How effective are you in selling in face to face meetings?

Lately I have been spending a lot of time selling on the phone and I realize the tremendous disadvantage it represents to sales professionals versus selling face to face.   I love selling face to face.  I am always reading and learning about sales techniques to help myself and others and the following blog is a compilation of what I have learned about face to face sales:

If you are like me you prefer face to face meetings over phone conversations.  One major advantage you have in a face to face meeting verses the phone is being able to see your client’s facial expressions and body language.  Even being able to see how they dress will give you an ideal of their personality type.  We all know that personality types will ultimately dictate how you greet the person and deliver the information. Personality types are a very important area of study for sales people and will be a blog for another day. 

When you meet with a client there are 5 key questions you need to know before setting foot in the door. 

1. What does this person care about?

All too often, people walk into the room and completely ignore the first step of any conversation:  to connect with others on a human level.  Prospects are people with feelings, and emotions and many interest and they, like most people, want to connect with another human being.   This is axiom of human nature.  We are all made to connect with one another.  Prospects appreciate great manners, and they value being asked about their life outside of being a first time homebuyer, seller or investor.   Don’t take it too far.   Be sincere.  Ask a simple open ended question to get them to talk about themselves and the rest will take care of itself, if you are sincerely interested in the other person.

2. How will I start the conversation?

Much like any presentation or the latest episode of your favorite TV-series, how you start predicts (mostly) how you’ll end up.  You must have a pre-meeting process, a strategy to start the presentation and a goal of what you want to accomplish – the ultimate goal is getting the listing if you are a listing agent.  Think about the first thing you will bring up during the meeting and when it’s time to talk business. Which question will you ask first? What issue will you bring up? What unexpected facts or insights will you deliver?  Be natural, and guide them through questions and answers like a counselor whom they trust and they will allow you to lead them to a decision to seek your help.  Be prepared and be impressive with market knowledge and information. 

3. What value will I bring?

 Sales people will create value in every interaction.   Why because people buy people.  You are the value in the transaction.  It is your responsibility as a sales person to deliver massive value in the relationship where you are the oblivious choice and the deciding factor in the transaction.  Warren Buffet said “Price is what you pay but value is what you get.”   Personal value is how you become a personal advisor and develop trust. Value is not just about delivering new insights. It comes in many forms:  Performance value, Financial value, Value exchanged for time, Value in ideas and Value in information.   But relationship value trumps them all because people buy you before they buy anything you have to sell.   One way to get them to buy you is to keep asking them why questions that will uncover root objections, that are just waiting to come out, and that will give you opportunity at the right time to present solutions.  Before you walk into the meeting, ask yourself three simple questions:

•          What kind(s) of value will I add in this conversation?
•          How will I personally deliver value to this person?
•          In what ways can we create shared value together?

4. What new ideas will I introduce?

According to RAIN Group’s latest research on “What Sales Winners Do (Differently)”, the #1 factor that buyers cite when asked why they bought from firm A versus firm B was “they educated me with new ideas and perspectives”.  We’re talking NEW ideas here. Not old ones. Not popular ones. Not generally accepted ones.   In others words, prospects buy from those who “tell them something they didn't already know”. What new ideas can you introduce? What counterintuitive wisdom can you share? How can you back up your claims?  Don’t spend time talking about what every agent coming to see them will talk about.  Differentiate yourself with your information.    

5.  How will I end the conversation?

In “7 Rules for Meetings with Top Executives” on Inc.com, Geoffrey James’ last point is “Close on a next step”. Unless you have a clear idea of how you would like to end the conversation, one of three things is likely to happen:

•            Nothing (happens surprisingly often)
•       They will advance their agenda
•       You will advance your sale

When closing the sell it’s often a great idea to ask the seller what they would like to do next and to present them with 2–3 scenarios to pick from.  They may come up with a 4th one that remixes elements from the 3 you mentioned.  This is a clearly approval to move forward.  They’re on board, they’re invested and you know exactly what’s going to happen next – listing the property.

Try it out for yourself. You may be amazed at the results you’ll get.  Remember the Power Is Now.  If you are interested in learning more please call me.  Your success is my success.