Week after week, I use this space to talk about different sales strategies, programs, processes, and procedures that can help you – a professional advertising salesperson – uncover a prospect, identify a need, offer a solution, and close the sale. Looking back, I think that I sometimes linger a bit too long on a topic and overcomplicate what I’m really trying to communicate.
So this week, I’m going to keep it short and sweet. However, the message is probably the most valuable piece of advice I can offer. I’m about to share with you the secret of selling anything to anybody. Are you ready?
The secret of selling anything to anybody really has nothing to do with selling. It also has nothing to do with making sales. The secret to your success is to find out what people want or need and help them get it.
That’s it. It really is that simple. In fact, the message is so important that I’m going to say it again in a slightly different way. The secret to your success is to help your customers get what they want. So easy, yet I’m continually amazed at how many salespeople do not understand this concept.
If you can truly help your customers get what they want, then you will be successful. If you help people get what they want, you’re not really selling. You are getting people to buy. And people are happy to buy…especially if they believe that you are helping them to get exactly what they want or need.
Simply assess your customer’s needs and then offer a solution. This is why the needs assessment process – which I’ve talked about in great detail (and probably redundantly so) is so critical. Without a thorough needs analysis you aren’t really in a position to offer smart solutions.
Only when you know exactly what your customer actually wants or needs can you give it to them. So there you have it!
Have a terrific week,
Dan
If there are specific topics you’d like to see discussed in a future issue of The Sales Cycle, please contact me at 612-278-0223 or dan@mna.org