Clients are as different as snowflakes. No two are ever alike, and despite your best efforts, clients are likely to react in different ways to your sales proposals. This is because they are predisposed to have specific ideas concerning what they want to buy from you before you even open your mouth to deliver a pitch. The key to being successful in sales efforts is by understanding what makes clients “tick” and what motivates them to want to buy from you.
In this article, we’ll examine how getting inside your clients’ minds can help improve your sales numbers over time and practice. Now, you won’t have to become a world-renowned psychiatrist to do this either. Here are some things to consider as you venture into the brains of your most challenging clients.
Trust takes time. Clients are human beings too, so they most often respond to relationship building rather than hype. Take the time to get to know your clients well, from the reason that started their business to what their priorities are in life. This will give you more insight into their world and help you find a common ground as you communicate.
Learn to listen. A big part of being an effective sales person is not doing all the talking, but rather doing a lot of the listening. This is a way you can get inside your client’s mind to learn more about what he or she is looking for. What you will be listening for are clues that tell you what your client is really looking for. This can be hard to do, but you can make this easier by responding with clarification questions to dig deeper.
Driving force. What motivates one person to buy is not neccessarily the same thing every time. Additionally, you may encounter a client who buys from you in the past due to one reason, but doesn’t revisit this need later on. Finding out what are the driving forces behind your clients’ needs is critical to being more successful with sales efforts. Learn what your clients are passionate about, what their goals are, and how you can best meet them.
Personality type. Clients are people with individual personality types that make them take action in specific patterns. Learn more about your client’s personality types by asking clarifying questions during conversations. For example, find out if your clients consider themselves to be outgoing vs. introverted, decision makers vs. followers, innovators vs. developers. This can help you better serve your clients over the long term.
Learn how to be a more effective sales pro by attending an upcoming Dale Carnegie course on How to Sell Like a Pro, enrolling now!
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