Use the Client's Mindset to Close the Sale
Having trouble closing the sale lately? Maybe it is the way you understand the psychology of sales and the decision-making factors influencing your market base.
In our unpredictable times, sales psychology and the politics of customer decisions should play an important part in your marketing plans as well as your sales efforts.
Many of our customer's requirements go unspoken such as reputation of where they are making their purchase. You may never get them to talk about them so I have come up with a list of the most popular markers a customer looks at.
Below are the main factors in making a large purchase for a customer. There are several specific unspoken psychological sales factors that have come to my attention. There is a good chance that the client is completely unaware of psychological pressures that weigh upon his decision. Unfortunately, most sales people are also unaware of these effects.
If you are upset about not closing sales, or going crazy trying to build strong customer relationships and not getting anywhere, consider whether any of the following six might apply to your situation.
1. Reputation: The customer's personal career reputation is more important than your product price, quality, guarantees, and any number of excuses or free lunches won't change that. "You are known by the customers you keep." What is your reputation? If yo uthink you do not have a reputation, take a minute and think. What does it appear to be to others?
2. Trust: Your customer thinks that there are better suppliers for the job. But you have the business because he knows they you will never take advantage or make them look bad. I have seen companies that will price a bit high to their customers than within reason; they can take a few product returns, rather than push blame back to the ordering engineer.
3. Habit: Time constraints force customers to fix things fast. A customer makes decisions a certain way because it caused him the least amount of pain in the past. Ever meet someone who does not deal well with problems after 2:00 pm? It is always easier to change you presentation time than it is to change their nature.
4. Perspective: Sales people are trained to think positively but tend to think on more simple terms like can you just say yes or no already? Clients are never like that. They want to see all options and make an informative decision. Although you believe in your product and know that they should buy from you, try to keep a healthy respect for other's perspectives.
5. Politics: Some clients will go against your recommendations when they business may have something to gain, but when they personally have nothing to gain from taking the risk on you. For these types of clients, they will only consider you worthwhile if they will benefit from the sale.
6. Branding: The first thing to accomplish with your customer is to make yourself known. Distinguish yourself from the others around you. Can you honestly say that every client or potential client would think of you as a solution to their problems or just that lady/gentleman who stops by and takes you to lunch? Find ways to keep in touch with your customer base. I have recommended in the past for you to find your own holiday to spend with your customers, a day that is a little off the grid. I recognize my customers on Chinese New Year instead of Christmas.
All of these factors are what is going through your client's head, so now what is going through yours? Having the knowledge of what is influencing your client's decisions will help you answer their unspoken demands. Although the economy will eventually recover, we still have to make the sale at the end of the day. Taking into account the psychology of selling is just one more way to help your clients make a decision.
Nancy Michaels is a Business Development entrepreneur and publishes the "GrowYourBusiness" weekly e-zine.
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