Sales Training Update: THE SIX S.E.C.R.E.T.s OF SUCCESSFUL SELLING: Secret #2
6/17/09 Sales Training Update: THE SIX S.E.C.R.E.T.s OF SUCCESSFUL SELLING: Secret #2
In my last blog entry I introduced the first of the Six S.E.C.R.E.T.s of Successful Selling. This first secret is SINCERITY. Master Sales Professionals are sincere in two ways: First, they have a sincere desire to put the interests of their customers before their own. They truly believe that a closed sale is the outcome of putting the customer first. The sale is not, in and of itself, their objective. And second, they have a sincere interest in their customer as a person – as a unique individual. Their customer is not simply a “prospect”, with a dollar sign value.
The second of the Six S.E.C.R.E.T.s is EMOTION. There has been a lot of effort by psychologists to understand what motivates people to do certain things, and much of this effort has been focused on comprehending why people buy. In my training and coaching sessions this is one of the fundamental principles I help my clients understand. Most sales people think that price is one of the most significant factors, if not the most significant, in their customer’s buying decision. Sure, they understand that service, and quality, etc. are also factors. But price seems to loom over their heads as a potential deal-killer. This does not have to be the case.
We must understand that every single human being is motivated by one thing, and one thing only: Emotion. That’s right. Every second of every minute of our lives, we all act out of our own self interest. And this self interest manifests itself in the pursuit of emotional payoffs. This is not to say that we are necessarily selfish. Selfishness and self interest are two different things. Selfishness is based on a set of values. A selfish person is one who values their own self interest so much, that they never see it in their self interest to do anything for someone else. Self interest, on the other hand, is a naturally healthy way to be. There are many situations in our lives when we do something for someone else, and we are acting out of our own self interest. Why do you help another person? Because it makes you feel good! Or, if you do it out of a sense of obligation, it helps you to not feel bad – which is really the same thing as helping you to feel good. Psychologically, the human being has no choice but to act out of self interest at every moment of our life. It is the way we are wired. It is simply what we are.
So, what does all this psychological mumbo jumbo have to do with sales? Well, Master Sales Professionals know that their job is to first understand the emotional motivators of their prospective customer. For example, price – or the desire to save money – is simply a logical supporter of a higher level emotional interest. When someone desires to save money, they do so because they believe it will make them FEEL GOOD – it will serve them emotionally. But let’s expand the discussion with this prospective customer. What if they understand that paying a little more will help them to feel more secure, or will help them to feel more respectable to their peers, or will help them feel any other number of positive emotions? Price begins to have less impact on their overall pursuit of emotional self interest.
Every sales professional is really selling a package of emotions. The end benefit of any buying decision is a desire to either feel a set of positive emotions, or to eliminate and avoid a set of negative emotions. At a high level, the Master Sales Professional follows a two step process. Step 1 is to ask a lot of good, open ended questions to find out what specific emotions their prospective customer would like to create or avoid. If the customer states that they are price sensitive, they ask questions to identify why this is so. Nobody wants to save money just to save money. There is a reason. Maybe it will make them look good to their boss, maybe it will allow them to put money away money for a vacation, etc. There are emotions and values behind this desire. The Master Sales Professional explores for the full set of emotional drivers.
Step 2 is to communicate the benefits of their recommended products or services in the emotional terms that the prospective buyer has discussed. The Master Sales Professional understands that if they use the proper technique and process, the prospective buyer will tell them exactly what to propose and how to present it. They don’t sell a product or service. Instead, they intentionally sell the emotional package that the prospective buyer is looking for.
As with sincerity, placing emotion at the core of your sales process requires patience and potentially a change in how you prioritize your value system. The Master Sales Professional understands that these are not only necessary habits, but they are true sales skills. Use these first two S.E.C.R.E.T.s of successful selling in every prospect or customer interaction you have. And stay tuned for the remaining 4 secrets!
Peter Bruening is a professional sales coach, trainer, speaker and author. He helps his clients increase their passion for sales, and in the process, their sales performance and revenue. Please visit his web site at: http://www.sellingpointsgroup.com
