The Saleswoman
A saleswoman from a certain culinary magazine stopped into the restaurant the other day.
What did she do right?
She came in, with her photographer, and started taking pictures right away. She didn’t provide us with the opportunity to say “no.”
She spoke from the side position, instead of head-on (which is a more confrontational approach.)
When she spoke, she assumed the sale was already made.
She looked to speak to the decision-maker at all times.
Why didn’t she close?
We didn’t want what she was selling.
Can you close a sale when someone doesn’t want to buy? Sure- it happens all the time: your purchase is swayed by the attractive seller, you try to impress the opposite sex, trying to keep up with the Jones, etc. Marketers and salespeople count on it.
But is selling to people who don’t want your service or product a successful practice in the long-term?
Is it something you want a reputation of doing?
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The question “Why didn’t she close” is actually very simple. Chances are she didn’t spend enough time prospecting. I doubt she had any idea on the decision maker’s true needs and wants. She needed to do that by asking questions and listening. If she did that, she needed to create value by offering a solution. Her job shouldn’t be to create sex appeal, but to solve a problem.
If you don’t create value, you’re selling strictly by price point. Selling by price point isn’t going to close sales. Which leads us back to the first statement, she didn’t spend enough time prospecting. If she did, she would have either brought a real problem to the decision maker’s attention and provided a solution, or realized he was completely unreceptive and moved on to her next destination. Half the battle in sales is getting your self in front of a strong prospect.
No amount of assumptive choice closes and neutral body language is going to make someone who has no need for the product need it.