It isn’t the economy, low-balling competitors or poor quality keeping your company from turning prospects into customers. Consultant John Graham explains what really causes the problem.
Here’s his open letter to companies whose salespeople dropped the ball — or dropped a bucket of balls.
You’re wondering why I’m not doing business with you. Perhaps you think I wasn’t serious or was just another “tire kicker” when I gave you an appointment.
Well I am serious and I’m gong to buy – but not from you.
I want you to know why you left me cold:
- You pushed until you could get in front of me.
- You did nothing to motivate me to talk with you.
- Why should I spend time with you?
- What do you offer that I can’t get elsewhere?
- You’re not really interested in me or what I want to accomplish.
- You don’t see me as a long-term customer, someone who will be doing business with you over the next 10 years.
- You don”t think about what you can do for me.
- You see me strictly as a buyer, someone to sign the order so you can get a commission.
- You’ll move on as soon as your make the sale.
- You only want to get the order and go on your way.
- You don’t return calls promptly and get me the information I need to make a decision.
- You waste my time by calling without clear purposes, especially on a busy day.
- If I were only interested in buying a product or service, I would pick up a catalog and call a toll-free number.
- I won’t hear from you until you want to make another sale.
- You’re good at agenda-setting. But it’s always your agenda, not mine.
- The particular product or service you’re selling is only useful as a means of getting an order out of me. You don’t consider my needs.
- You’re poor at follow-through. You never got me the information I requested after our first meeting.
- Your talent is figuring out what I will buy, not what I need to make my job easier or my company more competitive.
- You’ve taken all the popular classes on how to “psych out” prospects and get them to buy.
- You’ve learned how to look confident and composed, even when you’re stomach is rolling because you’re ill-prepared.
- You concentrate on trying to locate my “hot buttons” and then focus your attention on pushing them.
- You think sales-driven is where it’s at. It isn’t.
- You’re always looking for good leads, but you can’t recognize one when you see it. A good lead is someone who needs what you’re selling.
- Good leads are cultivated by spending time understanding customers, communicating your capabilities and continuously educating them to the benefits of doing business with you and your company.
- Be customer-driven if you want me to buy from you.
