Selling To Your Difficult Person. Food Stores Taking a Hit.
We all have people whom we find difficult. We don't understand them, connect with them, or even talk comfortably with them. But, when we own a one person business, seeing someone as difficult gets in the way of our selling effectively and their buying wisely.
It is easy to blame the other person. They're the difficult ones. But, the truth is, if you find someone difficult, for sure they will find you just as difficult. And, if you're difficult they won't want to work with you. They'll take their business elsewhere.
It's just human nature to dig in our heals when we're irritated. We want them to change. We want them to be like the folks we find easy to deal with. And they feel the same way. They dig in their heals too. They want us to change. Then when we don't change they leave. They won't buy, even if we have the perfect solution to their needs.
Selling to difficult people works best when we step back and let them set the stage for our sales call. Follow their pace. Give them information in the way they best understand Speak to their needs. When we start where they are it is more likely we will lead them to the sale.
Sally told her prospects so much, so fast, everyone was overwhelmed. She was stuck on fast forward. She truly believed the faster the sales presentation, the more sales a day she could make. Yet when she finally slowed down, she made fewer presentations but many more sales.
Sally's mistake was meeting her own comfort and needs, not her customers' comfort and wants.
If she had focused on her customers' comfort and wants, she would more easily close the sale.
The easiest customers to be with are people like us. Selling to someone not like us is harder. We have to choose how to approach them.
Most fast paced, high energy sales people prefer fast paced prospects. If this prospect is task oriented, they quickly cut to the bottom line. No small talk here. Give the facts first and fast. You have what they want, they buy. You don't have it, they leave, often with a disparaging remark as the door closes behind them.
If your high energy prospect is people oriented you may think a new best friend just walked in. They chat, ask about your family, your life, your business, but not what they are looking for. Be friendly, but take charge of the conversation. Turn the questions to what they want, how you can help them, how they will use your products. Be assumptive with your close. Tell them about your return policy to give them a way out. (They won't take it but are reassured that it is there!)
Slow paced prospects challenge fast paced entrepreneurs. Slow down! Slow both your body and your words. Be prepared with details and specifications. Focus on the product, not small talk. Don't take the penetrating, demanding questions personally. They really do want to know the subtleties and nuances. Don't let their silences unnerve you. It takes them time to think through buying decisions. They need to be thorough to be right.
By taking the time to analyze just which customers and prospective clients give you trouble, which you find difficult, you will be prepared for them the next time you want to sell to them. Preparation pays off. Think about who you have difficulty selling. Then spend some time developing a script to use with them.
Practice words that start where they are, and lead them to a closed sale.
Then, when you recognize one of your difficult prospects, take a deep breath, reassure yourself you know what to do, and put into action your preparation and practice.
(c) 2004, Pat Wiklund. All rights in all media reserved.
About The Author
Get a full 20% off for Pat's newest tele-seminar: How to Turn Around Your One-Person Business to become more focused, more purposeful and more profitable. Just click here: http://www.LeadingAnOrganizationOfOne.com/resources/telesem inarsarticle.htm, Pat@LeadingAnOrganizationOfOne.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
We have recently seen the grocery store strikes in California and the attacks on the Industry for anti-trust. We have seen poor performing stocks in this sector for years now. Wal-Mart Super Stores are also making a huge dent in the industry forcing grocery stores to exit markets where they are located too close to Wal-Marts. Recently Winn-Dixie announced it would close 326 stores and cut 22,000 jobs as their CEO Peter Lynch said that the closings would reduce revenue from $10 billion to $7.5 billion next fiscal year.
Are these closings going to help the company as it exits poor performing markets or is the company and the industry in a downward sector rotation spiral? Winn-Dixie is cutting heavy in Florida before Hurricane Season and will close twelve stores a seven-County Bay area in Florida. These store closings are Webb Plaza in St. Petersburg; N.W. Plaza and Tampa Market Place in Tampa; Forest Lakes Plaza in Oldsmar; Valrico Square in Valrico; Ridge Plaza
in New Port Richey; Northwood Plaza in Clearwater, Palmetto Market Place in Palmetto, Brandon Center in Brandon and one store in Wesley Chapel the company said. It will close 43 stores in the state in the state and keep the highly profitable ones. Winn Dixie has a few stores in TN, VA, which it intends to exit completely now for distribution streamlining as well as close many stores in North and South Carolina where it has significant market share. Winn-Dixie is also taking out some of its distribution centers in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Greenville and downsizing the one in Montgomery.
This trend of streamlining operations seems to be happening more and more as some non-performing stores are being over taxed by costs of lawsuits, unions and of course the ever present Wal-Mart Super Centers. One question the consumer must be asking is where will I buy food if all these stores keep closing. That answer is Wal-Mart with their superior distribution system and non-union stores. Think on this
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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