I’ve said it a thousand times before that until you make behavioral changes in the way you sell, what you say, who you say it too, and when you say, it your results will not change one iota.
The first behavior change you need to make is changing the way you are perceived by the buyer.
All the problems that sales people have – whether there’s long sales cycles, getting think it overs, getting all kinds of objections, getting people to mislead you, getting folks to take some proposals and shop them around or not being able to get an answer or find out the truth about money or getting an audience with the key decision maker. All of those kinds of things that you experience as problems in selling can be traced back to the fact that the buyer you were dealing with somehow pigeonholed you as a sales person and in their mind, you are something evil and ugly and untrustworthy. Therefore, they treat you with no respect and absolutely not only do they treat you with no respect, they have great disdain for you and what you do.
Now, they do all of that not because of anything that you have done to them, but because of all of the shabby treatment and experiences and previous encounters with sales people.
As a result of the hundreds or thousands of awful experiences they have had with previous sales people, they lump you in the same category as the hacks and incompetents they previously
That being the case, you actually start behind eight ball. Until you realize that and go about neutralizing their negative perception of you, you have no chance.
How to increase sales conversions by becoming a “welcomed guest”
Now secondary to that, is how the buyer feels about you personally. Do they feel based upon how you came to have that initial conversation with them that you chased them down and are an “unwanted pest”?
On the other hand, if they sought you out and they were looking to find you and they had to jump through a hoop in order to find you and to get an audience with you; if they’re the ones chasing you or the one coming to you then they are going to be much more receptive and open to whatever it is you have to say.
So, do you chase or are you pursued? Do most of your appointments happen because you’re the one who solicited the buyer or is it the other way around? Most of your appointments with people should come as a result of the buyer soliciting you. You obviously want to be on the side where they are seeking you out much like a patient would seek out a specialist in medicine.
How to increase sales with better marketing
Another key component about the “you factor” is what do they know about you and your expertise or professionalism. Do they know of you? Have they ever heard of you or are you completely unknown to them? Are you a well-known entity to them like IBM or Bank of America or Keller Williams? Are you well known to them as a credible company and individual? Do you have a reputation that precedes you in the market place? Or do you have to demonstrate who you are and your credibility and authority in the market place with them when you meet them. If they don’t know who you are or have never heard of you, you’ve got a really, really hard job ahead of you.
Now those things can be addressed through proper marketing when they consume some of your information either online or in print and they know who you are before you show up.
How you are perceived by the buyer is critical. Do they perceive you as an authority expert or do they perceive you as a sales hack? High income sales professionals are perceived as authority experts. Struggling sales people are perceived as hacks and incompetents. Which once are you?