If
you are in sales, you might know the difficultly and stress that comes with the
end game of selling. But do you know that there are several reasons for why it
is?
First
and foremost is the fear of failure experienced by the prospect. Because of
negative buying experiences in the past, over which you could have no control,
prospects are conditioned to be suspicious, skeptical and wary of salespeople
and sales approaches. They may like to buy, but they don't like to be sold.
They are afraid of making a mistake. They are afraid of paying too much and
finding it for sale cheaper somewhere else.
Fear
of Criticism
They
are afraid of being criticized by others for making the wrong buying decision.
They are afraid of buying an inappropriate product and finding out later that
they should have purchased something else. This fear of failure, of making a
mistake in buying your product, is the major reason why people object, hesitate
and procrastinate on the buying decision.
Fear
of Rejection
The
second major obstacle to selling is the fear of rejection, of criticism and
disapproval experienced by the salesperson. You work long and hard to prospect
and cultivate a prospective buyer and you are very reluctant to say anything
that might cause the prospect to tune you out and turn you off. You have a lot
invested in each prospect and if you are not careful, you will find yourself
being wishy-washy at the end of the sale, rather than risking incurring the
displeasure of the prospect by your asking for a firm decision.
Customers
Are Busy
The
third reason why the end of the sale is difficult is that customers are busy
and preoccupied. It isn't that they are not interested in enjoying the benefits
of your product. It's just that they are overwhelmed with work and they find it
difficult to make sufficient time available to think through your
recommendations and make a buying decision. And the better they are as a
prospect, the busier they tend to be. This is why you need to maintain momentum
throughout the sales process and gently push it to a conclusion at the
appropriate time.
Inertia
is Hard to Break
The
factor of inertia is the fourth reason that can also cause the sales process to
come to a halt without a resolution. Customers are lazy and often quite
comfortable doing what they are currently doing. Your product or service may
require that they make exceptional efforts to accommodate the change or a new
way of doing things. They perhaps recognize that they would be better off with
your product, but the trouble and expense of installing it hardly seems to make
it worth the effort. They see no pressing need or urgency to stop doing what
they are doing and start doing something else with what you are selling.
Everyone
Buys at the Same Time
The
good news is that everybody you meet has bought and will buy, new products and
services from someone, at some time. If they didn't buy from you, they will
from someone else. You must find the way to overcome the natural physical and
psychological obstacles to buying and then hone your skills so that you are
capable of selling to almost any qualified prospect you speak to.
Action
Exercises
Now,
here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First,
recognize the normal fear of making a buying mistake experienced by the
customer. Give him every reason you can think of to be confident in dealing
with you.
Second,
accept that everyone you talk to is busy and you are interrupting. Always ask
if this is a good time for him to give you his undivided attention. If not,
arrange to see him another time.
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