Sell With The Least Amount Of Information
We all understand how important it is to get to know our customers and what their needs are. Customers who buy the same product may or may not be buying that product for the same reasons. Our job as professional salespeople is to find out the needs and wants of every customer we serve and than strive to satisfy every one of them without overselling.
There is no sense in giving your entire sales presentation if it is not necessary. A sales professional should sell his/her product giving the least amount of information. Customers, most of the time, do not need to know every single fact about the product that they are considering buying. However if we learn why the customer is interested in buying a product, then we can adjust our sales presentation to meet their needs. Think about it, does a football team use every play in their playbook every week? Of course not, they use the plays that they feel will work best against that weeks opponent. Let us look at a short example from the sales field to better illustrate this point.
There are two potential customers going into a computer store with hopes of purchasing a new home computer. They are there to buy the same product but are their reasons for buying the same? Not always and it is up to the salesperson to identify the reasons. Customer A is starting an in-home accounting business and is looking for a computer and programs that will help him get his business off and running. Customer B is looking at a computer to buy for her son who is leaving for college next week and is looking for a good word processing computer and educational programs. If you are selling to Customer A, you are probably going to present a computer that has a considerable amount of memory and programs that run spreadsheets and other accounting programs. For the same reason, you will present to Customer B a computer that has a good and user-friendly word processing program. Realize that the computers you sell them may be the same or almost the same but you are catering to their needs through the programs that you are selling with the computer. In each case, you have probably used only a fraction of your sales presentation but you have met the needs of both your customers.
It’s really quite simple to find out what your customers needs are and give it to them, nothing more and nothing less.
FINAO - Brad Huisken - President, IAS Training
