Greg Nanigian, Sandler Trainer and Author, wrote his first book, Why People Buy. It’s a must-read for any sales professional in your organization who isn’t in control of the customers’ buying process, is unsure of what motivates clients and prospects, or needs to enhance their chances of closing the deal.
Below are six actionable takeaways from Nanigian’s book.
- Don’t leave control in the hands of the buyer.
Anytime you hear, “I’ll get back to you,” or “Let me think it over and I’ll get you an answer,” you should realize that you have relinquished control of the situation and put the power in the hands of your target. Don’t feel bad though, 90% of other sellers are having the same issue as well. This transfer of power typically occurs because the seller relies on a traditional selling process that forces them into “presenting” too soon.
- Shy away from sharing features and benefits.
While this method of selling is familiar, it’s not effective. The universally known truism of modern selling is that people buy emotionally, and then justify logically. Sellers all over accept this way of thinking, but they don’t act on it. You must begin to shape your selling efforts to cater to your audiences’ emotions – instead of their logic. Selling happens despite features and benefits, not because of them.
- Make the pain points of your customer clear to you and clear to them.
Pain is the most important element to having a successful sales call and sales cycle. Pain for your client or prospect is the gap between where they are now and where they need to be. It’s your job as a seller, to illustrate that gap, make it crystal clear, and then educate the prospect how the gap can be shortened or eliminated with your help.
- The first step to success is establishing rapport.
Just as we discussed above, pain is an important element in building rapport with your target. Traditionally, there was a belief that people buy from those that they like. While this is still true, it’s old thinking. If you’re only approaching a selling opportunity with the intention of adding value by being friendly, you’re going to be outpaced by competitors. To demonstrate real value, you must depict how you can alleviate pain WHILE forming a bond.
- Get conversation rolling once you’ve built rapport.
A surefire way to start a conversation and gain understanding of a prospect, is to ask a question and get them to do the talking. A useful question to start with is “What’s the impact of this situation on your company?” This question relates to the pain that’s currently being experienced by your target.
- Keep the pain alive and follow through.
Once you’ve led your prospect through a conversation about what’s ailing them, you must continue to remind them of their pain. This sounds negative, but if you let them forget where they’re hurting, they will not see you as a necessary resource. Continue to address their pain while you’re building your case for how to resolve the issue at hand. Once it’s been established that you’re the solution to their problem, it’s on you to follow through.
While these takeaways are sure to be helpful, Greg Nanigian’s new book, Why People Buy is chock-full of useful knowledge designed to help you better understand the motivations and meaning of what your clients are going through in the buying process.
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