Get a clue

Having taught more than 25,000 salespeople, it never ceases to amaze me how most people don’t have a clue about sales. Maybe it is because we encounter so few good salespeople.

Let’s start with a definition that I have found very useful when speaking to the green industry. Selling is communicating your trade and profession to customers.

It is not your customer’s responsibility to determine the difference between your products and your competitors. It is your responsibility to sell value and communicate the point of difference. Notice I never used the words coerce, cheat, force, push or swindle.

The following buying reasons have been taught for years but too many people don’t understand what they really mean.

People buy from those they like. Yes, but the real answer is they buy from whom they like if all else is equal, which usually means if things are about the same price or they respect your ability. We have all bought something from our brother-in-law or buddy who let us down.

People hate to be sold. People love to buy things but hate to be sold. They like to spend money but they don’t like to be pushed. That is why professional salespeople make it easy for the customer to buy and never really “sell” them anything.

People buy on their logic, not your logic. Ever notice the more you argue politics or religion with folks, the harder they argue? You cannot talk people into things. You must present information to them in a way that causes them to question their own logic.

People buy because they believe you will solve their problem, not because they technically understand what you do. When you go to the doctor, he or she will often prescribe a drug to help cure you. We have no idea what that drug does chemically but we take it because we trust the doctor. Selling is about trust. People buy because they trust you to solve their problem.

Here are some tips, ideas and phrases to use when talking with customers.

Tell me more about that.
Selling is about gathering information. Try using broad questions that force the customer to tell you what they have in mind. If they say something like they want to “have a low-maintenance plant,” reply, “help me understand what a low-maintenance plant would look like to you.”

Answer a question with a question.
Most of us were good boys and girls and learned to obey our teachers, big brothers, parents and other people of authority. This was a good strategy when you were eight years old, but does not necessarily work well when talking with customers.

Blindly answering the customer’s questions may not be in your best interest because the customer may be asking the wrong question. For example, a customer may ask if a particular cultivar is disease resistant. Why did the customer ask that question? Have they had bad luck with them in the past? Find out why your customer is interested in that selection.

Tag lines for objections.
In the heat of battle, it seems customers give you a zillion objections. But in reality, a few objections cover 90 percent of the objections contractors face.

Come up with some common lines you can offer to counter these basic objections. I call these tag lines, something you pull out of your pocket and say to the customer. Let’s practice a tag line with that age-old objection, price.

The customer says, “Your price is too high.” The grower says, “I know it is a lot of money. Here at Acme Growers, we decided a long time ago that we were better off to charge a little more than to deal with the problems that cutting corners causes. I want to make sure that if I see you again, I’m proud of the products we grew for you.”

Now let’s offer one for higher authority. Customers are famous for passing the buck by saying something like, “I have to talk to my boss,” or, “I have to call the home office for approval.” Most salesmen will tuck tail and run at this point. The more aggressive salesperson might reply, “Let me talk to him for you.” Neither are appropriate responses.

Third-party objections are the number one false objection you encounter. The best response is to test the objection for validity by indicating you appreciate the need to communicate to a third party but you want to make sure they are happy. Something like, “I can appreciate you wanting to get approval. Based on what you have heard, are you comfortable with us doing the job?”

Ask for the order.
Too many contractors think asking for the order is pressure. That is absurd. When you go into a restaurant and the waiter or waitress approaches and asks if you would like to order, you don’t see that as pressure.

When you walk into a hotel and are asked if you would like a room, you don’t see that as pressure. You are a grower. They are trying to buy plants. Asking if they want you to provide the product is a natural conclusion to your presentation.

Selling is nothing more than good communication. Improving your sales skills is one of the few things you can do that requires no more time, but will bring in more profit.

The author is president of PROOF Management Consultants and PROSULT Networking Groups. He can be reached at mporter@giemedia.com.