THE EASY ANSWER
There are very few, if any, businesses that don’t require selling. Stores sell products to their customers. Professionals sell services to their clients. Managers sell ideas to the workforce. Sales is an intregral part of industry and even of everyday life.
Not everyone, however, is a great salesperson. Of those that are successful, some have a natural talent, some have worked hard to develop the necessary skills and some have just perservered, knowing that eventually, they will make a sale. Of course the best of the best have talent, skill, and determination.
But regardless of heredity or abiity, there are tools that can help anyone be a successful seller. This is one of them. I call it “THE EASY ANSWER.”
The concept is simple. If you want a positve response to your sales pitch, formulate some questions in your pitch where the answers will most likely support that pitch. For example; if you are selling mattresses, don’t ask your customer: ”Do you want to buy a mattress?” Instead ask them: “Do you like getting a good night’s sleep?” Follow that with: “Would you want a mattress that guarantees a good night’s sleep?” Then close with: “If I could show you how you can have just that, would you be interested?” In all cases, the EASY ANSWER is yes, because saying no contradicts logic and requires an explanantion (requires work). And with three yesses, the chances of making a sale are pretty good.
Another example is a technique we used when we published a visitor magazine and had to renew ads in the publication every six months. We could usually renew with one phone call and with one question. The question was NOT: “Do you want to renew your ad?” That question does not lend itself to an EASY ANSWER. It requires thought, possibly some research, and a new commitment. The chance of a yes is 50/50 at best. Not good odds.
The question we did ask: “Any changes to your ad for next time?” Of course the EASY ANSWER was “no.” It didn’t require a lot of thought or research or a new commitment because nothing was changing. But for us it meant “yes.” The sale was made, the ad renewed, and another six months of income.
EASY!
Not everyone, however, is a great salesperson. Of those that are successful, some have a natural talent, some have worked hard to develop the necessary skills and some have just perservered, knowing that eventually, they will make a sale. Of course the best of the best have talent, skill, and determination.
But regardless of heredity or abiity, there are tools that can help anyone be a successful seller. This is one of them. I call it “THE EASY ANSWER.”
The concept is simple. If you want a positve response to your sales pitch, formulate some questions in your pitch where the answers will most likely support that pitch. For example; if you are selling mattresses, don’t ask your customer: ”Do you want to buy a mattress?” Instead ask them: “Do you like getting a good night’s sleep?” Follow that with: “Would you want a mattress that guarantees a good night’s sleep?” Then close with: “If I could show you how you can have just that, would you be interested?” In all cases, the EASY ANSWER is yes, because saying no contradicts logic and requires an explanantion (requires work). And with three yesses, the chances of making a sale are pretty good.
Another example is a technique we used when we published a visitor magazine and had to renew ads in the publication every six months. We could usually renew with one phone call and with one question. The question was NOT: “Do you want to renew your ad?” That question does not lend itself to an EASY ANSWER. It requires thought, possibly some research, and a new commitment. The chance of a yes is 50/50 at best. Not good odds.
The question we did ask: “Any changes to your ad for next time?” Of course the EASY ANSWER was “no.” It didn’t require a lot of thought or research or a new commitment because nothing was changing. But for us it meant “yes.” The sale was made, the ad renewed, and another six months of income.
EASY!
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