How Do You Like To Be Sold To?
As consumers, we often say that we don't like being pressured into sales, either by super sales-y pitches, or pushy salespeople. As business owners, we almost come to expect it but still don't appreciate it and certainly don't want it any more than we did as consumers. My question to you is HOW do you like to be sold to? We all do, but differently.
I like to be wined&dined as they say. I like the sit-down approach where I am educated on all of the different options while I sip on my complimentary tea/coffee, shown different 'models' of the product or service I am interested in, and left alone to make a decision, so that when they come back, they can walk me through the transaction and I leave happy knowing that I got exactly what I needed and wanted.
And yes, I acknowledge that I pay a pretty penny for that experience. That experience. Did you catch that? Pay extra for the experience. Yes it requires more work on the company's behalf, but it's tricking the brain (not the person!) into being so thrilled with the experience of being sold to that not only do they buy your product/service, but they pay extra to be sold to in such a way that they are often happy spending more than they intended! Of course this doesn't work for everyone, or for every product, or every time.
For example, the way I shop at IKEA is very different: I don't mozy through the showrooms and impulse buy everything, I am the one who walks into the store backwards into the warehouse, grabs exactly what I need and check-out: in&out. That being said, the first time I went, I absolutely walked through every single room and touched everything! Even made a lunch date out of it! (they upsold me just by having it available, no pushy sales guy)
I'd love to hear how YOU like to be sold to, and (plot-twist!) if your business model follows your preferences or those of your ideal clients.
Answers (1-2)
Great subject!
I wrote a blog post named: "I will buy just don't sell to me"....okay??? Below is some of the post:
We are all "fickle" creatures by nature, one day we want attention, the next day we want to be left alone......
As a sales professional being a "mind reader" is often times a prerequisite in determining when customers are ready to buy and remains to be the "Loch Ness Monster" of mysteries. With that said I'm revising a former post entry named "People don't want to be sold....really"? to "I will buy just don't sell to me....okay"?! which brings a different twist to the conversation. For years the sales & marketing profession has tried to capture lightning in a bottle on how to implement ways of getting customers to buy a product without selling them....I call it the "Jedi Eye Mind Trick of Selling". This idea that customers don't appreciate being sold to is both untrue and true at the same time if that makes cogent sense, in other words, it depends on the interaction.
When you hear "People don't like to be sold" what you're really hearing is "People don't like to be uninspired". I've been fortunate in my career to be around some of the best sales & marketing professionals on earth which has inspired me to set up residence in the field, and what they all have in common is this ability to inspire people....not manipulate them. There's a sense of sincerity in their approach and just being around them you feel you're the only person in their world that matters, is this a gift or can it be taught? My honest answer is some people have that innate compassion compass that allows them to focus intensely on the needs of others. The behavior of selling is not far different from the normal behaviors of life I've often said "Sales Mimic Life", we as a profession with some fault have placed too much confusing nomenclature around the basic fundamentals of selling when quite frankly it just boils down to "LISTENING TO THE CUSTOMER". I don't prescribe to the notion that "People don't want to be sold" because the context around that statement isn't available and often times NOT considered....just to give that blanket statement who's going to disagree other than me?
Thanks for the post!
Not many people like to be Sold. Most like options, choices and guidance, when needed. Ask for the sale and stay gracious no matter what their decesion is.