subject: 3 Keys To Selling More Without Spending More [print this page] 3 Keys To Selling More Without Spending More
Selling can be a chore
That can challenge you at your core,
But by following 3 simple keys
You'll make selling a breeze
And open more selling doors.
Selling more without spending more is a goal of every business now. Here's 3 powerful keys to sell more of your product and services from missed sales. I call it the 3 legged stool approach. Many books and even fancy seminars offer many sales tips but most overlook this direct approach. You'll find this approach is simple but powerful in helping you to keep focused on increasing sales. This approach applies to online selling, direct and as well as retail sales. The 3 legged stool consist of
1. Selling What Your Prospects Want to Buy.
2. Selling When They Want To Buy.
3. Selling How They Want To Buy.
Based on extensive research if you can accomplish each of these 3 goals, assuming the prospect can afford your product, a sale will result in most cases. However, if one of the legs is missing, the sale will usually fall apart much like a 3 legged stool would if one leg was missing.
Now let's discuss each of the 3 legs in detail to give you a clearer view of this powerful concept.
1.Sell What They Want To Buy
Most marketers is familiar with the term find a need and fill it. This is the fundamental fact any business must follow who wants to increase sales. Yes, selling what people need is a start, but selling what people want to buy is a much easier sell than just selling what people need.
Research proves over and over people spend far more on items and services they want than products and services they need. For example, people spend far more on entertainment than they do on financial planning. They spend more on fast food than they do on multi-vitamins. And they spend much more on movies than they do on annual physical exams, get my point. The best of both worlds is to try to combine both needs and wants in your marketing mix.
If you happen to sell financial planning, multi-vitamins or physical exams try to translate that need into a want. For example piece of mind, the joy of feeling healthier or the secure feeling of knowing you're disease free, don't sell the product or service, sell the beneficial feeling it will bring.
2. Sell When They Want To Buy
In selling, like anything else, timing is everything. So, it's essential that you sell when people want to buy. Imagine trying to sell Christmas trees in July, Valentines candy in October or swim suits in December. All those would be hard sells for sure. Although these are extreme and obvious examples of the importance of timing, the same principle applies to your product or service in subtle ways as well.
There is an ideal time to sell to your prospects. That time or sweet spot where they're ready to take out their wallet, credit card or click the send order button. In some cases it's a time of the month, after you've presented all your ideas, benefits or reason why arguments.
Other times it's after you've had a certain number of contacts. For example, according to research a direct mail or internet prospect needs an average of 7 contacts before they will buy from you. All these are examples of selling when the prospect wants to buy. Any attempt at closing the sale outside this parameter often results in no sale. That's why it's important to find this sweet spot and direct your sales efforts toward it in every marketing message.
3. Sell How They Want To Buy
This third leg to the stool is selling how your prospect wants to buy. Many get through the first two hurdles mentioned but fall flat when it comes to this last hurdle. Selling how your prospect wants to buy is an area many companies overlook. For example, many people may like a product or service, the timing is right but the way you insist they buy is off.
Many people may want to buy online, but you don't have a website, or by phone, or in person. They may want to buy with a debit or credit card. All the above examples are obvious, but what if they want to make payments, or put the purchase on layaway. What if they're prepared to buy in volume for a discount or what if they want to haggle or negotiate before they'll buy, are you prepared?
Many companies lose sales because they insist on selling their products and services the way they want to sell them instead of the way their prospects want to buy them. Make sure you're not turning away sales because of ignoring the way prospects want to buy.
