How to connect with customers; ergo, better SALES

It is not about WHAT YOU SELL, It is about HOW YOU SELL

Life of a sales professional can be either bliss or misery depends on how good you are in people management and rapport building. I am a firm believer of the quote by motivational speaker Brian Tracy, "Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her to solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.”

Follow these 4 steps to build rapport with your customers

1.     Drop the sales pitch

Always remember the thumb rule of sales “Make customers not sales”, ask them questions, try to understand their problem before suggesting a solution. Most importantly ask them what they are expecting to gain from you.

2.     Step down to their level and understand their world

Not all clients/customers would be as intelligent as you, so always be at a level where your customer would feel comfortable. Try to understand their problems and the challenges they face, connect with them by understanding what is important to them.

3.     Forget about closing the sale

After learning about the requirements of clients or the problems faced by them, ask the most important question to yourself, “are you the right person for them?”. If not, refer them to others whom you feel can solve their problems. Do not worry you might not win the sale here, but you win that customer.

4.     Be one step ahead

Always be proactive and bring your customer solutions that they didn’t even know exist. If you succeed in this, you will be remembered for all their future requirements.

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show them.” – Steve Jobs