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Casual Articles - How Buyers Buy: What Sellers Need to Know to Close Sales
Promotions and advertising are the crucial part that business undertakes. This is the span of time businesses tell whether they were able to successfully introduce their products in the market. It is this period that they can evaluate how good their products had been for their clients.Printed materials such as promotional postcards are vital tools for your business. This is because they simply represent you and tell more about your business. Moreover, it really pays to be thorough and meticulous in the creation of postcard production.In producing promotional postcards there are periods or parts of the processes that can help you in easing the burden of developing your cards.The first period – PLANNING•This is the brainstorming part, you think of something that will be good for your material. You think of the designs, content and kind of paper you want to use. In this period you visualize how your postcards would appear.Second period – PRODUCTION•In this period you materialize what you had visualized. You put into being the ideas you have in mind. The production of
I know a company that has been awaiting a decision on a multimillion dollar service solution, and their perceived clients – the tech group – aren’t even involved in the decision: it’s a Union decision. The techies have not invited the Union onto
I knew from the first moment I saw his card that I had to talk to the person who left it for me. Why did I feel so strongly about it?Well, for a start, it made me laugh. Nothing is as important as being alive, so enjoy it while you can: “Carpe Diem”. We’ve all heard it said, but how many of us really know much about it? Where it came from, or who said it?“Carpe Diem”: the famous advice “Seize the Day” is from Horace’s Odes. (Odes in Horace’s case, being his thoughts on lots of different things). The full thought is: “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”, which may be translated as: “Enjoy today, trusting little in tomorrow.”Thus, “carpe diem” from ancient times until now has been advice expressed in many different ways, e.g. eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die; make hay while the sun shines; enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think. Or in 2006: “Life’s a bitch – and then you die.”Anybody who can make me laugh in the middle of my business day is someone I want to associate with, I can tell you.The other reason I wanted so much to see the person who called an
It remains problematic, however, when sellers continue directing their focus toward product sale rather than decision facilitation and use what they think is knowledge about the buyer’s buying patterns as a manipulation into the selling end of the equation.
It doesn’t work. Selling and buying are two separate, disparate, activities.
Let’s say you know how a buyer buys – which is impossible for an outsider and difficult for an insider, given personalities, politics, communication, roles/rules, etc. But for arguments sake, let’s say you know exactly all of the internal, unique, systemic elements that to into the buyer’s unique, internal system and corresponding set of decisions. What are you going to do with that information? How would you sell into that?
If you know, say, that the CEO makes all decisions, are you going to go over the head of your contact to try to persuade the CEO? Or spend months attempting to get in to see the CEO, only to be told once you’re there that s/he takes direction from a department head? I had a neighbor who was on the Board of a Fortune 50 company. He attempted to get me training work in the company. Didn’t work: the department heads (who met with me out of courtesy) told me they liked the way they were selling and didn’t want to change.
What if it’s a committee? Are you going to call each person – even the ones you haven’t been introduced to – and take a ‘few moments’ of their time? And then what?
What if it’s a small business, a Mom and Pop, and you know that the spouse needs to be involved? Are you going to wait for a time when you know your prospect isn’t around, and make a sneaky call in to the spouse? And then what?
I know a company that has been awaiting a decision on a multimillion dollar service solution, and their perceived clients – the tech group – aren’t even involved in the decision: it’s a Union decision. The techies have not invited the Union onto
In short, yes. Provided that your company meets certain criteria.Invoice factoring has been gaining popularity as a tool to finance growing businesses. It is a solution that accelerates payments from slow paying clients, freeing up cash flow and allowing companies to grow. By eliminating the uncertainties of when they’ll be paid, business owners can use factoring to stabilize their business and put it on a growth path.However, factoring is not for everyone. For factoring to work, your business must meet certain criteria:1. It must be established and have commercial or government (not consumer) sales 2. Your profit margins must be at least 12% or higher 3. Your biggest problem must be that clients are taking too long to pay their invoicesIf you fit these criteria, then there is a chance that factoring financing will be a good solution for your business. It may not be as inexpensive as a business loan, but certainly will be significantly more flexible and easier to obtain.Factoring will help you if:1. You are turning away orders because you lack the c
It doesn’t work. Selling and buying are two separate, disparate, activities.
Let’s say you know how a buyer buys – which is impossible for an outsider and difficult for an insider, given personalities, politics, communication, roles/rules, etc. But for arguments sake, let’s say you know exactly all of the internal, unique, systemic elements that to into the buyer’s unique, internal system and corresponding set of decisions. What are you going to do with that information? How would you sell into that?
If you know, say, that the CEO makes all decisions, are you going to go over the head of your contact to try to persuade the CEO? Or spend months attempting to get in to see the CEO, only to be told once you’re there that s/he takes direction from a department head? I had a neighbor who was on the Board of a Fortune 50 company. He attempted to get me training work in the company. Didn’t work: the department heads (who met with me out of courtesy) told me they liked the way they were selling and didn’t want to change.
What if it’s a committee? Are you going to call each person – even the ones you haven’t been introduced to – and take a ‘few moments’ of their time? And then what?
What if it’s a small business, a Mom and Pop, and you know that the spouse needs to be involved? Are you going to wait for a time when you know your prospect isn’t around, and make a sneaky call in to the spouse? And then what?
