Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport
Move past company-centric sales tactics in a new era of selling
Consumers’ primary complaint today about sales and marketing strategies and tactics is that nearly all forms of marketing—from marketing materials to sales presentations—are all about the sales person, the product or the provider. This constant focus on merchandising by companies and sales representatives on the subjects of me, mine and ours has to change.
Candidly, it does not matter what sales professionals think or feel about their current approach. All that matters is how consumers feel and think, and whether you’re willing to make the changes necessary to stand apart from the rest in your field.
Consumers are the architects of the absolute shift in power that has occurred over the last seven years. The power that sellers once had now resides solely with the consumer. Buyers have options, and they control the purse strings and decisions. What they want is to use their hard-earned money to solve, experience or accomplish something.
Consequently, they only want to do business with organizations and sales representatives who are focused on helping them achieve what they want or desire, from the very first marketing message or initial points of contact. Unfortunately, many continue to use the me, mine and ours approach.
For those of you who are in sales and marketing, here is how to shift the power from the prospects, and turn them into customers.
The Client-Centric Script
When people first meet with you or read your messaging, there is a simple question they ask themselves: Do they really want to know about me and my desires, or do they just want me to know about them? To ensure the prospect perceives that you are focused on them, use the following approach.
“I am delighted we were able to schedule a few minutes today to get to know more about each other and see if I can help you with the things you want to accomplish. Many people ask me what I do, and what my clients say I do for them is… (insert your unique value promise). But before we get to all of that…”
The last single phrase conveys that what your prospect wants is more important than what you have to say about what belongs in the domain of me, mine and ours. This is the time to build a deeper rapport by asking the types of questions that let them know you are available to listen. Be fully engaged as they tell their story.
Some example questions include: Could you tell me about your organization/family? How long have you lived in the area or been a part of the organization? Who are you doing this service for? Continue to give them the floor, and begin to ask broader questions. This will lead to deeper reveals about what the prospect would like to solve, do or experience. For example, a good question might be, “What are three things you would like to accomplish with this purchase or through this process?”
The answers to these three things will give you a smooth transition into the discovery process where you can continue to learn about their issues and concerns at length. For marketers, your copy needs to fully illustrate the solutions that your product or service delivers, not just the me, mine and ours attributes of your company and what it offers. The truth is, consumers don’t care about them at all.
C. Richard Weylman is an international bestselling author, National Speakers Association Hall of Fame keynote speaker, chairman of an international consulting firm and a Horatio Alger award nominee. Weylman brings real-world strategies and prescriptive tactics to solve some of the many challenges audience members face in business that affect their success in life.
Weylman to Speak at Smart Meeting Los Angeles
C. Richard Weylman will share his secrets to selling success at Smart Meeting Los Angeles on Jan. 12 at Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport. The newly rebranded property returned to the Hyatt brand last year following a multimillion-dollar transformation. Located close to the airport, the hotel offers 580 guest rooms and more than 50,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space, including the new Hyatt Regency Conference Center. Register for this event at smartmeetings.com/smart-events.
