Editor's note: Is your business in need of a sales boost? We're here to help. Join us for part two of our live online chat with sales expert Grant Cardone, who will share his best strategies for closing a sale. Just log on to Entrepreneur.com on Weds., Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. EST and bring your questions.
It isn't always enough to create and promote an outstanding product or service. Often, your sales approach matters just as much as what you're selling. The most successful entrepreneurs create a connection with the customer by bringing their own personal touch to the sales process.
"People buy from people that they like and can relate to," says Adrian Miller, a sales trainer based in Port Washington, N.Y. "When business owners overlook the importance of that personal connection, they run the risk of losing the prospect to someone else--usually someone who took the time to create a relationship and help the prospect buy something rather than trying to simply sell to them."
Here are seven tips on salesmanship that can help you develop that special rapport with potential customers:
1. Model your business on the corner store. If you long for the days of shopping at a local business where the owner knew your name and your family, try to emulate that experience. For instance, remember one or two details about your customer and bring them up in conversation. "If you know a customer has a daughter finishing up grad school, ask for an update," says Laurie Brown, who owns a sales training company in Detroit and is the author of The Greet Your Customer Manual (The Difference, 2011). "Everyone likes to feel they're important enough that someone remembers the little things in their life. It's one important way we go past viewing customers as a dollar sign to a human who is appreciated."
2. Ask questions first. Before you launch into a hard sell, take time to probe your prospect. Ask questions that will help your customer explain what he's looking for. "Once you know that information, it's much simpler to show how your product or service can satisfy his wants or needs," Miller says. "Probing is fundamental to relationship building, and the more skilled you are at utilizing open and closed ended questions, the stronger the relationship you will be able to create."
Related: Five Signs You're Losing a Sale -- And How to Save It
3. Court your clients. Selling is a lot like dating in that you have to woo customers and hope they return the attention. "Figure that for every 10 people you want to reach out to, three will want to set up appointments to hear more about your product," says Mark Faust, an adjunct professor at Ohio University and the author of Growth or Bust! Proven Turnaround Strategies to Grow Your Business (Career Press, 2011). "To get a potential customer to call you back, you have to hook them somehow. Consider emailing them an article you found interesting that's related to their business and then give them time to respond. Whatever you do, be respectful of their busy schedule."
4. Talk about yourself. Another way to make it personal: Reveal something about yourself. Just be sure it's something your customer can relate to and isn't too personal, suggests Lourdes Martin-Rosa, an American Express OPEN Advisor who helps small businesses win government contracts. "It's pivotal to connect in a real way. In fact, according to a study [in] the Journal of Consumer Research, if a salesperson shares a birthday or a birthplace with you, you're more likely to make a purchase from that salesperson and feel good about it."
Related: How to Conquer Your Sales Fears
5. Really listen to the prospect. There's nothing more insulting than feeling that you're being ignored in a conversation, says Matt Eventoff, owner of Princeton Public Speaking, an executive training company in Princeton, N.J. "Asking someone a question and truly listening to the response, rather than beginning to formulate a response while the other person is speaking, is so important." In fact, small business owners may have a distinct advantage in connecting with customers because they are in touch with them so often. "The smaller the size of your business, the more encounters you'll have and the more opportunities you'll have to listen to your customers," Eventoff says.
6. Step away from your computer and smartphone. While it's often much quicker and less stressful to email a potential customer, face-to-face meetings and networking are far more effective in creating meaningful connections. "These meetings are still among the best ways businesses can establish relationships with decision makers," says Martin-Rosa. "For instance, if you want to pursue the federal government as a customer, make the time to regularly visit the D.C. beltway. Communications should not be limited to email and phone--though both are important follow-up methods."
7. Be patient. Like many important things in life, it takes patience to develop lasting customer relationships. Fight the urge to rush the process. "Take the time to explain how your product or service will benefit the prospect," Miller says. "Be patient as you go about cultivating this new contact. You never want to make a prospect feel rushed or hustled."
Related: Seven Secrets to Resilience
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Comments:
I think talking about yourself in certain aspects can be an advantage. Never talking about yourself and continuously probing can seem to poised and phony. A little give and take with personal information creates a genuine "bond" with the customer. Just my opinion.
