Thoughtful Thursdays - Prequel to: When do I close?

... you close when the prospect is ready to buy. That was the thought from last week.

Taking a step back in time, what happened before the close, or in other words, when do you start selling?

We have probably all experienced the 'aggressive' sales person at some point in time. In many cases it is not as much a matter of being that way as the approach taken with the resulting negative results. Inexperienced sales people will often benefit by analyzing their approach and managing their enthusiasm.

Regardless of whether you are selling directly to the consumer or business to business, and as I have said many times before, the first sale that is made is not the product or service you plan to offer, it is you.

Back to the the question of when do you start selling. It is important to know exactly what you are selling and more importantly the order in which to sell.

If you begin to sell your product or service before you have sold yourself, you may loose the prospect. Making your pitch before your prospect is willing to listen is a pretty good way to drive them away, if that is your intent.

Rather than ABC, I continue to recommend Always Be Listening and Looking. Gaining the initial confidence of your prospect can happen in a very short period of time, and in the grand scheme it is well worth taking that time to do.

There are as many approaches as personalities, and over a period of time you will learn what works best for you. Putting yourself in the shoes of your potential customer, and thinking about what approach works on you is a good place to begin. It must be natural and comfortable.

Good selling,

Richard