Table of Contents
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The Instant Sales Pro—More Than 600 Tips and
Techniques to Accelerate Your Sales Success
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Preface
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Introduction
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Chapter 1 |
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Prospecting |
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Chapter 2 |
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The Selling Process |
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Chapter 3 |
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Getting on the Customer's Wavelength |
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Chapter 4 |
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Dealing with Objections |
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Chapter 5 |
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Convincing Strategies |
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Chapter 6 |
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People Issues |
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Chapter 7 |
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Closing |
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Chapter 8 |
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Partnership Selling |
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Chapter 9 |
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Technology |
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Chapter 10 |
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Career Effectiveness |
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Chapter 11 |
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Organizational Effectiveness |
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Chapter 12 |
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Personal Development |
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Index
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List of Figures
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Meeting
Customers' Needs
There is only one boss: the customer.
And he can fire everybody in the company, from the
chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.
SAM WALTON, FOUNDER OF WAL-MART
Customers are our reason for being. They pay our bills and salaries,
and allow us to stay in business. It is imperative, therefore, that
we understand what customers need so that we can meet those needs.
These are most important needs that customers have:
Reliability. Customers want you to meet your obligations. They want
what was promised, when it was promised. Maybe more, but not less!
Speed. It's not a question of months. It's not an issue of weeks, or
even days. Things need to be done right away. Yesterday would be
even better. Speed is a major competitive advantage.
Salespeople can demonstrate
that they understand the customer's sense of urgency by
returning phone calls within the hour
responding to e-mails at least twice daily
submitting their order, on-line, immediately
maintaining paperwork
Electronic, wireless communication tools can enable
you to respond quickly and accurately.
Empathy. You cannot satisfy everyone all of the time. But, you can
put yourself in their shoes and understand their frustration or
disappointment or anger. Let them know you understand. Then tell
them what you will do to reduce their level of frustration.
Knowledge. Knowledge brings respect. It enables you to provide
answers and solve problems quickly. It also enhances your ability to
sway customers by increasing your influence.
Tangibility. The physical appearance of everything associated with
you and your organization sends messages related to attractiveness,
neatness, and worth. This applies to your product, premises, dress,
and everything else that the customer can see and feel.
Value. People don't mind paying more if they feel they are getting
more. The more reliable, quick, and courteous you are, relative to
your competitors, the more you can charge.
Remind yourself
daily of your customers' needs. Whenever you have an unsuccessful
meeting, determine which of your customer's needs you neglected the
most. Learn from the experience and do better on your next call.
A formula for failure is simple: anticipate what your prospect wants
before you have found out. Never give prospects any information
before you have established their needs.
Each customer will have a different priority of needs. For some, it
will be value. For others, it will be speed. Although all are
important, your probing will establish the current hot button and
enable you to customize your approach each time, thereby increasing
your ability to be successful.
Each customer has these basic human needs:
the need to feel safe (psychologically, socially, and physically)
the need to be treated as special
the need to feel successful
the need to have things done right the first time
the need to get things done efficiently
Offering to meet these needs will increase your
sales.
The customers' bill of
rights
Customers are stakeholders in our organization. They are the most
important of the three (the other two being the shareholders and the
staff).
Customers are different and unique. Each needs to be treated
individually.
Customers are not dependent on
us. We are dependent on them.
Customers deserve value. Every process in our organization must have
a direct or indirect value to our customers, be they internal or
external. Processes that don't add value should be eliminated or
reduced.
Customers have needs and wants. Our job is to find out what they are
and fulfill them.
Customers should expect to get our individual attention.
Customers are not an interruption to our work, but the reason for
our work.
Customers pay our bills.
Customers want someone to be loyal to — a trusted and respected
partner.
Customers reign supreme.
Key point:
The cost of acquiring a new customer is five times more than the cost
of serving your existing customers.