I totally agree on all points except number 4 "Talk about yourself". This is usually a big no-no in sales. Keep focus on the prospect, not youself!
I love the suggestion about bringing up those tiny details most wouldn't take the time to remember. That really just ups the ante. I also found the suggestion to ask questions that look for specific feedback quite helpful. Oftentimes, on my client accounts, I ask open-ended questions just for engagement... but then it stops there. Facebook's new algorithm scheme burying page updates is also a big factor.
Great post with appreciated reminders that even in this age of incredible technology, our prospect (like ourselves) still need to be heard and the current business problem understood. The old adage of treating people how you yourself would like to be treated never goes out of trend no matter how many technology tools we have at our disposal.
Thanks for the advice, looking forward to the Q&A Session
When under pressure to bring in business these are all too often forgotten. No. 7 is the most important in my view, the ability to be patient and stay calm in the crisis of falling revenues is difficult. Not being short sighted and allowing the sale to take its natural course is the wisest and safest thing to do, of course there are many ways of adding impetus such as a compelling event, but by showing anxiousness and desperation only frightens the customer off. A great article and let's try and remember the message it gives us.
I think that item #5: Really listen to the prospect -- works as well on social media marketing. I though that the article is about building relationships with your customers online, but hey, it's an inspiring read. Thanks!
I like your suggestions. I hope, these suggestions are very helpful in building relationships with customers and improve the sales. Good informative post.
Great and informative post! I like how you brought attention to the fact that what you are selling and how you are selling it are both equally important in the business world. Of course whatever product or service you are selling should be top notch, but in order to complete the sale a business has to recognize how to properly treat its customers. I believe that you've made excellent points in this post on ways in which businesses can reach out to customers and build a personal connection. Thanks!
I think to make all the above work the prerequisite is the underlying culture of the sales org and the company its serving. Too many times you see that salespersons on the field are given extremely aggressive targets to meet from their managers and their immediate instinct is to make a hard pitch to sell, make the sale and move on. A salesperson needs support from his/her manager (and the sales org) to cultivate customers and do solution based selling which doesntr happen very often in real life.
Sometimes the obvious needs to be repeated-I don't see many people using this advice.
how does advice this obvious get retweeted 557 times?
During these changing times making the customers a centerpiece of your organization is crucial to success. Customers are now realizing that the power is in their hands when dealing with businesses and where their dollars will be spent. It is essential to make customers feel valued and appreciated in order to develop a long lasting relationship, keyword RELATIONSHIP. entrepreneurialambitions.com
Who doesn't want to be remembered by the counter clerk at a corner store? Growing up in a rural town, that was the case. And business was done on a referral only basis. Urban areas are turning to this process more and more as we want to feel confident now more than ever in the businesses we trust with our time and money. Utilize this growing trend by positioning yourself as someone who remembers the small stuff, as someone who can recount past conversations with personal details. This will instill that confidence one personal detail at a time.
I agree with your article. I believe the biggest mistake sales people make is to talk too much and be more focused on themselves and their agenda rather than be there for the customer or prospect. Premature presentations are driven by a scarcity mentality while being there, listening and learning about the prospects agenda are driven by an abundance mentality. Put simply one should want the business not need the business.
with the rapid way information and media are getting to potential costumers, a step back, personal atention and old fashion manners will make a huge diffrent, remember at the end costumers are poeple and want to addressed as that
As for every organisation the crucial thing from the beginning is the strong relationship between customer and the firm. And this is the thing that small or major businesses needed highly. Here great points shared with us for the best relationship and i appreciate it. But the thing is that just creating the relationship is not enough , but one has to provide them the best and not to cheat them as provide the quality and that is with the affordable prices. But one more point is that do not talk everytime about own self but come at point also that is for the business. And it is little tough to talk face to face to each and every person in this fast time as if so then other will beat us and move ahead than us. So make better planning for face to face meeting. As held meeting once a month for all valuable customers and then ask for their problems if any and ask for more suggestions also. Anyway thanks for sharing such nice detail with us.