Telling Isn’t Selling

When you overhear a presentation, all you’ll usually hear is a lot of talking, mostly by the salesperson. Usually he or she is going on and on, telling the customer about the vehicle.

In fact, most presentations start way before the salesperson even knows who it’s for, how the customer will use it, or why they’re even getting it – and that’s a recipe for failure 80% of the time. Example: A customer walks on the lot and says, “I want to look at a Mustang,” and the salesperson says, “Sure, we’ve got a whole row of them,” and they just start telling the customer everything they know about a Mustang.

To sell more, remember all three 80/20 rules…

1. Talk 20% and spend 80% of your time asking questions and listening to what the customer tells you. Your talking time should be spent asking those who, what, how, why questions. Too many salespeople think because they love cars, people will just want to buy from them. Sorry, it doesn’t usually work that way. You don’t tell your way to the sale, you ask your way to the sale!

2. People make their decision on just 20% of the features on a vehicle. They don’t care about everything you know (the other 80%), just the things they care most about. How do you find their Hot Buttons? By asking questions of everyone in the group and by listening. Who – What – How – Why?
Attention: Product Knowledge Experts
Know everything – but only share what matters to them!

3. 80% of the selling (and buying) is done in your demo & presentation steps of the sale, not in your office talking about price. If you know nothing about your prospect or why they want or need this vehicle, you can’t persuade them to buy. You don’t know what FABs (Features, Advantages & Benefits) to target. You have to know their hot buttons and buying motives to give them a targeted demo & presentation. Skipping steps, offering cheap prices and repeating, “Will you buy it if we make the numbers work?” will keep you stuck in the average rut your entire sales career.

One more question … are you listening, or waiting to talk?

Even after they ask a question, most salespeople don’t hear the answer…they’re just waiting to talk again. That means the selling clues in what the customer is saying just sail right by and you miss every one of them.

Questions are the key to your success in sales.