I am going to share with you how dating is a lot similar to selling and how you can improve your sales success by using the dating techniques.
So what does selling have anything to do with dating? How many times have we heard that business is all about the relationship you build? Imagine approaching a complete stranger to ask her “will you marry me?” What do you think she will say? Exactly. We need to have a chronology of initiatives when it comes to getting down on the knees and propose to someone.
The same thing goes for selling. Here, I am going to share with you how dating is a lot similar to selling and how you can improve your sales success by using the dating techniques.
It’s not about you, it’s about them. When you first go out with someone, well, maybe not just someone, but someone you really like, naturally you will feel curious about the person and when that happens, you start asking all sorts of questions in a form of conversations. Am I right? The questions that you ask will be important and relevant because you want to know if this person could actually be your compatible match.
That’s what the first stage of selling is all about too. This is a stage where you are breaking the ice and getting to know your prospect, their goals, pain and why. People like to talk about themselves. So use this time to get them to talk. The more they talk, the more you will know how to pitch your sale that will suit their needs. Remember, people only buy if it can solve their problems.
Set your expectations. I’ve said it. Set your expectations right from the start. Save yourself from the painful heartbreak. You do not want all your invested time and energy go wasted. Which means, your prospect needs to know that you are expecting a commitment from them. Ask them the specific date of when they can give you an answer, ask them if they are fully committed or if they are just shopping around, tell them that you only want to work with serious buyers. This process will help eliminate a lot of non-serious ones. The last thing you need is someone who just wants to play with your time.
Know Your Value. Imagine you’re chasing a girl where she has several other men chasing after her too. You now have ‘competitors’. How do you tackle this situation? Some feel threatened by competitions. This only happens when you do not understand the values you’re offering. In selling, you must know your unique selling points or USP. You need to answer these questions first: What your products or services are all about? And how distinctive are they? How different are they from others in the market? How are you more sellable than the rest? The power is in understanding what you have that your competitors don’t.
Follow up. The fortune is in the following up! Look, do you give up the first time the woman of your dream tells you no to going out with you? I doubt it. Because most people will persist until they get something they really really want, even if the rejection seem endless. And we all know that customers do not usually make their buying decision the first time around.
A lot of them need conviction, most of us don’t trust ourselves to make a good decision anyway. Which is why salespeople need to keep on following up and convince that they are making the best decision in the world when they buy the product.
Know When To Move On. It’s vital to know where you stand. Why waste so much time chasing after a buyer who stands you up over and over again? Or chasing after a prospect who does not share important information that you need such as their financial capabilities, timeframe and budget. Do not dwell over one prospect that you think are qualified. The time you use to chase after non-serious buyers could be used to close your next potential deals with other customers. So, move on!.
