Stop Selling or Pitching – Start Serving

Stop Selling or Pitching – Start Serving:  from The LEADSExplorer Blog: Lead generation - Website visitors - CRM - B2B by The Leads Explorer

Sales techniques

During the last century many selling techniques and methods have been developed like Feature-Advantage-Benefit Selling, Spin-Selling, Hard-Selling, Soft-Selling, Up-Selling, Consultative Selling, …
Nowadays people have had it with all these sales methods as they don’t want to be sold or pitched. Instead they need a solution for their problem which is the main thing they are interested in and will remember afterwards.

Listen instead of selling

Instead of selling or pitching you should be adding value for the customer. In the end the customer needs to sell its’ product at the best price or with the best quality or at the best price/quality ratio. These are the main drivers for a company to buy new products, services or solutions.
You have to understand problems of your customer, their issues and constraints given the business, competitors, market and economy. Hence you need to listen and ask open ended questions. Start from the idea that you don’t know but your potential customer knows all about his business, competitors and market which will help to formulate your questions.

Bring added value

Once you have understood the customers’ problems, issues and constraints then look for a solution – preferably a solution your company can provide.
Be aware the probable customer has researched the market and the solutions available. Time has gone that customers weren’t informed and that they could be lured into a sale, as they have become savvy and aware of the available solutions. This mainly thanks to the Internet and search engines. As a salesman you need to bring added value to the table else than what’s available on the Internet else they no longer need you.

Solution creation

This is not solution or consulting selling as in that case the salesman knows the solution upfront or wants to push a certain solution from the beginning.
Instead it is about, as partner together with your potential customer, seeking and trying to create a feasible and affordable solution. Serving your customer instead in order to bring him added value.
Forget about the sales pitch, listen to your customer and try serving him by delivering added value.
How do you currently sell ?