Why do customers buy from you?
What you sell does not matter as much as you think it does.
When I ask salespeople, “What is it that you sell?” I’m quick to hear some, “Oh, I sell this type of system or this type of computer, or these services…” That’s nice, but that’s not what people want.
If you’re going to move your customer from qualified to closed, you’re going to need these 6 things first.
1. Solutions to their problems
Here’s a little bit of a dilemma we have. One, customers think they know what they need. However, they don’t really know what they need because they don’t know exactly what their problem is.
This is where you come in. In fact, this is a big part of what you sell. Because what you sell is solutions–you’re selling outcomes.
Read more about What Prospects Want to Hear.
2. Insight into their challenge.
What you sell is really irrelevant, it’s just to get the conversation going.
Let me give you an example. You see, what I sell may help me get the conversation going. So in other words, it may help me get the meeting, but it does not get me the sale–unless that’s exactly what the customer is looking for.
Nevertheless, what the customer’s looking for may not be what they need. It’s my duty, and my responsibility as a salesperson, to come in and have that conversation with them, and get them to fully share what their challenge is.
I want to uncover more deeply both their challenge and their opportunity.
3. Understanding of their needs
So many times the customer goes out and buys something that they don’t really need.
All you have to do is go to any store and notice the vast number of returns that occur because what they ordered isn’t quite what they wanted.
The role of the salesperson is to help you see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible. But in order to help you see and achieve what you didn’t think was possible, I (the salesperson), first have to understand your needs.
4. Trust
I’m not going to be able to understand your needs unless you trust me enough to tell me what your issues are. You see, what you really sell is trust.
You thought you sold widgets! Or this piece of machinery. But what you sell is trust.
Because when you sell trust, the customer is now confident with you enough to open up. This is a much bigger issue than people realize. Some might think trust is almost secondary. Absolutely not.
Trust is the cornerstone of the decision that’s being made because of the value proposition, and the price that comes from the value proposition.
Read more about The Relationship Between Sales and Trust.
5. Expertise
If I have a medical condition that requires surgery, and I go to a specialist, I’m going to believe them. I’m going to buy in.
However, if I go to a general practitioner, they might be a great doctor, but what I really need is a specialist. The more specialized we become, the more trustworthy.
You see, what I am saying here is that the level of trust is directly linked to your level of expertise. Ask yourself, do I create expertise with my customers?
6. Confidence in YOU
You are selling expertise and trust to create a level of confidence in the mind of the customer.
Confidence in you leads them to believe the value proposition you have put in front of them, and therefore justify the price. You want them to invest in the outcome you’ve created for them. In a way, they’re indirectly investing in you.
I want you to learn how you can become the best salesperson out there. Not to sell the widgets, not to sell the machinery, but to sell expertise and trust.
A great place to hone your sales skills is at The Sales Hunter University.
While these blog posts cover general topics, each masterclass at TSHU does a deep dive into the nitty-gritty details. It’s on-demand sales training that you can actually use in your day-to-day.
Where can you grow today? See opportunities here.
This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast….
Salespeople are often afraid to ask for a referral. They think they’ll come off as too pushy or too needy. So they don’t.
Huge missed opportunity!!
Join Mark for this episode of The Sales Hunter Podcast as he welcomes Bill Cates, an expert on all things referrals.
Want to know when to ask, and exactly how to do it in a way that feels authentic? Listen Thursday morning when this episode goes LIVE!
Available wherever you stream your podcasts.
Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
One Response
Mark, thank you for the post; I try to tell salespeople on my team that trust and credibility in them as a salesperson is one of the most important tools they can have.