By JOHN KAGECHE
In Summary
Communication is a complicated thing. Even when you
correctly hear what the other person said, it may not be what they
meant. When a customer asks for a drill, the obvious response is to sell
him one.
But is it a drill he wants? Not necessarily, unless it’s
intended as a gift. (I can’t imagine for whom, but stranger things
happen). What he wants are the holes the drill makes. Yet, this is not
exactly true.
What he really wants is to hang something on the
wall, say, a picture. That is really what he meant to say- “I want to
hang pictures.”
His problem was hanging a picture but he came and
asked you for a drill. And why? A self-prognosis and therefore diagnosis
of what he thinks is the obvious.
Yet, if he said that he wants to hang pictures on
the wall, and asked for your help, you could have offered alternatives
including non-intrusive stick-on hooks. And this is the dilemma of the
salesperson.
Common sense
To decipher what the customer actually means. In
selling, ensuring that you are on the same page with the buyer is the
foundation of success. Is it easy? Certainly not! Can it be done?
Absolutely, yes. Here’s four ways how?
If this supermarket has ordered a system (say a
server), it is because the business needs demand it. It follows
therefore that chances are that their competition requires it too as the
businesses operate in the same environment.
Therefore, when the competition says “we want to
buy a server” or you call them to interest them in your server, zeroing
in on how it will solve their problem positions you favourably in the
buyers mind and makes the communication smoother.
Research
Customers buy products to solve a problem and not
because they like the product, much as that is what they will say. “I
like the drill,” he’ll say.
Yet what he likes are the holes it makes or more
accurately, the pictures he hangs on the walls, held in place by nails
in the holes. Researching into why the customer buys the product or
service quickly puts you on the same page as the buyer.
For instance, by law, architects, doctors, lawyers
and professionals who earn fees, are required to have professional
indemnity insurance. With this knowledge in place your sale is much more
focused on and shortened than if you didn’t know this.
Observation
When the lady says she’s looking for a pair of
sunglasses, it is the wise hawker who, observing her dressing, tells her
to “buy this pair because it complements the colour of your skin (or
dress)”. The unwise one will say, “Miwani mia mbili” (Sh200 for the
pair).
Observation is the reason why the stall owner will
invite you in with ‘Karibu jeans” or “Karibu open shoes” because you are
most probably in a pair jeans or open shoes at the time. Note that he
could be selling other stuff but he immediately zeroes in what will put
you both on the same page.
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This last one is the bane of many lost sales. Salespeople,
in a bid to rush to the close, want to tell, not explore. Don’t just
sell the drill, politely ask what it’s needed for.
Don’t just apologise to the angry customer for the third time, who is berating you over the third ATM card that’s gotten spoilt.
Explore through questions where she stores it.
“Right here. Together with my cell phone and other cards.” That
revelation, offers the opportunity to solve the problem by educating her
that the magnetic strip of the card is susceptible to getting spoilt
when exposed to other magnetic strips and possibly cell phone
transmissions.
Questions, common sense, research and observation
quickly remove the jagged edges in communication, creating a warmer
relationship with the buyer and making the sale easier.
Mr Kageche is leadfacilitator, Lend Me Your Ears; Email: lendmeyourears@consultant.com. www.lendmeyourears.co.ke
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