Here is a sales action for you to take: Become question aware.
Here is another sales action for you to take: Listen with the intent to understand.
Every time you are asked a question, before answering ask yourself whether the prospects are telling you they’re ready to buy.
That requires thinking way beyond your sales pitch. It’s the nuance part of the presentation. It’s where the sale is.
Below is the last part of the 21.5 signs and signals that the customer May be ready to buy.
14. Specific questions about ownership of your product or service. “Would you provide supplies each month automatically?” Or, “Would you come by each month and pick up my accounting?” Maybe, “Suppose I like the temp, and want her to work for me full time?” Those are the nitty-gritty questions of the buying process. The prospect already is owning it. You are being asked secondary (ownership) questions that say you are going too far. You should have asked for the sale a long time ago. These are questions that should come after you have completed the sale.
15. Questions to confirm unstated decisions or seeking support. “Is this the best way for me to go?” Or, “What do you recommend?” Not sure they could be leaning any further forward without falling over. Your customer is looking at you for your expertise and advice. They are depending on you for your wisdom. When they ask, “What would you do?” and you don’t put ink on paper at that time, get out of there! You don’t belong there.
16. Asking for a test or a sample. “Can I try this for a few days?” “Can you send me a sample?” The prospect is saying, if this works I will buy.
17. Wanting to see a sample or demo again. “Could I see those fabrics again?” Or, “Tell me about the warranty again.” When prospects ask to see or hear anything again, that is when you write the order.
18. Making buying noises. What’s a buying noise? The prospect saying, “Oh! I didn’t know that!” Or, “Oh, really? That’s interesting!” Maybe, “You know, that’s in line with what we have been doing.” Even, “That is something I have always wanted to try.”
19. Asking about other satisfied customers. “Who else is using your product right now?” Or, “Who are your current customers?” Here’s a clue: They don’t believe you, so they are asking questions about someone else like them so they can have enough reassurance to buy. Let’s be honest, at some point in their life, a salesperson has lied to them.
20. Asking for a reference. “Can I contact someone you did temp work for?” That says if you can provide this for me, I am buying. Or if they say, “Do you have a list of satisfied customers?” then you can reply, “Well no, but I do have this list of loyal customers. Would you like to see it?” That’s how you make the sale.
21. Asking chicken questions. The buyer is looking to lower the risk of ownership, but they start out with something like, “Suppose I buy it and it doesn’t work, or it doesn’t fit or it’s not the right size.” What they are saying is give me some more assurance – don’t sell me anymore, rather, reassure me.
21.5. Your ability to convert any signal, sign or question into a sale. Every one of these buying signals or questions can be turned into a closing question that will lead to a faster sale, if you are paying attention and listening with the intent to understand. With every pointed question, the prospect is saying, “I want to buy.” My question to you is, “How are you responding?”
There is one more buying signal and it is so big it needs its own space. It’s the one most often never asked because you have employed the rule of dumb.
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Giving away critical pricing information before it’s asked for, therefore precluding the biggest buying signal in sales. “How much is it?” This question is the single most powerful buying signal on the planet. If you tell your price at the beginning or send your price list in your info-pack, you are taking away a huge tactical advantage in making the sale.
Listening for, recognizing and acting on a buying signal is critical to your success as a salesperson. You will go past the sale if you don’t. And many do.
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of “The Little Red Book of Selling” and 11 other titles, is president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Buy Gitomer. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts Internet training programs on sales and customer service at Gitomer.com. He can be reached at salesman@gitomer.com.
