All customers have a choice to make. Sometimes that choice is between your product and your competitor's, but sometimes it's not. Often, the customer's choice is simply whether to buy your product or nothing at all. If this is the actual choice your customer faces, it is important to determine this early in the conversation. Doing so will help you to use a tone and message that directly relates to your customer's emotional reasons for considering your product.
There are some salespeople who are so focused on why their product is good and their competitor's is bad that they forget about the actual customer. Your customer wants a solution to their problem, and the only way to solve that problem is by understanding why they came to you in the first place. They want your attention to be on them, not your product.
Talk about their individual buying motives for their purchase, not the technical or logical reasons why they should buy your product. This may seem counterintuitive, but it will encourage your customer to take action, and will create an environment where your customer will want to take that action with YOU.
When a customer is deciding whether or not to act on the desire to buy a product, you must be able to point out the many benefits of acting on that desire now. Luckily, customers often understand that if they decide to do nothing, they will not enjoy the benefits of using your product. Draw on their desire to enjoy your product and create an environment where they will feel comfortable gaining it immediately.
Sometimes, customers may not want to deal with the hassles of making a purchase and may feel comfortable succumbing to the simplicity of waiting and doing nothing. Your job is to make the purchase as smooth as possible and to eliminate any potential excuses for a decision to wait. You can eliminate these excuses by creating an atmosphere that will ensure that the purchase will be a smooth transaction and risk-free.
Making the purchase a smooth transaction means eliminating any unnecessary steps that make the act of purchasing long and painful. Reduce as much of the technical paperwork as you can and try to make the decision to buy the last decision they will have to make. Simplifying the transaction will make their experience easier and more rewarding, and they will enjoy doing business with you.
In order to take away the perceived risk of doing business with you, you can allow them a grace period in case they change their mind. You can also have some sort of guarantee that comforts them and reassures them that they are making the correct decision. Product trials also work well in gaining your customer's trust in you and your products. Do anything you can to help make your customer's decision to try your product an easy one. When they do not feel a risk in buying from you, they will feel comfortable making the decision to take action.
Lastly, follow through with your customer after the purchase and reassure them that you and your company will support them throughout the life of your product. This needs to be more than a manufacturer's warranty and more heartfelt than telling them of your company's 97% satisfaction rating. Be personal. Be sincere. Look them in the eye so that they believe that their happiness is your goal.
Eliminating the hassle and risks of the purchase will help your customer to focus on the benefits of taking immediate action in purchasing your product. Your customer will see that you understand the specific decision they face and will feel comfortable buying from you. When you use a tone and message that encourages them to take action, they will feel motivated and will have no excuse to wait. They will enjoy the benefits of their purchase and you will enjoy the benefits of the sale.
Tom Richard is the founder of http://www.trainactive.com The first website that allows you to train your sales people at the pace that is most effective and most comfortable for them. Tom Richard is also the author of several weekly ezines. Visit http://www.tomrichard.com to subscribe.