People Buy You
Jeb answers the question: What’s most important for your sales and business success?
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People Buy You
Here’s a question: What’s most important for your sales and business success? Your price, collateral, marketing, response times, service guarantees, features and benefits, testimonials, the color of your business cards, job title, territory, or latest press write up? Well, we can sit together and ponder this question for days but we’ll still come to the same conclusion… None of the above!
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Your customers don’t buy your products, services, prices, marketing or even your company’s reputation. Do these things matter? Of course they do, but they are only tickets to the game. When all things are equal and in the competitive world we live in today they almost always are People Buy You! Your prospects, customers and even your internal support team buy you and from you because they like you, trust you, and believe in you.
The most powerful competitive edge you have can’t be found on your features and benefits list or in any of your company’s literature. It can only be found by looking in the mirror. Because, it’s you!
Managers and business owners take note. Buying is an emotional act. Look around your business and think about it. Your customers buy your products, services, and keep coming back to buy more because they like you and your employees. You must understand that when your customers begin to dislike your employees or you they will quit coming back and instead they will seek out people who help give them emotional well being about their purchase.
Getting People to Buy You is actually very easy. It all starts with being likable which in most cases it is the simple act of smiling and being polite. Once people like you then you can focus on connecting by asking questions and listening. People love to tell stories about themselves, their businesses, and their family. Your job as a listener is to keep your mouth shut and listen deeply. When you take time to listen to another person they are drawn to you and they feel close and connected. Once you are connected, your prospects and customers will open up and begin telling you their problems. It is here that you find clues that will help you apply your product or service to their needs. Finally, it is your commitment to excellence that closes the sale and you ability to create positive emotional experiences that leaves them with positive thoughts about you.
When you awaken to this concept, that People Buy You, and gain the understanding that it is not about what you are selling but rather who you are connecting that makes all the difference well then your confidence goes up because that’s when you begin to realize how very powerful you really are. For the first time you understand that the one thing that matters most, how much your customers like and trust you is completely within your control.
Five Quick and Dirty Tips to Get People to Buy You
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Be Likable: Smile and use your positive attitude and optimism to project a cheerful, smiling, outgoing personality. People love to be around happy, optimistic people.
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Connect: The key to connecting is listening deeply with your eyes and ears. Listen to what your customers say and observe their emotions. There are things they are passionate about. Look for common ground here.
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Solve Problems: At the core, business and sales is just one person solving another persons problems. Of course the key is getting people to tell you their real problems and they won’t do that until you are connected. Make you mission in life to be a problem solver. Look for and solve problems everywhere – even if your solutions don’t generate immediate business. Customers are extremely loyal to people who solve their problems.
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Go the Extra Mile: Always do more than you are required to do. Customers admire, respect, and trust those who are committed to excellence. In today’s world most people are doing just enough to get by. Going the Extra Mile will help you stand out from your competitors and create customers for life.
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Create Positive Emotional Experiences: Learn to make dealing with you fun, relaxing, and rewarding. You always want to leave your customers and prospects thinking about you and remembering you positively so it is imperative that you find ways to create positive emotional experiences for your customers. The key is to focus on the little things. Remember birthdays, send handwritten notes, do the unexpected and soon, as more and more People Buy You your bank account with grow and your career will prosper.
This is Jeb Blount, the Sales Guy. If you have a sales question please send it to salesguy@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email.
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