only a handful of us interact with the business owner or CEOs. The principle though, still applies. Interrogate your assumptions about the buyer and find ways to keep the sales momentum going.
After all, you are there to help him identify and resolve the root cause of his symptoms.
You may also like to read: How do I stand out in sales? Show value
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