I know a company that has been awaiting a decision on a multimillion dollar service solution, and their perceived clients – the tech group – aren’t even involved in the decision: it’s a Union decision. The techies have not invited the Union onto
niche … 1. A recess in a wall, as for holding a statue. 2. A cranny, hollow, or crevice, as in a rock. 3. A situation or activity specially suited to a person’s abilities or character. 4. Ecol. a. The set of functional relationships of an organism or population to the environment it occupies. b. The area within a habitat occupied by an organism. The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition For years I struggled with the concept of niche. I knew that choosing the right niche market was considered essential to business success, yet for me, as for many professionals, choosing a niche felt like the kiss of death.When we dig in our heels against choosing a niche, we are probably responding to the first two definitions above. After all, who wants to do business in a hole in a wall or in a tiny, rocky place? If you believe that defining your niche market means choosing a hard, cramped, and confining space, no wonder you resist.People who bring their heart and soul to their work will resist niche marketing that tells them they must restrict the ways in which they o
If you know, say, that the CEO makes all decisions, are you going to go over the head of your contact to try to persuade the CEO? Or spend months attempting to get in to see the CEO, only to be told once you’re there that s/he takes direction from a department head? I had a neighbor who was on the Board of a Fortune 50 company. He attempted to get me training work in the company. Didn’t work: the department heads (who met with me out of courtesy) told me they liked the way they were selling and didn’t want to change.
What if it’s a committee? Are you going to call each person – even the ones you haven’t been introduced to – and take a ‘few moments’ of their time? And then what?
What if it’s a small business, a Mom and Pop, and you know that the spouse needs to be involved? Are you going to wait for a time when you know your prospect isn’t around, and make a sneaky call in to the spouse? And then what?
I know a company that has been awaiting a decision on a multimillion dollar service solution, and their perceived clients – the tech group – aren’t even involved in the decision: it’s a Union decision. The techies have not invited the Union onto
Many years ago, when I was a young job-searching greenhorn, I ventured to New York City to take a bite out of the big apple of opportunity.When it came to finding a job in a crowded city of millions, I quickly learned that it’s much easier on one’s sanity to sign up with one of the many employment agencies which helps job seekers looking for work.I scoured the newspaper and found a large ad for one such well-known employment agency. True to their word, they promptly sent me off on several interviews – none of which I felt particularly comfortable at. Needless to say, I didn’t get any job offers.While nursing a cold, I decided I needed a change. So, I contacted a much smaller agency and decided to see if my luck would be different.These people rocked! They were down-to-earth friendly and genuinely concerned about helping me find a job. Before they sent me out on any interviews, they put me through a mock interview session and evaluated my performance (something the larger fancy-pants agency didn’t do). Afterwards, an advisor sat me down and we chatted about the results of my moc
What if it’s a committee? Are you going to call each person – even the ones you haven’t been introduced to – and take a ‘few moments’ of their time? And then what?
What if it’s a small business, a Mom and Pop, and you know that the spouse needs to be involved? Are you going to wait for a time when you know your prospect isn’t around, and make a sneaky call in to the spouse? And then what?
I know a company that has been awaiting a decision on a multimillion dollar service solution, and their perceived clients – the tech group – aren’t even involved in the decision: it’s a Union decision. The techies have not invited the Union onto
1. I need your help. When approaching a service agent or receptionist, this opening line appeal to someone’s instinctive helpful nature. You’re likely to get a better response (and better service!) if you use this line.2. You don’t know me, but. Be honest. Don’t pretend to be someone’s best friend. Especially on the phone, help someone know right away that you are calling as a stranger who hopes to become a friend.3. I don’t know anybody here. Especially at an event where you don’t know anyone, use this line to disarm others’ preoccupation. It’s honest, fun, and if you pick the right person, they might reciprocate and become your frist friend!4. I don’t know what that means. It shows that you’re listening. You’re not too proud to admit you don’t know everything. You’d like to learn more. This approachable, humble phrase also demonstrates interest in the other person.5. I’m new here/this is my first time. Again, this appeals to someone’s helpful nature. Give them a chance to introduce you to others. Surrender yourself an
I know a company that has been awaiting a decision on a multimillion dollar service solution, and their perceived clients – the tech group – aren’t even involved in the decision: it’s a Union decision. The techies have not invited the Union onto the decision team, and they don’t even live in the same country. In fact, only one person is in touch with the Union and it’s a person in a different department at a higher level of responsibility than the seller’s contact.
OUTSIDERS CAN’T KNOW AN INSIDER’S DECISION STRATEGY
As an outsider, you can’t get into the heart of the buyer’s decision system. The thought that you could do so is fallacious on two counts:
to think that just because you know ‘how’ someone makes a buying decision (can we ever really know that?) and can influence that decision is arrogant;
you will not be invited in to help. You just won’t. Sorry to be so blunt, but this is the very core of why sales takes so long to close.
Buyers close when they have all of their own answers. It’s not about the product. It’s not about the seller. It’s not about the need. It’s not about the money. They see the same problem that you see. They just have to manage, somehow, all of the internal elements that need to be addressed prior to designing a solution that will not create disruption.
I once ran a pilot program for a very large insurance provider. In my course prep, I discovered that the sellers were paid on the number of visits they made, not on closed sales. I sat down with my client and the person with the pen who devised compensation, and we agreed that, after my program, the sellers would get paid by closed sales. “Sure,” she said. “If that helps incentivise them, let’s do it.”
We had a 600% increase in sales the first month – they went from 110 field visits and 18 closed sales to 27 visits and 25 closed sales. Pretty close to a visit-to-sale ratio of 1:1. Good, huh? Given their newfound ability to help buyers quickly line up their decision criteria, the sellers only visit
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