In our last blog, we highlighted the best opening question to ask when meeting someone for the first time at a business event. That first impression is lasting so your “opening line” is paramount.
Why Buy From You?
Tough question! What differentiates you from your competitors? Unless you sell a truly unique product or service, it isn’t what you sell. What are the ingredients that make up a successful sale?
The ingredients are a mixture of strategies that trigger one reaction – Buyer Confidence. It starts when you first meet and builds as you give reasons to buy from you. The reasons have little to do with your product or service.
My Product is the Best
Everyone thinks and says that and that is why it is irrelevant! How your product functions or how you service a client are boring to most buyers. In fact, technical knowledge and product features are at the bottom of the “Buyer’s Decision Making Scale.”
Going from Like to Trust
How many “touches” does it take to close your sales? What are your touch points? What you do at each touch point needs to build buyer confidence or reduce buyer risk.
It can take up to 12 touches to close a sale. Consistency and persistence build buyer confidence. The odds are in your favor when you hang in with a qualified buyer:
- 50% of salespeople do not follow up a second time.
- 89% of salespeople have given up by the 4th touch.
- You are the only salesperson touching your prospect by the 8th touch.
At the 9th touch, there is a 90% probability that you will be hired. Now plan the best ways to touch your prospects.
Buyer Confidence
To build buyer confidence, start with common interests outside of the business space. When you connect socially with a qualified buyer, you are more likely to get the chance to show you are trustworthy. 3 great ways to build buyer confidence are:
- Know your buyer’s position in its company and the impact of a purchase on your buyer.
- Help Define the scope.
- Combine digital experiences with personalized interactions.
Know Your Buyer
What is your buyer’s organizational role? Making your buyer look good is important. Understand your buyer’s pressures and quantify the impact it is having on your buyer. Once your buyer feels your empathy, you can discuss scope.
Help Define Your Prospect’s Scope
When you help shape your buyer’s scope, you have a huge advantage. Listen as your prospect lists its priorities and biggest pain points. Respond as follows:
- List requirements that have the highest impact.
- Identify requirements that your product meets better than your competitors.
- Align those requirements with the highest impact requirements.
By defining unmet needs that your product meets move you up the decision-making scale as the buyer sees the “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Digital and Personal Interaction
Split your touches in 2 using digital to support the personal interaction. When you talk with your buyer about its industry and your personal common interests, you are getting closer to the sale.
Make your digital interaction full of substance, yet brief, with product content to promote the buyer’s education. Delivering technical product data is useful and can be referred to in a follow-up call to the prospect.
Connecting on a Personal Level
Just like you, I like to connect on a personal level. In our last blog, I listed 3 books that I think are amazing. Here are several musical groups that are amazing: Queen, Led Zeppelin, Dave Matthews, the Stones, Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, and the Beatles.
Let’s Meet and Share Our Favorite Music
