5 proven steps that will help you win the sales dance with your prospect – every time

Let me level with you:

In today’s competitive world, you absolutely must know that old selling techniques do not work any more. If you start using the Alternative Close, or the Ben Franklin Close – you will get killed in the market.

Here is why:

You are not the first person your prospect is talking to, all the other sales people are using the same old techniques, and your prospects have heard those “moves” many times over.

If they have even been in sales themselves, they attended the same seminars you did!!!...and are using same lines on their prospects. Meaning, you’re not any different to them than the next guy.

Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of people out there, who firmly believe that you have to be born with sales skills, or those who believe that there is a shortcut to becoming a great sales person. They are both wrong. Successful sales people are not born, they are created. And they are not created over night at the seminars.

Every day tons of people flock to the newest seminar gurus, books, DVD’s and CD’s promising the life altering changes in your sales results after you’re done with their material. The truth is, it does not work that way.

Now, their material is helpful, but without permanent behavioral and attitude changes, without nurturing the person’s self esteem, and getting rid of garbage of preconceived ideas, none of that material will ever do you any good. The traditional sales concept is to sell by numbers. To give a talk and give as many presentations to as many people as you can and eventually somebody will buy. I’m right here to tell you that’s WRONG. There is no self-esteem in that kind of selling. Actually, it’s not selling at all. It’s clerking.

Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT have to give presentations to everybody who will listen, you don’t have to do dog and pony shows, and you surely don’t have to roll over and agree that the prospect is ALWAYS right.

But here is what you must do:

It is imperative you understand that there are always two systems at work: your system and the prospect’s system.

In the prospect’s system, the agenda is usually to get as much information from you as possible, to play their cards as close as possible – not sharing too much information with you, and negotiating the lowest possible price. There is no sales person in sight who would not appreciate the same consideration back. But that almost never happens. Here is why:

1) The prospect never tells you the WHOLE truth

2) The prospect wants to know what you know

3) The prospect gives you smoke screen objections way before they will give you the real reasons for not buying

4) The prospect does not answer the phone or return the calls/emails

After 16 years of professional selling, one thing I’m sure of is this:

If you do not have your own selling system to follow, you will default, you will give in, and the prospect’s system will prevail. Once it does, and again, it will, you will lose all control of the selling situation and will be on the mercy of your prospect. Like, having to follow up, maybe more than a time or two, maybe having to drop the price, offer more for the same or lower price, or you may never be able to create a contact any more.

So what can you do? For one, have your own system that gives you the control of this dance.

Here are the 5 proven steps that will help you win the sales dance – every time:

1) You must uncover the prospect’s “pain”. People make decisions intellectually, but they buy emotionally. The strongest emotional triggers are pleasure and pain. Pain being the stronger one. If you can uncover the prospect’s true pain, you’re half way there. An interesting thing to point out is that sometime, the prospect has no pain and will continue to do what they’ve always done. No matter what your price is. In this step it is important that you take more information than you give. The most successful sales professionals talk 20%of time in this step and allow the prospect to talk 80% of time. Only that way you will get to the real pain. Remember, the prospect’s system is all about him getting all the free information from you in this stage, so it’s imperative to know how to keep control in your favor with proper questioning techniques.

2) Step 2 really defines who you are as the sales person. Too many of them out there are afraid to bring up the money issue. Hey, if there is an issue, it’s better to find out now, than after you’ve done the entire presentation and wasted your time. This is a very important step where you find out if the prospect has the money available, and if that money is available for what you’re selling.

3) Here you must find out how the prospect goes about making a decision of this type, and who else besides the prospect is going to be a part of that decision making progress. Do they need to sleep on it, pray over it, consult with the CPA, attorney?... etc. Ultimately, can the prospect make the decision to give the money to get rid of the pain?

Did you catch that we’re almost done with the process and the presentation has not taken place yet?

5) Presentation Step. Now, many traditionally schooled sales people would say this is the step where you spill all your benefits and features of your product or service. NO – it is not. This is the step where you talk ONLY about solutions you have directly associated with the pain your prospect is wanting to get rid of. Not more, not less.

6) Yes, you do need to post sell. How many times have you had a prospect who you thought was a “done deal” just to find out at the last minute he/she had a change of heart. Or have you ever had a prospect calling you the next day asking how he can get his money back? Chances are the competition won’t stop pursuing your prospects just because you think you have a deal in the bag. And some time, the prospects just plainly talk themselves out it for one reason or another. Don’t miss the post-sell. It will save headaches and let you keep more money in your pocket in the end.

Happy selling!

To YOUR ultimate success,

Aleksandra

M2 Certified Master Consultant

www.UltimateLifeWealth.com