Telling ain't selling

Effective selling is built around a 'conversation' not a 'lecture'. (Most of us don't like to be lectured at - neither do our customers.)

This conversational approach certainly requires the ability to use 'conversational' questions to identify a customers needs, wants, preferences and prejudices (aka their 'hot buttons'); it also requires a conversational tone from beginning to end - including the Final Close.

The main advantage of the conversational approach is that it's non-threatening and therefore unlikely to provoke unnecessary resistance from the customer. Remember that there's an element of woo in good selling.

So keep cool - in golfing parlance 'don't try to hit the cover off the ball'. Swing your sales club sweetly and let it do the work.

(A footnote: Don't get the feeling that conversational means meandering, unstructured or aimless. On the contrary it requires a careful structure and a strong mind. It's mainly about tone and manner.)


 (The up-coming post for Monday 10/3 is Dare to be different. It's about the importance of being seen as 'different' in the eyes of customers.)