A salesperson was trying to explain his sales slump to his CEO. “You know,” he said, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
“Make him drink?” the CEO smiled. “Your job is to make him thirsty.”
Creating thirst
Here are tips from Wesley Forcier, sales consultant and author, to create thirst in the minds of your prospects and customers:
- Try not to dwell on what your product does. Focus on the help you can provide.
- Show you have more expertise than the buyer, since greater knowledge is the key to the sale.
- Be consistent in all you say and do. Show you have an unvarying set of values and standards, since that promotes trust.
- Time your best points. If prospects seems skeptical, start with your strongest argument as an attention-getter so they listen. If you get an initial favorable response, use your strongest argument as the end, when you call for action.
- Use open discussion to ease negative reactions. If prospects show negative emotions, try to get those feelings out in the open. Then deal with them logically and calmly.
- Pay attention. Force yourself to tune out distractions and concentrate on the prospect. Listen for clues to uncover hidden needs and ask questions to bring them out in the open.
- Avoid trying to solve problems without the right information. Get the information first. Don’t assume you know the answer and then try to find evidence to support your guess.
