Let's face it. We all have those difficult customers to whom we are required to sell. From the demanding, abrasive buyer to the individual who never seems to make a buying decision, we encounter challenging people on a regular basis. Sometimes, this happens because of conflicting personalities. This article will look at the four key types of people and how to improve your results with each.
• "Direct Donna." Donna tends to be forceful and always wants to dominate or control the sales call. Her behavior is aggressive, she points at you while she talks, interrupts you to challenge you and she seldom cares about hearing the details of your new product or service.
To achieve the best sales results with this individual, be more direct and assertive. At the beginning of the sales call or meeting, tell her that you will "get right to the point" because her time is valuable and focus your conversation on the results she will achieve by using your product or service.
• "Talkative Tim." Tim is a gregarious and outgoing person, but very ego-centric. He is often late for meetings and his constant interruptions and long stories cause sales calls to go beyond the scheduled time.
Relationships are important to Talkative Tim, so invest more time in social conversation. This person often makes buying decisions on intuition and his feelings toward the salesperson. Be careful not to challenge Tim because he will feel rejected. If this happens, he will "shut down" and become unresponsive. During your sales presentation, tell him how good your solution will make him look to others in the company or how his status or image will improve.
• "Steady Eddie." Soft-spoken, Eddie is a "nice" fellow who seems more focused on his team and coworkers than on his personal results. He is very quiet compared to some of your other prospects. Unfortunately, he is often reluctant to make a buying decision.
It is difficult for Eddie to make changes. He often contemplates how the decision will affect other people within the organization. You need to slow down the sales process, demonstrate how your solution will benefit the team and remove as much risk from the decision-making process as possible. Soften your voice and make sure your sales presentation flows in a logical manner. Use words like "fair," "logical" and "your team" in your presentation.
• "Analytical Alice." She reads every point and specification about your product or service and regardless of how much information you give Alice, she always wants more, including written guarantees and back-up documentation. Whenever possible, give Alice a written, bulleted-point agenda of your meeting beforehand. Ideally, e-mail it to her a few days in advance so she can prepare herself.
While the approach to use with each of these people may not make sense to you or seem completely rational, it is critical to recognize how you naturally and instinctively sell may not be the best way to get results with someone else. Modifying your approach and style, even briefly, will help you better connect with your customers and prospects, which means better sales for you in the end.
By Kelley Robertson
© 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson, author of "The Secrets of Power Selling," helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a free copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at (905) 633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.