Persuading customers to part with their money may not be easy. But the actual process is a straightforward one.
Persuading customers to part with their money may not be easy. But the actual process is a straightforward one.
Whether you are selling to businesses or individual customers, the rules remain the same.
This briefing outlines how to:
• Identify and approach targets.
• Understand customer needs, then sell the benefits of your product.
• Handle objections and close the sale.
Planning your approach
As part of your marketing strategy, you should already have decided who your target customers are, and how you will approach them.
1. Find out as much as you can about your target customers (see Research for your marketing).
- Find out what they do. What products do they need and why? What key benefits are they looking for?
- Find out when customers prefer to buy, so you can contact them at the right time.
- Be clear what each potential customer is worth to you. This determines the amount of time and effort you put into selling to each one.
2. If you are selling to other businesses, identify decision-makers and other individuals who influence purchasing decisions.
- A brief conversation with a receptionist can reveal information about the customer’s company structure and details of who you need to speak to.
- Your aim is to talk with the person who has both the budget authority and the need to buy your product.
This is not necessarily a manager. For example, stationery is often purchased by a relatively junior employee.
3. Before making contact, be clear what you want to achieve.
For example, do you want to make a sale, set up a meeting, or simply ensure that the customer will be receptive to future contact from you?
- Prepare your pitch. Define which key benefits your product or service has for this particular customer and focus on them during your conversation
- Anticipate objections and prepare responses. To do this successfully, you need to know your own product — and those of key competitors — inside out.
