Sales Process, Part 1

Maybe you've heard the old saying that God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk. That's good advice for a salesperson. Many people think of a salesman as a "fast-talker." Nothing could be further from the truth.

You need to follow a very simple formula to be a success at sales. Ask relevant questions, listen to the response, pause, then replay the answer to assure you've really listened to the customer.

Relevant questions attempt to uncover needs and should usually be open-ended. For example: "How are your current tires performing?" Or, "What does your ideal wheel look like?" Open-ended questions require an answer other then "yes" or "no."

Listening to an answer is more then just not talking. Don't think about what you're going to have for lunch and don't think about your answer, either. Focus only on what the customer is saying. When she stops talking, pause. Many times she will add to what she is saying and give you more information. The pause also allows you time to gather your thoughts.

Replaying demonstrates you were listening. For example, "So it sounds like to me that you felt your tires should have lasted a lot longer, is that correct?" Note that this is a good use of the close-ended question. It only requires a "yes" or "no" response. If the customer says "no," then I would question till I did have agreement. With a "yes" response, I repeat the cycle, asking more questions until I feel that I have uncovered all of his needs.

For example, I might say, "other then wearing out quickly, how did they perform?" Maybe they will say something like, "I seemed to lose traction in the rain." I pause, then replay: "you didn't feel like you got good wet traction?" I would go through this cycle until I have uncovered all of the customer's needs or wants.

I then say, "it sounds like you want a tire that will last longer and give you better performance in the rain then these did, is that true?" If they agree, then you are ready to move into a sales presentation. If they don't, just go back and continue the questioning cycle until you get an agreement on what they do want.