Establish yourself as an expert

Last time we talked about turning customers into clients.
Today we’ll talk about building credibility as an expert.
During sales training, a rookie took me on sales calls with her.
We walked into a customer’s store, empty of shoppers.
The owner asked her, "What’s your special this week?"
She whipped out an ad sales sheet. He barely glanced at it.
"I’ll let you know," he said. She said thanks and left.
What opportunity do you think she missed?
First, there were no customers in his store. Why not?
She could have looked around and asked, "How’s business?"
He would have probably replied, "Terrible."
She could have asked, "What are you doing about it?"
That would have led to a discussion of his marketing plans.
That is, if he had marketing plans. I’ll bet he didn’t.
Then she could have asked about who he wanted to attract.
That could lead to talking about what she might do for him.
This positions her as a problem solver, not a sales person.
She could have produced a series of ads to boost his business.
As it was, he politely dismissed her. Would he call later? No.
Think about what happens when you visit your doctor.
Doctors ask questions. Solve problems. Prescribe medicine.
You pay and leave. You never ask for the day’s special.
You never even question the price of the office visit.
Do you want to offer specials or solve prospects’ problems?
For help with this, click here.