The Fatal Flaw In Selling
by Jim Meisenheimer
How would you like to win every sales opportunity that you work
on? It would be nice work if you could arrange it. How would
you like to lose every sales opportunity that you work on? No
doubt, you’d like to take a pass on that one.
While neither scenario is likely, there is one quality that
separates the two extremes. It’s the quality of preparation.
Let me give you an example.
Years ago I stayed at the Vancouver Hyatt for four days. I was
there for a Canadian Management Seminar on sales management.
Most of my trips are shorter ones and when I’m scheduled to be
away that long, I’ll often try to buy a small gift for Bernadette,
my wife.
There was an underground mall beneath the Hyatt. On the evening
of the second day of the seminar, I decided to go for a walk and
while stretching my legs, see if I could find an appropriate gift
for Bernadette.
One small shop caught my eye. It was a specialty shop that sold
jewelry made from a variety of gems and minerals. Naturally I was
more interested in the minerals.
I walked into the store and did my ninety second browse and search
tour. The shop seemed to have a number of nice and reasonably priced
pieces that I was looking for. The shopkeeper saw me and said, “hello.”
I returned the greeting and left soon after.
The next night I returned. I had a plan. I had identified two pieces
of jewelry that I thought Bernadette would like. Before entering the
store, I thought about my approach and the amount of money I wanted
to spend.
And note, I also thought about the specific words I’d use.
I walked directly over to the shopkeeper. I said, “I need to get
my wife a gift tonight.” He told me to look around and call him if
I needed assistance.
I spotted the necklace and earrings I wanted. They were malachite,
a green marble like mineral. The price was $125 Canadian. I waved
for the shopkeeper. He came right over.
I asked him, “How much better can you do on your price?”
He reached for his calculator, punched in a few numbers and said he
could give me a 14% discount.
Looking straight down at the jewelry, I sighed, “That’s more than
I wanted to spend.” I remained silent, and once again he punched
more numbers into his calculator.
Finally he looked up and said, “I’ll give you 20% off.” I bought
the necklace and earrings and got the discount as a bonus.
I was ready to pay list price. He didn’t ask, so he didn’t know.
His strategy was to talk price. It should have been to show me
the value.
I was prepared and he wasn’t - the fatal flaw in selling.
Tom Winninger, a professional speaker, once said "You can explain
your value or defend your price."
Explain what makes your product different and unique.
Explain your value carefully and thoroughly before you even think
about lowering your price.
Look, if you can't explain the value to your sales prospect, maybe
you shouldn't be selling the product.
Also, if you can't show the value, don't expect your sales prospect
to see it.
Always prepare and practice before a sales call if you want to
avoid the fatal flaw in selling.
Make sure you check out Jim's Sales Trailblazer program: http://salestrailblazer.com
Jim is a
Sales Strategist and is the creator of No-Brainer Selling Skills.
He shows salespeople and entrepreneurs how to increase sales,
earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less
time. His focus is on practical ideas that get immediate results.
He offers Advanced Sales Management Workshops, Sales Coaching,
Consulting, In-house Sales Training Programs, and a wide variety
of Learning Tools i.e. books, special reports, sales manuals,
and CDs.Jim Meisenheimer
is a member of The National Speakers Association, where he earned
the C.S.P. designation, Certified Speaking Professional. He
has authored five books including, "The 12 Best Questions
To Ask Customers," and the recently published “57
Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life”.
Websites: http://www.startsellingmore.com
