Here is my advice on how to sell absolutely any product.
Ever heard this one? “Hey if you’re a real salesman, than sell me this pen.”
Truthfully speaking, it’s a fools errand to attempt to sell something to someone who has absolutely no use or need for it. Not just because they’re a lot more likely to say no, but also because they’re more likely to regret the purchase in the future — and if you’re in sales for the long haul, you definitely don’t want a super high turnover rate (especially if you’ll be returning to these customers for future sales).
Sales can be real daunting, especially when you’re starting out. So for those who don’t know where to start when it comes to selling, here’s a basic formula to follow.
- Identify the need/Introduce the need
- Fit the need
- Leave the door open
Identify the Need/Introduce the Need
LISTEN.
So at first I know this one could be tough, but it’s a lot simpler than you think. In order to identify the need for your product/service, you need to observe. Look around the home or office that you’re in and LISTEN when you’re clients are speaking. In insurance, we usually look for clients with assets that they need to protect, clients who might not be super well off financially (less likely to be prepared for an emergency), they might have young kids, and/or evidence of dangerous jobs or hobbies. For clients who like to talk, I listen closely to what they tell me. Sometimes it’s easy — Some clients immediately dive into topics related to the industry that you’re in*. In other cases, I have to skew the conversation into those topics, myself. Another helpful idea is to question (politely) the clients’ passed decisions. In the insurance game, we typically have access to see the clients current policies, and so I usually question why it was that they chose the policies that they did. This is by far the most effective way of getting the client to explain to you what is important to them, and where their needs are. Check out Persuasion (By Arlene Dickinson) for some more in depth tips on engaging with clients.
*Some clients of mine dive immediately into situations that their loved ones, or themselves, are going through in which insurance could’ve or has come in handy.
INFORM.
In some cases, your clients might not actually realize their own need, and so you’ll have to inform them of it. Depending on your offer, the community as a whole might have a common need already, so it’s always helpful to sprinkle that into conversation early on (introduce the need), to plants the seeds in their mind before you introduce your offer. A good example of this would be heat pump cleaning — not every realizes how a dirty heat pump can impact the air supply in your home.
Depending on your offer, you may have to dig to find the need, or you may not. Either way, YOU need to identify the need, and you need to help the CLIENT identify the need (if they don’t already know what it is, than introduce it).
Fit the Need
Once you’ve identified the need, or have introduced it to the client, you need to justify to them how your offer can fit the need. This should go without saying, but don’t attempt to offer something that won’t address the need at hand. There is no one best way to justify how your offer presents a good solution, it’s entirely industry/product specific. My best advice would be to play on the emotions of your client. Pay attention to how the problem makes them feel — most people buy with their emotions. For instance, our angle is usually to provide the feeling of security for people, and we also give them the feeling that they have to power to protect their family, themselves and their assets in the case of an emergency.
Just remember, don’t just sell the product. Sell the feeling.
Leave the Door Open
This is a powerful sales tool, taught to me by a number of the best sales people that I have worked with. After a client meeting, whether they’ve purchased or not, always leave room for a potential purchase in the future. Most clients have a comfort zone with the amount of money that they are willing to spend in one shot. Now yes, as a sales person I do try and “seize the opportunity”, but I always make an effort to respect clients’ budgets and comfort zones. In cases like this, I always mention a potential policy that we could look at in the future.
The easy way to look at it, is that everyone has a primary need and a secondary need. Always bring up both, but keep one at the forefront of the meeting. Once you’ve secured the sale based on the first one, you can make the second offer. If the client isn’t ready for a second (or bigger) purchase, than leave it open for the future. Regardless, my advice is to ALWAYS mention the secondary need. This will plant the seeds that you can potentially harvest the next time that you see the client.
Conclusion
The formula is rather simple. All you’re really doing is figuring out how your product can fit into your client’s life. It’s much easier to sell a solution, then to just sell a product. Once you can identify the client’s need, then justify how you can help them address it. Finally, always leave the door open. Leave additional options on the table, so that you have an offer to make in the future without having to repeat the formula.
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