Purchasing and Negotiation Training

"Shorten your sales cycle & increase your win rate through competitive excellence"

Editor’s note:  Stu Schlackman is a frequent contributor to this blog.  In this Part I of a two part series, he discusses the affect of power on the sales process.   In Part II, he relates power in the sales process to personalities.

Politics is a game of influence. Politicians make a TV commercial and hope you will be influenced to remember and think favorably of them. They hold a rally; they seem to be good folks.  They shake your hand and its personal, you’ve touched them and it would be a shame if they did not win.  In each circumstance the politician is a salesperson selling herself, party, or agenda.  But with each experience, you share a greater intimacy with the candidate.  Your relationship grows and becomes personal.  The stronger the relationship established between you and the candidate, the more likely you will close in their favor at the polling station.

The same is true in sales

We want to convince our customers to purchase from us and sooner rather than later. Our level of influence on the customer’s decision ‘on when to buy’ is directly proportional to the relationship established during the sales cycle.  In most interactions, the customer controls the urgency as to when they buy. How can you both win that customer and shift their sense of urgency to commit? How do you keep them committed to coming back for more and gain recommendation of you and your products to others?  

Build the Relationship

Relationships are built on three critical factors: face time, follow through, and motive. Let’s address how each of these works to move a customer to making a decision in your favor.

Face Time

Sales success is directly related to face. The number of opportunities customers allows us to meet indicates their level of interest. In other words, they see value in meeting us. How often have you only met the customer two or three times and you knew your chances were a long shot? Customers accept a meeting when there is a clear purpose and value in getting together. We earn the right to meet with the customer when our message is clear and concise as to the tangible value for the customer in our products and services. For example, if we have a proven track record of how we have helped others, customers are interested. If our agenda is entirely focused on customers’ needs and issues, they know it! It’s a very positive sign when the customer is the one to initiate the next meeting.

Follow through

This is a huge indicator of character and credibility that strongly influence customer’s evaluation of you as a person with whom they want to build a relationship and engage in ongoing business. Follow through is about putting the customer’s priorities ahead of everything else, and making this obvious to them. Follow through shows the customer what they can expect when they commit to your products and services. It sets an expectation of how the relationship will evolve as it moves forward. When you start delivering results beyond the customer’s expectations you strongly capture their attention. Follow through is about being proactive on the customer’s behalf by doing what you have learned is important to them – without even asking permission. The result is customer delight and enthusiasm.

Communicate your motive

The last critical factor in building strong customer relationships is the implied communication of your motive. What is it that motivates you to close this business? Do you focus on the commission or the commitment to giving the customer what is in their best interest? If you are committed to solving the customer’s issues, first and foremost, the commission will follow. Customers are good at reading a sales person’s motives. They can see the facial expression and read your body language. How do you respond to a delay in the sales cycle or a new customer objection that needs to be addressed? The customer can tell if you are putting your own concerns before their interests. Clearly communicate that the heart of your interest is in continuing to address the customer’s needs. The result is customer commitment to you and your services.