Do this…and you will kill the sale

Posted: January 11, 2012 | Categories: Sales

“I know just what you want”, he said.  No, he didn’t.

It was the fall of 1989 and we had just moved in to our new house. The time had come to buy a fireplace screen to add that final finishing touch to our den. We decided to go to a special store that sold only fireplace screens and accessories. We figured they would be the experts, and could help us make the best selection.

The salesperson greeted us, and we explained our situation. He asked us if we were burning real wood. When we said yes, he went in to what sounded like a tape recorded message. In so many words, he told us that gas fire logs were in, and pollution-producing real firewood was out. I have always thought of myself as environmentally sensitive, and I was offended. Then I realized the main reason we wanted real firewood: We like the look and crackle of a real fire. That was what we wanted. That is why we wanted it. He made no attempt to find that out. We took the first opportunity to exit. He had taken a hot prospect and turned us cold. We were so put off that we went to a “big box” store and ended up spending $90 instead of $500. We have that screen today, and it looks fine.

That is “not-so-smart” selling. Let’s go to the other end of the spectrum: Fast forward to two years later. Winter is approaching, and we needed screen doors. (What we want). We wanted screen doors because we are starting to have some wood rot near the door thresholds caused by snow building up by the doors. We didn’t want our flooring to rot and turn black and moldy, and we want to fix this problem (Why we want it).

This time, we decided to start by shopping at the “big boxes”. After visiting two stores, we had been shown many screen doors, and we were overwhelmed and confused. We decided to go to a place called Woodland Windows on Route #20 near Bloomingdale, Il. We walked in. Little did I know that I was about to experience the most skillful and gracious salesperson I would ever meet.

He approached us in a way that was friendly and authentic. He immediately built trust. Once he sensed he had our trust, he moved on to asking questions. In no time at all, he knew what we wanted and why we wanted it. I began feeling more relaxed and less confused. My thinking was clearer. I asked him, “So how long have you been in business?” Masterfully, he picked up that buying signal. He said, “Since 1969…”  He paused to let that sink in. Then, staying in control of the sales process, he asked, “What other vendors are you considering?” He asked the question, and then let silence work for him.  He was comfortable with silence. Most of us aren’t. I did not know the answer to his question, and the silence forced me to think. I thought of the two previous places I had been, and reflecting on the experience, I put a big “X” through both of them. After much silence, I finally said, “Actually, you are the only one I am considering”. He picked up that hot buying signal and said, “You mentioned you wanted to get those doors in before the winter weather sets in. If you like, we could have our crew get those in next week. If we were to look at putting the doors in on next Tuesday, would that work for you?”

(Trial close)

“Yes,”  I said, “Tuesdays are good.”

“Would you like us to go ahead and schedule that?”

“Yes” (Close)

This true professional did his job. He was the expert, and he was committed to help me solve my problem. He helped me think clearly, and make a decision with confidence. 30 years later, those doors are serving us well. When we need to replace our windows, guess where we will go?

How to apply immediately:

1. When planning for a sales presentation, think of what questions you can ask to find out what the prospect wants and why they want it.
2. Sell instead of “tell”.  Ask good questions, and be patient with silence.

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