How To Sell A Product To A Customer

Here are 7 sales tips that anyone can use. You don't need to be an extrovert or a wheeler-dealer; leave the cowboy hat at home!

Try these tricks next time you have to persuade someone to buy something.

1. Qualification

Can I reasonably expect this person to buy my product? If the answer is no, then you're wasting your time and theirs.

You hear phrases like "I could sell refrigerators to eskimos". What many people don't know is that eskimos buy refrigerators to keep their food warm i.e. from freezing.

A better example would be selling a car to someone who can't drive. It can be done, but it's work and they may not thank you for it later, which will affect your word of mouth.

It's far easier to sell to someone who can truly benefit from your product and not the competition's.

Also, the person: Some people just aren't interested in buying, or can't afford the product or will nickel-and-dime you to death. You need to figure out who's a live prospect.

And: reverse psychology. If you give customers the idea you think the product isn't for them, it can stimulate the undecided to buy from you. You sound more like you care and you've given them a challenge.

2. Positive Attitude

This doesn't mean nodding like an idiot at whatever the customer says. It means trying to help them get the best deal that furthers their goals.

You can be 'positively negative'; if you think what they're asking for is not in their long-term interests, say so, and offer a better idea, showing how you understand what they're trying to achieve. They'll love you for it.

3. Research

The more you know about your customer, the better you can get on their wavelength and connect with them. Check out their website, companies house listing, blogs, news stories, get a general idea of the nature of their own business and any particularly current nuggets of pertinent information.

Most people feel under-valued. If you can show the least bit of pertinent interest, that goes a long way, even with a curmudgeon.

4. Take An Interest

Most people are much more interested in themselves than they are in you. Their hierarchy of personal interest is:

- Themselves, their property and their desires first, then:
- Family members;
- Friends;
- Neighbours;
- Anything and anyone else (that's you!)

This is natural and logical. You can call it selfish, but if you don't take care of Number 1 you probably won't be able to take care of anyone or anything else.

Therefore any pitch that doesn't appeal to a person's self interest had better be a work of art, to engage the subject and elicit the desired response.

You can easily find out what a person is interested in by simply asking questions and letting them talk. If what you're offering overlaps with what they want, then the sale is half-way done.

Try not to talk over your prospect or overwhelm them with your wants. That will flag up that you're a pushy salesman pretty quickly and the more worldly client will be repelled; they've had that before and didn't like it.

Another 'trick': Most people never have a conversation where someone takes a genuine interest in what they have to say; everyone, including you, is self-focused!

So if you are a keen listener, you will stand out from the background noise of their daily communications.

5. Answer Objections

When you start with a new product or service clients will fire back questions you won't be able to answer. Over time, you will develop responses to meet their objections.

You can save time by giving a natural sounding speech, with pauses, which answers objections before they make them BUT if they are itching to interject, let them; don't talk over people, customers hate that and it's a bit rude.

6. Get Referrals

Word of mouth is the best advertising. Get happy clients to refer you to their friends, families and colleagues, in return for a commission. This is called an affiliate program.

Figure out how to get other people to talk about your product or service; this is how big businesses became big; they have a remarkable product or service.

7. Closing

Guide the conversation through a series of positive responses (on both sides) culminating in a decisive commitment from the prospect; they're at the purchase page of your website and you are taking them through the purchase.

That's the great thing about the internet; you can 'stand beside' someone while they buy, even though they're hundreds of miles away.