Salesmanship for savvy customers

When making a telemarketing call or making your first contact with a potential customer, think of yourself as driving a fighter jet on a bloodbath. You have to deal with a lot of information in an instant, either seize the opportunity to win, or shatter your bones and hate the sky. By the same token, in the sales industry, there is always a risk of losing business because of a poor first impression. If your first impression is really bad, you've pretty much lost the business.

Of all potential clients, remember not to impress savvy clients. This kind of client is extremely cautious and sensible, but also very picky. They care about details more than others. They care about accuracy, detail, facts and figures. They care about the truth, in fact they only care about the truth. They pay attention to the credibility of the merchant, and they keep reminding themselves to be careful.

The above characteristics predispose such customers to be slow and careful when purchasing products. Therefore, after making a good impression on salespeople, it takes a lot of effort to win them over. If in front of them, you feel a sense of embarrassment to be put under a microscope, then please be mentally prepared to accept the examination under this microscope.

Most corporate buyers fall into this category of savvy customers. Savvy customers fall into two categories: "Conscientious" and "Dedicated." Although they have some similarities in nature, the specific sales method for them should be different from person to person.

For "Conscientious" Clients: The Better You Can Say

Most buyers and accountants fall into this category. Their common performance is skeptical, critical, and good at analyzing problems. Because of their characteristics, their employers hire them.

Because they are difficult to deal with, it is necessary to do an analysis on them first. Once you grasp their psychology, you will know how to impress them. When dealing with such customers, you should try to make them feel safe, let them trust you, and let them know that you will listen carefully and analyze their requirements.

Don't deliberately incite a frenzy at a sales meeting, as doing so can often backfire. The only way to motivate these customers to buy is to create an atmosphere where everything is in order and step-by-step. For salespeople, they want to look, sound, and feel what they want.

We can look at the problem this way. Every prudent customer you come into contact with, existing or future, is a "goose that lays the golden egg" for you, and is the result of your good sales month after month and year after year A solid foundation for performance.

If you want to make money in the long term with this "golden egg" goose, then you have to be nice to it. You can't lie to it and force it to buy things it doesn't need. Don't try to cover up the truth by exaggerating, or it will see through you sooner or later.

"Conscientious" clients like to work with calm, attentive, methodical people. Every detail is very important to them. They'll pay attention to how well you dress and how neatly the documents in your briefcase are. They want the people and products they touch with the accuracy, precision and efficiency they expect.

They are skeptical of jokes. Therefore, salespeople must be rigorous in their selling style, speaking slowly and clearly, taking notes in person, and asking about their needs.

They like the salesperson to "detail" the situation. You can't go overboard no matter how many times you "detail" in front of them. They want to hear and want you to speak. If you don't tell them, they won't like you.

This type of customer dislikes salespeople who try to close a deal as soon as they meet, making them appear inattentive. Furthermore, this behavior strongly suggests that the salesperson has no interest in "detailing" the situation.

As for pitching to corporate clients, it's a good idea to have at least four business meetings before the final deal. The arrangement of the four meetings is such that the first one is used to explain the situation, at least two more such meetings are held, and then the final details and signature.

Agreeing with a "conscientious" client is more of a process than a thing. Step-by-step through various meetings to fully demonstrate the company's capabilities, background and reputation.

The basic strategies above for "conscientious" clients also apply to "persistent" clients, but there are some special techniques.

For "Persistent" Clients: Don't Be Overwhelmed

Similar to "Conscientious" Clients, "Persistent" Clients tend to be prudent and careful. They are loyal and virtuous. Even if they can tolerate flaws in other people's morals and positions, they are reluctant to deal with businessmen with low moral standards.

Sell to such customers to ensure that they gain an added sense of security. Make them feel secure that the decisions they have made are not at risk. Don't put pressure on them. Show that your plan or product has been thought through from the buyer's perspective, and convince them that if they buy your product or service, they will never need to buy it again.

Businesses need to be careful about their history. Remember, this type of client will scrutinize you carefully. They seldom buy from strangers, preferring to buy from someone they have been in a relationship with for years and have a lot of trust.

People living in eastern North Carolina often talk about a "three-year rule." This means that if you move to a small town in eastern North Carolina and open a store for sales, unless you have enough money to survive the first three years of business, change careers as soon as possible. Because in the first three years, people around you are watching you carefully to see if you can meet the following requirements:

Are you reliable? Is it possible to make a promise? Do you care enough about the community? Are you responsible? Are you willing to do your duty? Are you friendly to your family? Are you being sincere? Can I pay my bills on time? Is it consistent with words and deeds, down-to-earth?

If you don't satisfy them in some way during the three-year observation period, you better pack up and go back and forth, because no one's going to buy from you. If you pass the "exam" then you will be integrated into the community and people will start patronising your store. In fact, if they think you're faithful and trustworthy, they'll be willing to buy from you over other strangers, even if your goods or services are slightly more expensive.

It may be more helpful for you to understand the above behavior of this type of customer from a psychological perspective by carefully analyzing the message you want to convey in your sales campaign. Once you gain acceptance, you can still sell your product to these customers without a hitch, even if you don't go door-to-door.

An important rule of thumb for maintaining relationships with this type of customer is: don't be too hasty.

Don't rush into a deal. Allow customers to compare repeatedly, and don't speak ill of other products or suppliers behind their backs, otherwise these "persistent" customers will resent you. They don't want to hear you criticize someone or their product, they just want to know why your product or service is better than someone else's.

Avoid empty talk and leave a solid impression on your customers. Show loyalty and dedication. No unfulfilled promises, no ambiguous guarantees. "Persistent" clients naturally hate being cheated by others.

A salesperson cannot fully grasp these principles overnight. It takes years of honing to be comfortable dealing with different types of clients.

Sales are the use of all the knowledge about human nature and human psychology, in the best way to establish a solid sense of trust and identity in the target group with oneself and one's own business.

Original book adapted from How to Mind-Read Your Customers: Using Insights from Psychology to Increase Sales and Develop Better Business Relationship by David P. Snyder with permission. The book is published by AMACOM, a branch of the American Management Association, International, New York, NY. The author is copyrighted in 2001. Translated by Guo Yanhang.

The English version of the book is available at McGraw-Hill Book Co in Singapore.

Author David P. Snyder is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Snyder, Inc. He is dedicated to the implementation of new business strategies and the training of the national client base.