Instead of viewing salespeople as conduits for giving them products to satisfy their needs, consumers see them as nuisances—necessary evils on the road to getting what they want. And ultimately, the reason consumers view salespeople this way is that salespeople typically focus on the selling aspect of the exchange because that is the factor that directly applies to them. This means that the best way to eradicate this nasty view of the salesperson is for salespeople to forget about themselves and focus on the consumer and the buying aspect of the exchange. This way, consumers will be happier because salespeople are looking out for their best interests, salespeople will make more sales because consumers trust them, and salespeople will be able to take pride in what they do because everything is on the "up-and-up."
Now, as salespeople, I'm sure you are all asking yourself the same question: "How am I supposed to do this?" There is only one piece of advice, and it is simple: "Learn to stop selling." You can learn to concentrate on assisting the consumer, instead of just helping yourself, by educating yourself and training yourself to sell—or, rather, not sell—that way. The more you get used to this selling technique, the better you will become at it.
Putting the consumer first does not mean that you will go broke or go hungry. It means that you will develop a more effective way to sell. Putting consumers' needs first will let them know that you are not trying to manipulate them and that, instead, you are merely trying to make their lives easier. Moreover, the more people begin to realize that you are willing to put their needs in front of your own, the more people will want to work with you.
In addition to reading books and participating in training seminars, one way to truly put the needs of consumers first is by listening to what they are telling you. Perhaps they are apprehensive about buying a particular product because it costs so much money. Okay, is there another product that will produce the same result but that costs less money?
Ask questions—and not loaded questions designed to elicit specific answers. Ask open-ended questions, which are much more likely to illicit insightful and honest responses. Remember, the best way to satisfy the needs and wants of your potential clients is by knowing exactly what they are. And you find out what people's needs and wants are by listening to what they have to say.
Here are some tips:
- Don't speed through the process. Having the customer answer as many questions in the shortest time period possible will not help you. You want the client's answers to be as honest and sincere as possible, as this will ensure that you are able to discover the most pertinent information.
- Don't lie. If a client asks a question that you don't know the answer to, tell him or her. Clients would much rather hear "That's a great question; I'll look into that and let you know" than have you give them inaccurate or misleading information.
- Build relationships. You most likely know the statistics; it costs something like eight times more to gain a new customer than it does to retain a current one. If you create strong relationships, you will ensure that you have a steady flow of income without having spending too much. (Again, this ends up being good for you.)
- View yourself as a conduit. Remember your role, which is to provide clients with products that will satisfy their needs. Keeping this in mind will help you approach the situation with their best interests at heart. Also, if you see yourself as merely helping them solve a problem, you'll be less likely to use deceptive techniques.
