You’ve spent hours preparing your sales presentation and managed to land a meeting with the decision maker at a local corporation. After the presentation you are asked a series of questions about your product and then the decision maker starts to ask you real questions.

He wants to know about the price of your product.

Of course he does – and rightfully so! But here’s where most salesmen begin to falter. They’re uncomfortable talking about price because they aren’t sure how the customer will respond at this critical point in the sales process. What they don’t realize is that their level of confidence visibly drains, their body language completely changes, and their response to this question is more of a turnoff than a convincing close.

Why wouldn’t you be confident about the price of your product? You just spend a good 30-60 minutes telling your prospect about the pros, cons, and benefits of your services. Don’t you think it’s priced competitively?

Never be afraid to confidently answer questions about the price of your product, especially if you’re at the point in which the sale may close. Maintain eye contact with your prospect, use the same hand gestures you’ve used throughout the entire presentation, and make sure your body language and tone express how excited you are about the product and the way it is priced.

Feeling uncomfortable? Stand in front of your mirror in the morning and talk about your price point as if you are talking to a client. Repeat yourself several times until you are comfortable with this part of your presentation.

Remember this! Your confidence will give your prospect confidence!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

The act of making a sale is part art and part science. One of the most important skills a salesperson can develop is the art of persuasion.

In my experience there are four main things you need to do when attempting to pursuade someone to make a purchase. These include:

• Being direct and to the point, immediately establishing your own credibility as a salesperson and someone your potential client should trust;
• The art of finding some sort of common ground between your business and the business of your prospect so that you can position yourself based on your similarities;
• The ability to show your prospect evidence that supports the fact that he wants or desires the product or services you are selling; and
• The ability to connect with your prospects on an emotional level.

Take any one of these skills and you’ll find your sales presentations begin to run smoother. Combine two, three, or all four and you’ll find your sales numbers increasing steadily.

Many of your prospects have already decided that they want to make a purchase. They’re just not sure what they’re going to buy or who from. It’s your job to pursuade them that they want what you have!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Before you head out to your next sales meeting I’d like you to consider the following three questions:

1. What criteria do your customers use when determining whether or not they should make a purchase from you?
2. What makes a customer purchase your products more than once?
3. What makes a customer take his business away from you and go to another company?

These questions are similar to those we’ve asked before, but it’s important for you to understand the answers before you go out on your next sales call. You can guarantee that whatever criteria your prospect is applying to your meeting will apply across the board and you’re going to want to make sure the answers you give them to their questions (spoken or not) are better than the answers they get from your competition.

After your initial sale you’ll need to understand what is going to propmt your new client to continue purchasing from you. Pay special attention to his needs and desires in your initial meetings. You’re going to need this information in order to take a proactive approach in the future.

Remember, it’s easier to keep a current customer than to find a new one. The more willing you are to keep your customer happy the less likely it is you’ll end up losing him later on.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Yesterday we spoke a bit about the types of customers you’ll want to attract when you’re prospecting for clients. We talked about current customers and customers that you at some point lost. The key to keeping those customers (or getting them back) is building up a sense of customer loyalty.

There are four main characteristics that will help you to determine whether or not a customer is likely to remain loyal. When you review your current client list for upsells, or even your new prospect list, keep these factors in mind.

First, how satisfied has your client been with your product in the past? If he has a dislike he’s not likely to stay. Clients who merely like your product but don’t really care either way about the brand may or may not jump ship if they’re presented with a similiar product from another salesman. Someone who loves your brand is less likely to leave, even if offered a lower price.

Clients also make decisions based on what they percieve to be risks. Don’t expect to make a ton of sales if you’re offering a product or service that your clients fear may be a waste of money. You’ll need to not only sell the benefits of the product but find ways to show that those benefits far outweigh the risks.

Another important factor is the availability of substitutes. Let’s say, for example, you are selling widgets. Where do you think your customer will turn if three other companies are selling widgets and you are all pricing them differently? Probably to the cheapest competitor. That doesn’t mean you have to lowball your prices, but it does mean you have to offer incredible customer service and incentives to keep them around.

Lastly, a customer will remain loyal if he recognises that changing brands would be more costly than staying where he is. That does not mean you can kick back and relax. Most customers are willing to spend money moving to a new brand if they’re really upset with your customer service, accounting practices, or anything else that offends them.

Remember! Your customers won’t look around if you don’t give them a real reason to. Keep in touch, offer new products and services as they become available, and make sure they realize you care about their happiness. Make them feel special and they’ll remain customers for life!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker