If the Shoe Fits...
What was the last thing you bought? And what about the last time you were sold? If you’re like most of us your buying experience was exciting and fun. And the time or times you’ve been sold, well it likely left you feeling cold and uncomfortable not warm and fuzzy. This is the problem many of us make – as entrepreneurs, consultants and sales people – we fail to help people buy and try to sell them. Why and how does this happen? When do we go from being problem solvers to product pushers? Below are three common mistakes that get things off on the wrong foot: It’s not a match made in heaven (or anywhere else for that matter): Getting a customer is like playing a game of go fish; you need to find a match to make a pair and ultimately win. If you are going after a potential customer that doesn’t need, value or have the resources to purchase your product, stop right there, and move into a new pond filled with your fish aka peeps. Being a feature creature: Many a time I have seen a sales person talk ad nauseum about their company, their product, their team – blah, blah, blah. I’m not even convinced I need your service at all never mind I should buy that service from you. Start at the very beginning and find out what is keeping your prospect up a night or at the very least causing some discomfort throughout the day. Going big and going home – without a sale: In today’s relational B2B (Business to Business) world you need to allow your prospects to dip their toe in the water so to speak, to find out how great you are with very little or no risk on their part. If you’re asking them to go all in on the first round the stakes may be too high and they’re folding before the deal is done. And the worse part, they’re unwilling to play again. So next time you’re meeting with a prospective client, take your sales hat off and walk a mile in their shoes. And if the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t try to force them to wear it. It will only lead to pain and discomfort – the exact opposite of the feeling you want your customers to have when they think about you and tell others about you!
