What's The Most Important Thing In Sales And Marketing?
I recently watched a sales training video about the "ultimate sales secret." What do you think the experts said was the ultimate sales secret? Was it relationship? Was it price? Was it sales scripts? Was it your selling tools? Okay, both sales experts agreed that the most important ingredient in a selling situation is....
RAPPORT!
Yup, they said that the rapport that a sales person has with her prospect is the most important ingredient to closing the sale. I could not DISAGREE more! Yes, you read that right. I could not DISAGREE more with the notion that rapport is the key to winning more sales.
Now please, don't get me wrong here... I wholeheartedly believe that rapport is a very important factor in any business relationship, BUT it's certainly NOT the biggest factor in closing more sales. You see, you have to understand why people buy things. There's an old saying which goes, "All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer people that they know, like and trust." But most of the time, all things are NOT equal.
Most people won't buy a bad deal just because they're friends with the salesman.
Most people won't buy overpriced stuff just because they're friends with the salesman.
Most people buy based on their OWN REASONS AND DESIRES.
Most people only pull out their hard earned money to buy something because they either want it really bad or they are convinced that it will solve their problem.
That's a fact. So then, what is the most important key to selling? The most important key to selling and the absolute most powerful selling secret of all time is... PROOF! I've said it for years and I'll say it again, "The most important selling and marketing tool of all time is undeniable PROOF that your product works."
I've sat in seminars, sales presentations, and selling situations in which the prospect didn't know the salesperson, and they immediately threw down thousands of dollars to buy their stuff. Why? Because in some way, shape or form, the salesperson was able to PROVE to the prospect that their solution really worked. Proof is the ultimate persuasion tool.
How To Show Undeniable Proof
There are lots of ways to show proof that your claims are true. Here are just a few...
Findings from Research Studies. Scientific proof is always a great way to show evidence of your claims. You might consider funding some research or finding 3rd party studies to prove your solution.
Customer Testimonials. No one believes you, but they'll believe what others say about you. Be an avid collector of customer testimonials and show them everywhere you can.
Product Demonstrations. If the results of your product can be demonstrated, then you'll have a winning product. Whenever I sell things like software, I ALWAYS demo the product so people can see it in action.
Actual Examples of Results. Examples of evidence of proof like before and after photos, screenshots of results, or videos showing results are very compelling.
Whatever it is you're selling, try to find some method of proving your result. If you don't have proof, then you're relying on a stranger to believe you and that's a hurdle that's difficult to overcome. Hope this helps in your preparation for your sales and marketing drive...
The content in this article was provided by Dudley Peacock from Quantum Business Development.
