Selling From The Customer’s Shoes: 4 Tips To Increase Your Sales

All too often in Sports Sales, we find ourselves reaching out to prospects thinking about what’s in it for?us. How can we make more commission or how can we get this deal done fast for?us?

What’s interesting is that the answer to those questions is all about putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. How do they want to be communicated with? What will they appreciate me doing to help them along in the buying process? What kind of person will they buy from?

Instead of thinking about yourself, start thinking about the customer first. Here are 4 tips to increase your sales while selling from the customer’s shoes:

1. Paint the Picture

We all want to make our product as enticing as possible. But are we thinking about what the customer wants to see or hear from us?

Think about the lingo you use internally and the familiarity of your product. Have you ever caught yourself telling a client a suite would be a great option for them, without explaining what the suite entails or looks like? Have you ever shared a seat location with a client, forgetting that they might not have any clue what area you’re talking about?

Think about it. Sometimes you’re catching your prospect completely off guard with a phone call. In any case, you should assume that they don’t know?anything?about your product. You have all kinds of seating maps and selling tools right in front of your face, but usually your prospect doesn’t!

When speaking with a prospect on the phone, go the extra mile to describe even the smallest details. “It’s Section 111, Row 6, Seats 13-14 on the?better?aisle,?closer to?mid-court, just?three rows?from the floor,?right behind the Pelicans team bench. You’ll be close enough to?hear what the coaches and players are saying, yet you’ll have the?perfect viewing angle?to?see plays develop.”

When following up with a proposal, provide pictures when possible. People want less text and more visuals – give them what they want! The words you type will be amplified when you include visuals. A view from the seat location, an image of the food or other amenities included in a club lounge, a suite location highlighted on the suite map…your prospect will appreciate you going the extra mile to paint the picture, and they’ll be more likely to buy!

2. Be Yourself, Be Personable

This might be the toughest thing for junior sellers to latch on to. When you first start selling you might get caught up with scripts, benefits, pricing, and a lot of other literature you want to nail down before your sales outreach. It’s really important to nail those things down, but what’s more important is?being yourself. Have you ever heard the below quotes?

“People buy from People.”

“People buy from People they Like and Trust.”

The point is that people want to work with those who they can relate with. Again, a lot of times you’re reaching out to complete strangers. Put yourself in their shoes.

Your prospect probably gets cold called multiple times a week. They probably hear the “average” sales pitch where the seller has a “what’s in it for me” mentality.

Flip that script!

Be personable and just be yourself! If your friends enjoy spending time with you because you’re a kind human being and have a great sense of humor, then embody?that?when selling. If you’re loud and boisterous in a normal setting with friends and family and people enjoy your personality, then embody?that?when selling.

Ultimately, just be you, because People buy from People.

Instead of thinking about yourself, start thinking about the customer first.

3. Be Decisive With Your Close

One of the most interesting hurdles in Sports Sales is actually closing a sale – the final step. Some people shy away from simply making the ask, and some people just waver a little too much when they ask.

Here is the reality: clients respect sharp businesspeople. If you are in the sales process with a prospect and you’ve taken all of the proper steps to discuss the investment and how it will benefit the them, you’ve earned the right to ask for the sale. It’s time to be decisive!

Again, put yourself in the prospect’s shoes. Hopefully by this point they respect who you are and love what you’ve presented to them – you better bet they’re expecting you to ask for the sale now! At this point they’re ready for you to be assertive and take that next step, so no need to hesitate.

And related to this…instead of thinking “I’ll pitch the slightly cheaper product because it’s a safer bet that the prospect will buy,” start thinking “I’ll offer the best product we have available – within the criteria we just discussed – because I know the prospect will appreciate having the best possible experience.”

Or instead of thinking “Ah, I’ll wait another week to follow up because I don’t want to bother my prospect,” start thinking “If I don’t follow up sooner, I’m doing my client a disservice. They might lose the suite they really want, and they’ve just been busy! I have to be strategic and assertive to help them along in the sales process.”

Your prospect doesn’t want their salesperson to be nervous or unsure during the close. They expect the same professionalism and reassurance they experienced earlier in the sales process.

Give them what they want and be decisive!

4. Be Consistent

Consistency is key right?

Think about a relationship with one of your best friends. You’re friends with them because you respect their values, beliefs, personality, etc. You appreciate their support. And ultimately, you appreciate them?always?being there for you, through the highs and lows.

Now, what if your friend suddenly acted differently towards you? Let’s say they started to pick fights with you, or just have a more edgy attitude overall. Cause for concern, right? Might not sit well with you…who have they become?

Relate this to the sales process. Similar to what we ?just spoke about, the client you’re working with who respected your professionalism early on in the sales process is going to expect the same professionalism every step of the way.

Sometimes you’ll feel pressure to sell?now?or to get a deal done by the end of the week just to appease your superiors, or to impress them. This might lead you to change your style or approach, and that will usually rub prospects the wrong way. The assertive and professional salesperson they dealt with the last couple weeks suddenly turns into a salesy money-grabber, perhaps.

Whatever the example, know that consistency in your approach will lead to more sales, whereas inconsistency will lead you to road blocks.?

Your prospect doesn’t want their salesperson to be nervous or unsure during the close. They expect the same professionalism and reassurance they experienced earlier in the sales process.

So, four very important topics! Paint the picture. Be personable. Be decisive. Be consistent.

All of these are big factors that play into your success in Sports Sales. Sometimes you have to slow down in order to speed up. Take time to think about your current mindset when selling and make the proper adjustments.

When you keep these four factors in mind while continuously putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, increased sales will surely follow. If you have any thoughts on this, feel free to drop me a message or comment below!

Happy Selling!

-Anthony