marketing+sales: Partner Selling:

Step 4: Ask Questions

One learns more through asking than through answering. "Ask and listen" is the formula for selling success. The correct questions, if answered, allow you to hear exactly how to sell to the individual or organization. Asking about needs and wants—along with past purchases—will help you understand what product features will deliver the benefits desired. In your questioning, determine the preferred learning strategy quickly and use "seeing," 'hearing" or "feeling" words when questioning prospects and customers.

Step 5: Determine the Benefits

To this day, viewing websites and sales and marketing materials, and listening to people talk only about features, causes me great pain. People buy based on benefits—or how the product or service makes their life better. Features are those things built into the product or service that assist in delivering the desired benefit. Your customer is always thinking, "What's in it for me?" To be a true partner, ensure the benefits of the product or service are the focal points of the conversation.

Step 6: Identify Buying Motives

Be a problem solver for your customers—justify their emotional decision to buy through the logic of fulfilling their buying motive(s).

Different people in different situations have one or more of the following buying motives: Profit or Gain; Fear of Loss; Comfort and Pleasure; Avoidance of Pain; Loving and Affection; and Pride and Prestige.

For instance, people generally buy insurance for fear of loss rather than for profit or gain; however, they play the stock market for profit or gain. Similarly, they buy aspirin and other painkillers for avoidance of pain rather than for pride and prestige. Yet pride and prestige is why most people buy an expensive luxury automobile. Sell to your prospects' or customers' buying motives and you'll close the sale much more quickly.