To Sell The Customer Speak His Language
Did you know that there is a special language your customer speaks? Are you aware that when you speak in your language the customer quickly tunes out your message? But when you speak his language he will tune in and listen - and begin linking your product/service to his needs. Have you learned how to fluently speak his language?
The question might better be, Who doesn't over-use these worn-out, unconvincing reasons with customers? (Hopefully your competitors have not figured this out for themselves). What is the customer's language? The ability to convey compelling reasons why the customer should buy from you, in a manner that they directly link your perceptible value with their needs or wants. In the last seventeen years I have identified 12 Buying Motivations which form the customer's language: Describe how your product (service)... 1.Saves time 2.Saves money 3.Makes money 4.Reduces hassles 5.Prevents trouble before it starts 6.Gives an advantage they can't get elsewhere (exclusive) 7.Reduces stress and worry 8.Improves health 9.Protects an investment or reduces their personal risk 10.Makes life safer 11.Provides fun, joy or happiness (creates a positive memory) 12.Solves a problem Now, look over this list and identify four or more benefits your product (service) provides to the customer? Next, write down all the reasons why you think the customer should buy from your company. Finally, merge the two lists by creating a new set of reasons to buy and forge them in the customer's language. In other words they would fulfill several of the twelve buying motivations above. The only reason any customer buys anything from a salesperson is because he believes we will meet one or more of his buying motivations. These buying motivations differ among industries and among customers. You must uncover (not guess or assume) what each of your customer's unique motivations are. I call this the customer's buying criteria. Until you know his criteria for buying, you cannot understand enough about his needs to offer a compelling case for your product. Is he buying to avoid pain? What does he want to gain from doing business with you or your company? Find out before you try to speak his language. I have created the Salesperson's Triangle of Success. The points of the triangle are: Attitude - Sales Skills - Product Knowledge. Being highly successful requires all three. If you are not as successful as you want then it is due to a lack in one or more of these areas. Speaking the customer's language persuasively involves the discipline of all three points, but it is mainly a Sales Skill. Any learned skill in sales takes real effort and time to perfect. Have you ever known a salesperson who tried to get by on their product knowledge or years of experience in the industry? That can work for awhile but if that rep expects to increase sales significantly he must also possess extraordinary sales skills and attitude. Or, what about the rep that is likeable and gets along easily with customers, he better have the sales skills and product knowledge to go along with it. Look, my point is that it doesn't matter a hoot how knowledgeable you are, or how like-able you are if you fail to sharpen your selling skills in this one area your success will hit a roadblock and the results will be disappointing. A major focus of my sales consulting and training deals with speaking the customer's language and breaking reps out of bad habits. I credit this principle with catapulting not only my own sales in tangibles and intangibles, but, I have proof that it works for reps in insurance, manufacturing, service industry, automotive, financial services and retail merchandise to name a few. Selling with the customer's language is at the heart of excellent sales acumen. It will separate you from the hoard of competitors who haven't learned to do it any differently. Work on your language by mastering the steps suggested in this brief article and watch your sales soar. |
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