There are a few key aspects you need to be aware of and be very attentive to. These will help you to have a clear view of what’s happening and control the discussion or its course (or at least not let yourself fall in the customer trap. Remember, until you gain his trust and are able to build up a cordial relationship with your customer/buyer, he will challenge you, shake you, almost ignore you and for sure test all boundaries. On the one hand, you need to be in control of yourself but also control the direction of the discussion.
Often, you have your agenda and you’re expecting the discussion to follow a certain order and direction, and consequently attain a certain outcome. But then, once you start, the customer will bring up all kinds of diversions and will lead you in all kinds of directions – bringing to the table topics that you weren’t expecting and mixing up all the steps of the agenda. There are two possible reasons for this. First, the purchaser is hectic and disorganized and can’t follow good order and preparation – there are a few – sometimes who do this just to show you how busy they are and how complicated their lives are. The second one is a bit trickier. Purchasers will do that on purpose. To confuse you, to drain your energy, to put you off the rails and forget your main objective. It’s part of their strategy. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap.
During the discussion, it’s important that you ask the right questions and clear all areas of doubt about how to optimize this deal/customer.
The purchaser’s role isn’t to make your life easier. His role is to push you, to confuse you, to object to your arguments, to throw info you are unaware of, and to bring onto the table eventual weaknesses of your company (known from public, market or from previous experiences).
He does this to tire you so you lower your guard and start thinking he might be right and he’s entitled to a better price, service or package. That’s his role, at least until you get confidence enough or develop a trustworthy relationship where only what matters will be discussed – and without diversion games.
Things to have in mind embracing a sales career- How to lead a discussion:
- Share a clear agenda with the customer beforehand.
- Put emotions aside. It’s not personal.
- If not clear, ask again. Listen to what he says but also what he doesn’t say, or what is between the lines.
- Encourage the buyer to talk.
- Don’t assume anything. Ask, verify, confirm.
- Don’t let the buyer mess up your agenda, keep in control, bring him to the main discussion.
- Don’t overpromise, over deliver instead.
- No rush. You don’t have to make the offer just now. Digest all the info and come back to him later. No customer is desperate to close the deal in one meeting. If he does or wants that, it’s not a good sign or is just a means to pressure you.
- Share the meeting main points and outcome. Short and sweet. Closed topics, open actions, follow-ups.
This is an excerpt of my book “sales is my passion”, available here: http://amzn.to/2DY7nVy