If you assume you know something and you are wrong, you lose the sale.
A vital part of sales certainty is the skill of discovering and developing real buyer interest. How is this done?
The first major step is getting the prospect to talk. It’s a bit of a balance—you don’t want the prospect to go on and on and on, but you do need to make it safe for them to talk and get them going.
Interest and Trust
Perhaps you’ve experienced this: Someone is giving you a presentation, and you don’t yet trust them as the person you’re going to buy from (you’re “just-looking” at that point). In such a case, you’re not going to be totally honest and give up details of what you’re thinking.
I’ve certainly experienced it. If I sit down with someone and they’re real or authentic to me—not necessarily just like me, but real to me—I’m going to be much more willing to display my interest.
A great example is someone I buy from consistently. She’s nothing like me—she has pink hair and wears a nose ring. My attire and hair are far more conservative than hers, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. The girl is totally real and herself. She says what she feels.
One day she told me that I looked great and that what would take me to the next level would be some red hoop earrings and red high heels. I’d never do that—but she was connecting with me and telling me how she really felt.
A person doesn’t have to totally imitate or emulate the people they’re selling to. Dressing and appearing similar can help, but people can also tell when you’re being fake. Honesty and being yourself will carry you much further than putting forth a weak imitation of your prospect.
That doesn’t mean you act like an arrogant idiot because “that’s how you really are.” You still must have manners and grant importance to your prospect. But if you’re going to get to the bottom of what that person needs and wants, and why, you must be able to be real. Otherwise, your prospect won’t trust you enough to talk to you.
Example
An older gentleman came into an electronics store and told the salespeople he wanted a big-screen TV. Because it was Saturday, and the next day was Sunday, the day the big football games were on, the salespeople all assumed the man wanted the TV for football. But what did he really want it for?
His wife of 40 years had passed away, and his children and grandchildren lived quite a distance from him. He’d been told he could connect his phone to a TV screen and wanted the big screen to be able to video chat with his kids and grandkids. If the salespeople had just communicated with him, they might have discovered this, but they assumed he wanted it for football.
We all know what “assume” means, don’t we? Beyond that, though, what assuming does is close the door to getting to the truth. That’s why we say, “REAL buyer interest.” Because you just can’t assume.
Want to discover and develop real buyer interest? Be real, be interested, and truly communicate.
