Marketing and Selling: Do You Practice Sales PREVENTION?
Sales Prevention: Do You Allow Poor Sales Techniques to "Unsell" your customer?
Let me give you an example where the sales person UNSOLD something and then didn’t follow-up:
A woman went to buy tires. Her husband had asked her to get 4 Michelins for the Explorer and when she went to the chain tire store, she was told that 4 tires would cost approximately $1200.
“1200?” she exclaimed, never having bought tires for this large vehicle before. TRUCK tires, I might add.
“Well, let me show you some different tires for $800,” the salesman said.
“Wow, I’m still confused. That’s a lot of money.”
“Well,” the salesman said, doing the best he knew how, “I do have some OTHER tires for $600.”
The woman was confused, called home to her husband who just murmured, “Come home, dear.”
Marketing Follow-Up – Did The Salesman Follow-Up?
It’s been weeks since that day, but do you think the salesman even once called the man and woman about the tires? He received her phone number and email address, but made no attempt to follow-up.
So… not only did he immediately lower the value from $1200 to $800 (and then again to $600), he never followed up with the people because he THOUGHT they wouldn’t buy. But their VERY strong buying signal (actually SHOWING UP at the store to BUY the tires – being in the store to buy is ALWAYS the number one buying signal!) was wasted.
And the woman wasn’t objecting to the $1200, she was really asking a question: if he had only taken that as an opportunity to chat with her about the quality, safety, durability, the you-don’t-have-to-worry-with-Michelins. But no….
And that company continues to have meetings that the economy stinks, NO ONE IS BUYING, and their marketing and advertising campaigns aren’t working.
Things Aren't As Bad As You Think IF You Use Good Marketing And Sales Techniques
Unfortunately this salesman was good at Sales PREVENTION, but not good at selling or following up.
And I’ll bet his store manager spends more time on getting inventory and looking over people’s time cards than he does helping to assure that proper marketing, sales, and follow-up are used.
And you…
- Are YOU "unselling" people by not helping them get what they want?
- Do you “down sell” them any time an objection is raised?
- Are you falling down with follow-up either in direct follow-up as was needed in the tire situation or general follow-up needed when someone joins one of your lists.
If a football team is great from the 20 yard line to the other 20 but can't score, what good are they?
And if YOU attract all kinds of people to your bricks and mortar store or your online location but then use poor techniques once they know about you, you're not doing well either.
Think about it. The time you spend thinking will pay off greatly if you straighten yourself out and sell correctly.
And remember: follow-up, follow-up, follow-up!
Best,
Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy
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