Sam Manfer, Sales Mastery
Sales Force Training and Development - Focusing on Executive Relationships and Selling
Retail Sales: Uncovering Your Customers’ Hot Buttons
Part III in a IV-Part Series of Selling Techniques
By Sam Manfer
Based on Parts I and II of this series, you are hopefully making your customers feel welcome and you’re testing for their motivation. Once you know there is genuine interest, you want to learn from the customers not only what will make them buy, but also what can make them splurge.
The key to learning a person’s buying triggers is to let them tell you. You’ve got to create the setting for them to freely download personal information to you. This is called customer- focused interviewing. Many salespeople are sincerely intent on what’s best for the customer, but their concept of help is offering advice, suggestions or ideas. You’ll need to do this eventually, but first you have to make the customer feel that you are listening. You cannot short circuit the process and skip to what you think they will like—no matter how many times you’ve done it for others. They have to tell you. It is analogous to doctor/patient interaction. So let’s play this scene out:
Doctor: “My nurse tells me you have a problem. Tell me, what’s ailing you or what are you hoping I can help you with?”
Patient: “Well, Doctor, I need to accessorize my new house.”
Doctor: “I sympathize with your pain, because I see many people with this same ailment every day. However, so that I don’t get sued by assuming the wrong thing, tell me what type of decorating, etc., would make your new house perfect.” (This is called a magic wand question, and it is a very powerful question. You will need to learn how to ask this in a few different ways.)
Now at this point, the doctor stops talking. He does not prompt, or hint, or say, “I mean yadah, yadah, yadah ….” Keeping quiet is hard for a salesperson. Somehow, salespeople feel their job is to tell about what they have, so as to excite the buyer. Yet, it is very easy for the doctor to keep quiet. You see, doctors are not on commission, nor have they been grilled to push cures or ailments. What’s interesting is that people keep buying from them; that is, coming back again and again. Let’s continue:
Patient: “Well, Doc, I want a contemporary look, state-of-the-art appliances and some high-tech accessories, among other things.”
Doctor: “Ok, I take care of lots of people looking for that. To be clear, however, tell me what you mean by contemporary?” (Again, he stops talking. You have to let them verbalize their vision.)
Patient: “Well, I love lots of stainless steel with white accents, and very modern hard surfaces.”
Doctor: “OK, I’ve got an idea here. You also said state-of-the-art appliances. What exactly did you have in mind?” (Again, he doesn’t say another word. They have to explain in their own words.)
Patient: “Well, I like the ones that seamlessly blend into the cabinets and under the counters. I want them to be large enough to handle my family of 5, but quiet enough to be almost unnoticeable when operating, and really easy to use.”
Doctor: “OK, I understand. Anything else?” (You want them to search their minds thoroughly. You might ask what they like or dislike about what they have now.)
Patient: “No, that’s about it.”
Now, so as to be sure he doesn’t miss anything, the doctor suggests problems/symptoms that others have had whom he’s served in the past. This is how you “expose and entice” them into mentioning things they may have forgotten or didn’t even know about.
Doctor: “You know, you didn’t mention anything about a centralized electronic system that controls and monitors heating and AC, dishwasher, spa, sound system, lights, etc. Is this something you’d like to hear more about?”
Patient: “No thanks, I don’t feel comfortable with the electronics thing. I’m not a gadget person.”
Doctor: “OK.” (Notice: no push back). “Another popular item with the contemporary scheme is light-sensitive windows and shades that adjust to keep heat out and darken so people can’t see in at night.”
Patient: “Now that’s interesting. Tell me more.”
Doctor: “Certainly. I will in a minute.”
The doctor may ask a few more expose and entice questions or other questions to clear up any ambiguities. He’s not in a hurry to tell and the patient will be happy as long as you’re letting him/her explore their mind. This sequence is critical because (1) the customers feel it is all about them and; (2) you learn what turns them on…a hot button!
Doctor: “One last thing. You didn’t mention how much you can afford.” (Notice: not their budget or what they want to spend).
Patient: “Well, not much. We want to keep it on the cheap side. This is only for a few years.”
Doctor: “Not a problem, but how much is not much?”
Patient: “Around $15,000.”
Doctor: “Well, this is pretty low, so I will show you some lower-end items and just expose you to some next level-ups, if that’s OK with you?”
Patient: “Sure, I’m always willing to look.”
Doctor: “Great, now before I show you what we have, let me see if I’ve got this correct. You said you wanted contemporary, meaning …..; and you said low cost, meaning …., etc. Is this correct?” (This confirmation step is very important because the patient will now know you were listening and that you understand them. Additionally they will probably reveal more about themselves.)
Patient: “Wow, Doc, you were really listening! That’s all correct, but you don’t have to go real cheap, we may be able to splurge a little.”
If you were the shopper and a salesperson interviewed you in this manner, how would you feel? I’d bet pretty comfortable; maybe a little anxious to see something; yet now, much more open to listen to what the doctor will prescribe. You’d also feel the doctor is competent and wants to help you. This is credibility, which is the magic needed for people to follow your suggestions.
This is also called pull selling. That is, the salesperson pulls out of the customers what they really want and are willing to pay big to get. Then, all you’ll have to do is show them how you can give it to them. Price will no longer be an issue. Price will be discussed and debated, but in the end, they will pay to get what they want.
So here are the steps to your customers’ hot buttons:
Ask what their “perfect vision” is.
Ask them to explain, in detail, any ambiguous/powerful words, i.e. contemporary.
Expose and entice in a consultative, informative manner. You’re not pushing.
Confirm what was discussed.
Create perfect world-type questions and start asking them. Practice exposing and enticing to see if there is an interest in other options. Don’t push. Once you master this simple process, you will be amazed at how easy it is to have people tell you exactly what buttons to press.
The next article I’ll show how to present so that you are seen as the best source. Then, I’ll show how to secure commitment.
Sam Manfer delivers key note speeches and in-depth selling work shops for those anxious to increase sales. His hands-on coaching turns individuals and sales organizations into selling whirlwinds. Sam’s selling awards and $ Million sales recognitions support his methods. His book, TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER$ along with his Matching Chemistry’s CD and sales seminars replace selling myths and clichés that frustrate decision makers with a proven approach that captures their attention. Follow Sam’s C-Level Selling Blog for more insights. Sign-up for his free Selling E-Zine.
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