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Before You Greet the Customer, Do This First
Recently, we discussed being UP when you are next up in rotation. UP. Interested. Excited. Enthusiastic. Ready to give the next customer the BEST experience.
Now that the door has opened and the customer is here, take a breath. Take a look. Get a sense of them before you greet them.
Do they appear happy to be here? Do they appear apprehensive or unsure? Are they looking around, or are they focused on something in particular? Are they alone, or with someone? Are they walking quickly, slowly, co…
Traffic Is Not the Problem. Conversion Is.
This is the first in a series on increasing effectiveness early in the interaction, which will impact your ability to close or to schedule an appointment. As always, there will be actions for sales associates to take and for sales managers to take and coach.
Traffic is not the problem. Conversion is.
Since traffic is down in many markets, driven by multiple sources, let’s look at how we can make the best of the traffic that IS coming into the showroom. And let’s start with the first encounter,…
The Most Uncomfortable Questions Usually Matter Most
This is the last in a series on Asking Discovery Questions, the most critical step in the sales process. There will be actions for sales associates and sales managers to accompany each installment.
The primary function of the BADAS Questions is to learn if the customer can buy TODAY by how they answer the questions. Their answers reflect where they are in their buying process.
The questions are not asked in order but asked as a conversation. Ask the easier ones, like Shopping and Timeframe fir…
Managing the Metrics: How Sales Managers Turn Numbers into Performance
Most sales managers have access to more data than ever before.
Traffic counts. Close ratios. Average sale. Protection percentages. Financing results. Revenue reports.
The challenge isn't finding the numbers.
The challenge is knowing what to do with them.
In our recent Sales Manager session, Managing the Metrics, we explored how high-performing sales managers use metrics not simply to track performance, but to improve it.
Because the truth is, metrics are not important because of what they m…
“What Can You Tell Me About the Room as it is Now?” Then, Sketch the Room
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Sketching the room is one of the most valuable tools in a salesperson’s toolbox. Period.
And yet, many salespeople avoid it.
Sketching is not about being an artist. It is about communication.
It is thinking with a pencil. It is creating a shared conversation around the space so the customer and salesperson can get on the same page — literally and figuratively.
When salespeople sketch the room as it exists now, the conversation expands naturally.
Customers begin sharing:
- concerns,
- fru…
The Questions That Move the Conversation Forward
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Bridge Questions are exactly that — a bridge from casual conversation into a productive business discussion. The best salespeople know how to guide this transition naturally.
One question leads to the next question. The conversation deepens. Trust builds. The customer becomes more engaged because they feel heard instead of handled.
Some of the most effective Bridge Questions are simple:
- “What are you hoping to accomplish today?”
- “May I ask you a few questions so I can better help you?” …
Why Discovery is the Most Important Part of the Sales Process
This month, we are focusing on Asking Discovery Questions That Matter because discovery is the most critical step in the sales process.
The point of asking Discovery Questions is to learn what is important to the buyer, to understand more about them and their buying process, and to understand where they are in that process.
Too often, salespeople rush to solutions before they fully understand the customer.
Strong discovery slows the process down in the best possible way.
Discovery Questions …
Sales Skills Replay: Handling Objections Without Losing the Sale
This month’s Sales Skills Session focused on one of the most emotionally charged and misunderstood parts of the sales process: handling objections. And as Jody reminded everyone right from the beginning, objections are not necessarily a problem. They are information.
Most salespeople react to objections instead of managing them. We explain too much. We defend the product. We lower the price too quickly. Or we avoid the conversation altogether. But objections are often less about the actual prod…
What Happens After the Objection Is Overcome?
This is the final installment in our series on Handling Objections—often the most challenging step in the sales process. By now, you’ve worked through how to recognize, respond to, and overcome objections. The next step is just as important: knowing what to do once the concern has been resolved.
What happens next?
Handling objections is a complex communication skill that needs to be practiced into mastery. One of the simplest ways to begin strengthening this skill is to prepare in advance. Sta…
How to Overcome Objections
This is the third in a series on Handling Objections—often the most challenging step in the sales process. Once you can recognize and respond to objections, the next step is learning how to move through them and actually overcome them.
How do you overcome an objection?
In the last installment, we focused on how to respond—acknowledging the concern and asking for specifics. Those actions are necessary because they help you fully understand what’s behind the objection and set the stage for how t…
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