In sales, there’s one word that we want to hear more than any other – yes. We want to hear our prospects say yes to the sale, the deal or price we’re trying to charge, and the solution that we’re trying to offer.
But what we don’t realize is that while we’re trying to get a yes to all those things, we sometimes miss the opportunity to get a non-verbal yes to something else that’s very important. And that’s to us, the salesperson.
We need to sell a prospect on us before we try to sell them on those other things – the deal, the sale, the price, etc. They must buy into us, and it’s crucial that happens before we try to get a yes to our solution.
Many issues can arise if we don’t build rapport and credibility with our prospects. For starters, they won’t trust us. They begin to feel that they don’t believe us or know us well enough to count on what we’re going to say. When that happens:
Without building credibility in ourselves or getting their buy-in to us as a salesperson, we’ll also struggle to get them to consider what we’re offering. They could just decide not to consider us or our solution at all.
Or, alternatively, they might think, “I don’t know that I trust this person, but I am somewhat interested in the solution they’re offering.” If they decide to move forward with our solution – even though they’re not bought into us – then other considerations like price become even more important.
It often goes like this: “Well, I don’t like this person. I don’t trust them, but I do want that solution. So, if I’m going to go ahead and do business with them, then I’ve got to get a great price on this to make it worth my while.”
As salespeople, we should be lifelong learners. When we don’t go through what needs to happen to sell a prospect on us, we usually won’t get the sale.
And our prospect is probably not going to tell us, “Hey, the reason I chose not to go with you guys is because I don't like you,” or, “The reason I decided not to go with your solution as opposed to your competitor’s is because I don’t trust you.”
In the end, we lose but don’t know why, meaning we can’t learn and improve.
To sell our prospects on us as subject matter experts, great partners, and someone who they can trust, we need to do a few things.
1. Establish Rapport
Rapport is just a fancy word for saying, “I’m trying to build a relationship with you.” Be intentional about trying to build a relationship by asking prospects questions about their favorite subject – themselves.
Every person you talk to has an origin story, and generally speaking, they’re happy to tell you it if you ask. Getting prospects to talk about themselves will help them build a better relationship with you.
2. Show Genuine Interest
The mistake that many salespeople make is believing they have to brag about experience to sell themselves and how great they are to work with. But prospects are a lot less interested in your credentials and experience than you are.
They’re much more interested in how much you care about their story, experience, values, etc. So sell yourselves to them not based on what you say about you but about the interest that you show in them, their world, and their situation.
3. Ask Better Questions
To do this, you’ll want a strategy for strong open-ended questions. For instance, if you want them talking about their favorite subject and their work, you’re going to need to ask questions to prompt them to talk.
Ask questions that lead them to say what they really need and uncover their challenges – especially the ones you know that you can fix in a way that your competitors can’t. Get them talking, because the more they talk about themselves, their company, situation, and challenges, the more their trust in you will grow.
During the sales process, it’s more important to understand a prospect and their situation than it is for them to fully grasp the solution that you’re offering. And even more important than that is making sure they see that understanding from you.