This week I was interviewed for an article about sales for Smart Company Magazine called: How to be a great seller - even if you're not in sales.  The articles covered some great points to really help you if your uncomfortable with the sales process and I wanted to share it with you. 

There is one key aspects that was missing from my comments, although it has been picked up in the other comments, which is great as it is a key part of a softer sales close.  This is around making sure you understand what your potential client is looking for, what specifically are their challenges/problems.  When you first meet with a new potential client, spend the first part of the meeting, asking open-ended questions, finding out about them, so that you can really understand their issue.  Once you've a clear understanding, then speak about your services and the value you can add to their business with your products or services.

Are you comfortable 'selling'?  What are some strategies you use that allows who you are to come through in the sales process?  Please share your comments. Tweet

“It’s just too expensive!”  What’s your response when you hear this from a customer? 

Do you back pedal and try to justify your price?  Do you immediately offer a discount? Or do you realise that you’ve obviously not explained the true value of your service or product? 

Yes, there are always those customers who for them, price is an issue and no matter what, they are looking for the cheapest cost for the service they need.  That’s okay, and it's a normal part of doing business. Let these clients go through to the keeper, don’t try and convert them, because ultimately it is not worth your time.  It will just be their loss in the long run.

But there are a majority of customers where price isn’t their deciding factor, value is!

So the next time a customer says that you are too expensive, consider the following.  Have you explained to them the real value of your service and/or product? Have you taken the time to speak to them about the benefits and results you deliver, or have you simply provided them with only  the price of your services?

There are many motivators that make people buy, and the main four include, making more money, saving money, saving time, and avoiding effort.  It’s important that as part of your process of educating your customers about the value of your service and products, that you are clear as to which of these motivators fit within your results. 

Here are some strategies you can put in place to further explain your value:

• Put together a sales process for all new potential customers.  This doesn’t need to be a ‘hard’ sales process, it needs to a system that works for you and your business model.
• Provide them with more than just a price.  Firstly, take the time to find out about their struggles, their concerns and their business. Understand what is happening for them by asking open-ended questions and then listen!  Listen to the words they are saying as well as the tonality of their voice.
• Speak about the value you provide.  Don’t rush this process!  This really needs to be about them buying your services rather than you selling.  Take the time to demonstrate either through examples of what you have achieved with past customers, or by linking their current challenges back to the solutions you provide. 

When you take time to find out more about what is happening for your customers, and speak directly about the value you add, you remove the price point.  Without knowing it, you begin at this point to increase the trust factor,  strengthen the relationship and customers will choose to work with you. 

Is there something specific you do to demonstrate the value your services or products add - if so, share with us here.

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