Why Customers Care About a Selling Conversation

“People want to talk about what they care about. All you have to do is give them a way to do it.”

Those words came from Joel Zelepsky, Sr. VP of Sales & Marketing at Mosaic. They resonated because I agree with Joel. Twenty-five plus years of selling have taught me that the shortest route to a sale is by selling people what they want to buy—not what I want to sell.

Of course, it’s not easy getting people to talk about what matters. If it was, sales would pay a lot less.

Buyers share more when they like and trust you, and feel the information is pertinent to the conversation. They share openly when they believe:

A. Your previous behavior earned the right to get the information.

B. The information you’re seeking will be used in the buyer’s best interest.

So I’m curious . . . what are you doing to find out what prospects and customers want to talk about? I’m looking for three great tips. Leave your tips below, and if yours is chosen, I’ll put them into an upcoming issue of SELF-TAUGHT SALES and send you a Sale Is Not For Sissies T-shirt.

Thanks for the help and good selling.

I Thrive On Rejection

I proudly wear those words on a T-shirt, and I believe them, too. Success, wonderful as it is, isn’t always a character-building experience because we tend to contribute wins to our own innate brilliance.

Sometimes we are brilliant. We’re well-prepared in the call and we’re a wonderful value for the customer. On the surface it looks like we’ll close the deal and make the sale.

But we don’t.

The customer buys from our competitor and we’re left feeling frustrated. As we work through frustration, we face a choice. Will the experience beat us down or will look for another way to make the sale next time?

When I stumble, I pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going forward. I am what psychoanalyst G. Clotaire Rapaille calls a "happy loser."

Dr. Rapaille has spent a good part of his career studying people like you and me. His research shows a direct correlation between the number of nos you hear and the number of sales you make. The more nos, the more sales.

It's that simple. The more you thrive on rejection, the more you succeed.

If you would like to order your own “I Thrive On Rejection” T-shirt, click here.

If you would like to read an interview with Dr. Rapaille, click here.

And to happy losers everywhere, good selling!

KeFactors Friday: Key Behaviors of Post-Recession Customers

You may already be dealing with customers who aren’t shy about complaining, but

… better get used to it. Word-of-mouth is going to be more powerful than ever. I’m also adding advisory from (refreshingly blunt) business author Geoff Burch about the various ways we can kill off customer loyalty (in italics).

1. Post-recession customers will be increasingly intolerant of customer service errors. (“To defend your position to the death is a serious mistake. It costs so little put things right with your customer.”)

2. Customers will be more vocal and “activist” in using social networking sites to state their objections and negative experiences. (“Your offer is crap. Live up to the expectations your marketing generates.”)

3. Customers will not be committed to a particular brand but seek “best value” regardless of who’s providing it. It’ll be harder for market researchers to detect a fixed pattern of behavior in understanding these customers, and deeper insights will be required. (“Trying to be everything to everyone is a mistake. Don’t alienate your core customer base by trying to broaden your appeal.”)

4. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of your customers will research products and future purchases online, so your marketing and product support will need to be more targeted to specific customer needs and expectations. (“Don’t be afraid to ask. Where do my customers’ aspirations lie?”)

5. Multi-channel customers want — and expect — to use a variety of ways to interact with you. (“Data should make selling more human.”)

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!!

Well, it's here. The start of a brand new year!! To keep things fresh, and content not only interesting but useful, Sale is Not For Sissies is changing things up a bit. Based on last year's survey, readers have requested more sales tips from me, more guest bloggers and more information on social media. I aim to please, and all of that information will be coming your way in 2011.

Additionally, I will keep posts to three days a week hoping this will give readers a better opportunity to read all of the content that is posted. If you have any other suggestions that you believe will make the blog a better tool, feel free to comment below or e-mail melissa@thoughttransformation.com.

The wonderful Lucy Ke will be back on Friday with more information, and I have a great post for Monday entitled, "I Thrive On Rejection."

Here's to a wonderful and prosperous New Year! Good Selling!