Every month I receive a variety of questions from salespeople and their managers. These come from a variety of sources - my live seminars, the monthly phone seminars, questions that are sent into my newsletter, and issues that arise in the course of my consulting work. Out of all of these, I select those that I think have the most universal application, and respond to them here.
I am dealing with a particular dilemma that I have yet to become comfortable with. I am having trouble coming to terms with constantly calling on customers and potential customers who are not buying. Some say they will call when they need something, and some say that they have no need for my products and services. I am having trouble figuring out how to approach the businesses without becoming a nuisance, and how to justify my presence when they have not contact me for assistance. I am in search of an approach that I can feel comfortable and respectable about, without sacrificing potential orders.
I have a number of suggestions for you. First, let's create some realistic expectations. You are always going to be challenged by this situation. It comes with the territory, and is part of almost every salesperson's challenge. There is no magic bullet, nor 25 word pitch that guarantees your customers will suddenly become open and receptive. Instead, there are some techniques that have proven to be effective. Your job is to pick those that seem most appropriate for each customer.
Having said that, my first thought has to do with your comment that some say they have no need for your products and services. Are you qualifying the customer before you call on them? Are you researching them, and coming to the conclusion that they really do need or could benefit from what you sell? If not, that may account for some of the difficulty in some accounts. If they really, truly have no need or interest in what you are selling, you ought not to be calling on them. So, step one, make sure you are ding a good job of qualifying the customer before you call on them.
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If you are able to see them, try to demonstrate your competence by asking a few questions about their applications that they may never have heard before. That gets them thinking, and positions you as someone who is an expert in their product. Try to get a plant or facility tour, and look for problems or opportunities that you could impact.
Or, try to bring them some piece of information or insight, every time you see them, that will help them -- perhaps the details of a new product or a new application of something they are currently using. If you can establish yourself as someone who brings them useful information, you'll eventually earn a consistent audience.
Or, try making an outright appeal to be number two. They probably have a current supplier with whom they are happy. Don't threaten that relationship, and don't bad mouth that supplier, just appeal to be their back up supplier in the case of some change in or problem with their current supplier. That gives you a reason to be there, and gives them a reason to find out what you have.
If you are not able to see them, consider asking one of your current customers to recommend or introduce you.
Or, make it a point to try to meet them in a situation outside of their business. Look them up at trade shows, or association meetings.
Finally, sometimes the issue is timing. It's not that they are not interested, its just that they are too busy at the moment when you happen to be there. Try calling at different times of the day or different days of the week. You may strike them at a time when it's more relaxed and more convenient for them to talk to you.
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If you have any comments or questions, email them to me. I do, of course, reserve the right to edit.
Here are a few articles by Dave
that you might be interested in reading:
- The Fourth Hat - Skillful Influencer... It's like basketball. At some point, you must put the ball in the basket. But you can't do that without developing the skills of dribbling, rebounding, and passing. Those skills are necessary, but not sufficient. They get you to the point where you have an opportunity to put the ball in the basket. Presenting and closing, the skills we're going to discuss in this chapter, are the equivalent of putting the ball in the basket. And that brings us to the first principle: Deciding to buy is a process, consisting of a series of small decisions. When your customers decide to give you money for what you're offering, that decision doesn't exist in a vacuum. The decision is only the latest in a string of decisions that your customer made along the way.....{Read More}
- Dealing with Difficult Customers... Difficult customers come in a wide variety. There are those whose personality rubs you the wrong way. They may not be difficult for someone else, but they are for you. And then there are those who are difficult for everyone: Picky people, know-it-alls, egocentrics, fault-finders, constant complainers, etc. Every salesperson can list a number of the types...{Read More}
- Developing Account Strategies... Our objective is to equip you with an understanding of the principles and processes you'll need in order to develop effective account strategies. First, let's define our terms. Strategy means a series of steps designed to bring your prospect or customer from where they are now to where you want them to be. It's the long-term view. Realistically, it's a planned series of sales calls in which each sales call has a distinctive set of purposes, a distinctive piece of education, a person or set of people to speak with, and a distinctive agreement that you'd like to attain. The purpose, the timing, the organization, and the sequence of that series of sales calls is the strategy. It's the long-term perspective, the big picture, of what you want to do and how you want to do it.... {Read More}
There are also many other action-packed articles for sales professionals that offer how-to solutions to every day sales problems that you can read online at www.davekahle.com/article.htm.
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