True salespeople are those that make wants. Wants make sales.
You’ll become more successful when you don’t think it’s your job to make sales, because that thought tends to transfer itself to the prospect, who doesn’t want to be sold.
The prospect wants to buy what he wants. So you need to make him want and the want makes him buy.
People always buy what they want, when they want it hard enough and when they can afford it. Sometimes even when they can’t afford it, just because they wanted to.
What this really means is that salesmanship is simply creating a want for the thing to be sold. That want must be more burning than any other want requiring a similar expenditure of time, energy and money for its gratification.
To create a want with this type of intensity, you need to think of the thing to be sold in terms of what it will make happen for the prospect after he buys it.
You can’t sell the features … you can sell the feeling that will come after the purchase.
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I want to read more stuff like this.
Yeah, me too … I mean, uh … stay tuned and I’ll be doing many more along these lines.
Mike,
I agree, agree, agree, agree. People always confuse wants and needs. We want things so badly they become, in our minds, needs — but it’s still really the want that’s driving the behavior.
That’s why the best salespeople don’t ask what people need during the sales process or even why the need it. They ask sufficient questions to find out where the want lies, then they sell to the want.
Great post…and fun to read…
You’re ever so right Brandon.
The best salespeople LISTEN for wants … the bad ones try to sell needs.
We sales people must become the customer, slip into their skin, walk a mile in their shoes, become terrified temporarily of going bankrupt.
Identify with the customer fears, desires, wants, needs, problems.
Great points VtG.
I like that bankrupt thang !
Wow, this is an excellent post
Mike,
I am a small business remoder that whats to move into the addition market. Interest are coming down. I’m looking into a direct mailing. Where can I find out who, what, how people add on to there homes.
Thank You,
John Wilmhoff
Um,… I don’t know. Try Google. Try your local Chamber of Commerce. Try the local suppliers of building products.
Any good mailing list company can tell you if they have an active list of people who have recently bought building supplies.
I’d suggest a postcard campaign to select zip codes in your area.
I’m using science to discover the buying motivator, does anyone (beside myself) want to know what it is (assuming something like this truely exists)?
Sure thang bisbeejim. When you get it, bring it back and give it to us.
Great blog. Been in sales for 9 years and always trying to widen my knowledge. In 3 minutes I have read more truth that hours searching on other sites. Many people claim to have the secret recipe but 10 minds are better than one. I sell purely on the relationship that I build with clients because I emphasise with them and, yes, walk in their shoes. I read a lot and widen my knowledge as this helps me with building rapport. Clients really appreciate it when the sales person shares the same interest or is able to give some suggestions. The one that speak the least is the one that wins, so let the client do the talking by asking leading questions. When the clients starts with questions, you are loosing control. With this, keep in mind that you should really listen to the client and base questions using the information that the client gives you. They give us all the info, but it is up to us to use it correctly. Selling ice to an eskimo makes you no great sales person. It makes you persuasive, yes, but how many times will an eskimo buy ice? Shame on you if you fool me once, shame on me if you fool me twice. Get the client, keep the client. Keep it short, sweet, simple. The client dont care how much money you need at the end of the month, they care about what they want. Show them you care about them, their wants and their interests. By selling yourself (assistance, suggestions etc) you will get the clients trust and they would not want to work with anyone but you. Get the client to like you and to want to do business with you and only you……
Thanks for adding to the conversation Natasha.
You made more great points than I can reply to! In fact, your comment is as good as my post!