Why 95% of sales (business) people struggle
Tue, 31st August, 2010 - Posted by
Guest post by Martin Clark, Ripple Effect Sales Training.
They fail to understand the fundamentals of selling!
First of all to clarify, when I say ‘sales people’ I’m also referring to business owners who are responsible for making sales. If you’re in business, then one of the many hats you must wear is that of a ‘sales person’.
There are 2 key fundamentals that drive ALL sales… Failing to understand these is why most ‘sales people’ struggle and businesses suffer…
1st FUNDAMENTAL – Why do people really buy?
Do you believe the popular notion that sales are made by matching a client’s needs and wants? If so, this is costing you sales! Believing that sales are made by matching needs and wants is why 95% of business and sales people struggle.
There is actually only one reason why people buy and the biggest myth in sales is that people buy to fit their needs with their wants. The problem is, by focusing on the needs and wants of your customer, you’re only touching surface-level emotions. You know that people buy on emotion and justify with logic.
Get this… needs and wants are logical! People ‘think‘ they know what they’re doing, but in fact, don’t understand what is driving their behaviour… Top sales people get this, and know how to assist their clients’ understanding of what’s really driving their needs and wants. In doing so the client becomes aware on a completely different level.
The only reason why people buy is because… they have a problem!
People are driven by problems they have. It’s what they lack that drives buying behaviour, not what they want or need. The lack of something in our lives, or problems we face, are connected to deeply rooted emotions. Understand this, and you’ll start asking the right questions right from the start.
Top sales people ask quality questions that allow the client to expand the size of their problem in their mind. The bigger the problem, the more motivation the client will have to finding a solution, which means more sales. Conversely, by focusing on just their needs and wants is the equivalent of a really small size of problem. For the client this will raise more objections, and for you less sales.
By seeking to understand your client’s problems and not rushing this process you will transform the satisfaction of your client, and the size of your sales.
2nd FUNDAMENTAL – What are people really buying?
There is only one thing that people actually buy from you…
Think about this for a moment. How often are you served by a sales person where everything is right — right product, right price, right demeanour — and well… you buy don’t you? Conversely, what happens when the sales person lacks faith that their product will solve your problem? Your trust in the solution also goes down the pan. It does for me, that’s for sure. And so, the likelihood of a sale diminishes in direct proportion to the certainty of the sales person, doesn’t it?
… top sales people understand this basic truth. There’s only one thing that people buy from you. Certainty!
Client’s are looking for the certainty that your product will solve their problem. Given that time is limited, and they simply don’t have the bandwidth to review all the options, it’s falls on you, the person with the product, to deliver certainty. If they sense you’re not certain, their barriers of resistance will increase immediately!
Now, you must have the client’s best interests at heart at all times and that’s why the first fundamental top tip is to understand their problem in the first place. Once you know what’s fuelling their drive to speak to you, you can give them your rock solid certainty of a solution. That’s what they are looking for from you! To become a top sales or business person, understand the fundamentals of what drives all sales.
Seeking to understand your client’s problems and then giving them your certainty of a solution will massively increase your results. Apply these techniques and watch your prospects turn into clients!
Mike Clark is the CEO of Ripple Effect Sales Training – online membership site where you can get monthly support, training, and advice through exclusive resources and webinars with leadings experts like Joanne Martin and Hannah Macnamara. You can download a free report on the same subject from his website, which explains these fundamentals in much greater detail. This report also covers the 6 steps that all buyers go through before they feel comfortable with purchasing.
Related Posts:
One Response to “Why 95% of sales (business) people struggle”
-
Connect with us
An insightful post. The statement “sales are made by matching a client’s needs and wants” drives home an important point. Sales should not only drive on selling the idea, it must also be coupled with the question why.