Love it! Buy it!

Make the sale easy.

My client is the marketing manager of a prominent architectural firm. The firm designs high-profile buildings. Image is important in everything they do.

I called her one morning.

“Hi, Elizabeth. We have some new products that I think you will really like. Do you have 15 minutes to meet?”

Later that afternoon I was in a conference room with Elizabeth. Samples of the new products (custom presentation materials) were spread across the table.

I was right. She did like them . . . a lot.

From the perspective of consultative selling, what seems to be wrong with this scenario?

• I did not ask Elizabeth if she was “in the market” for new presentation materials.
• No questions were asked about her needs, preferences, outcomes, etc.
• No questions whatsoever! Just a product “demo”.

Back to the conference room . . .

The owner of the firm walked in. He and I shook hands. We had met before.

She pointed to the samples and asked what he thought. He looked down and said “Love it. Buy it.” That’s it. Four words. Then he turned and left.

Elizabeth and I spent the next 45 minutes discussing designs, quantities, etc. At the end she asked “By the way, is this stuff expensive?” While I couldn’t calculate an exact price without crunching the numbers, the ballpark estimate was five-to-six times what she was currently spending. She didn’t flinch.

Elizabeth was a client for years, and from the outset I devoted time to understanding her business and strategic priorities. Promises were made and kept. The inevitable bumps in the road were addressed promptly. As their business grew, mine grew along with it. In short, Elizabeth’s trust was earned, along with the right to bring her new ideas, because she viewed me as a partner.

Work hard for your clients and you will find you can make the sale easy.

This information is discussed in our Selling Skills ► Into Action curriculum. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our public classes.

Other Resources:

4 Golden Rules for Making the Sale Easy