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The Tidal Wave Sale |
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The Tidal Wave Sale |
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In a sales interaction with a prospective client, I offered
several solutions to his particular situation. I had asked him
several questions, and upon determining his needs, presented a
variety of different answers. I told him about the corporate
programs I deliver, recommended one of my public workshops,
suggested that he register for my newsletter, and asked him to
complete a questionnaire that would help identify where he and
his team could improve. When I hung up the phone, it dawned on
me that I may have presented too many solutions, too quickly.
Sadly, I had fallen prey to using the tidal wave sales approach
(please don't chastise me and tell me I'm insensitive - it has
nothing to do with recent world events). Unfortunately, I never
heard from this person again, even though I tried to contact him
by telephone and email. A tidal wave sale happens when you
overwhelm your customer during the sales process. In other
words, you bowl them over with too much information or too many
ideas in an effort to close the sale. Here is another example: A
homeowner I know met with an interior designer for some
consultation on improving the appearance of her home. During
their first meeting, the designer suggested several different
options and ideas and at the end of the meeting asked for a
deposit so she could begin the job. Although the ideas and
solutions that were presented sounded good, the homeowner was
hesitant to make a commitment to move forward because he needed
time to digest and consider the multitude of ideas that had been
presented. It was evident that the designer had used the tidal
wave sales approach. Many sales professionals, particularly
SME's (Subject Matter Experts) make the mistake of using this
approach. They have the best intentions and truly want to help
their clients and prospects but tend to get carried away. As a
result, they offer all the solutions they can think of believing
they are helping their customer. However, in reality, they
actually make it more challenging for customers to make a
decision. Most sales people don't realize that they use this
particular approach. They become so accustomed to telling people
everything about their product or service, forgetting that too
much information can actually be detrimental. They forget that
most people can only absorb a certain amount of information in
any period of time. I remember looking for a new bed with my
wife many years ago. We visited four or five stores and in each
store we were told that we should look for something different
in a mattress. The sales people told us all about the features
of the beds they sold and by the end of the day we were
completely confused and didn't know what factors we should
consider in our purchase. We felt overwhelmed and as a result,
ended up postponing our decision for several weeks. If the sales
people had asked us what was important in our buying decision
they could have presented a solution that was more relevant
instead of giving us all the information on their particular
beds. Customers look to you for help. They rely on your
expertise to help them make a buying decision. However, when you
overwhelm them with information or solutions you actually make
it more difficult for them to decide. You need to be careful how
much information you give people, especially in preliminary
conversations and particularly if your product is highly
technical in nature. Keep your answers brief and to the point.
Avoid giving too much information, too many answers, or too many
solutions. Here is a final example; When my wife and I purchased
our house we planned to replace the carpet on the main level.
The sales person in one of the stores we visited spent close to
ten minutes talking about under-padding. But most of the
information he shared with me had little relevance to my
situation. And, in several instances, I had no idea what he was
talking about. It was obvious he knew a lot about his products
but he didn't know how to present this information concisely.
So, how can you avoid this? The best way to prevent this from
happening is to ask your customer or prospect a series of
high-quality questions to determine exactly what they need and
to learn more about their individual situation. Determine what
solution is most appropriate for them. Limit your suggestions to
one or two ideas; resist the temptation to offer several
alternatives. Remember that telling is not selling. Professional
selling means helping people make an educated buying decision.
That means you need to focus your attention on your customer's
agenda, not on closing the sale. © 2005 Kelley Robertson, All
rights reserved
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How to Explode Your Online Sales! - Richard Legg |
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The Tidal Wave Sale |
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