A huge mistake many salespeople make (I’ve caught myself doing this many times), is attempting to persuade our prospect to buy what “we” like without considering what “they” like.
Have you ever done that? After all, because ‘I’ think this style looks best, obviously the prospect must, too.” Or, “‘I’ like this financial growth plan better than any of the others.” Maybe even, “Take a look at this widget; it’s got 107 ways that you can blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Isn’t it magnificent!?”
How to Create the Right Amount of Enthusiasm When Selling
Now, please don’t get me wrong. Genuine enthusiasm is very important. It’s a key to successful selling. Sales superstar and bestselling author, Zig Ziglar, even teaches that “The last four letters of ‘enthusiasm’, which are I – A – S – M, stand for ‘I Am Sold Myself'” (you’ll have to imagine his classic accent on your own). Yes, enthusiasm (gentle enthusiasm) is a key to success in sales.
Still, we need to discover what enthuses our prospect even more than what enthuses us. Author, political speechwriter and master persuader Michael Cloud says, “When I go fishing I put worms on the fishhook. I don’t like to eat worms; fish do. So I put on the hook what the fish like instead of what I like.”
Great point. So, yes, by all means, be enthusiastic. But first, find out what enthuses your prospect, then simply become enthusiastic about helping your prospect own what he or she wants.
Key Takeaways:
– Many salespeople make the mistake of trying to persuade prospects to buy what they want without taking into account what the buyer wants.
– Enthusiasm is important in sales, but it’s critical to figure out what excites the prospect before attempting to be enthusiastic about the product.
– Instead of trying to sell people something they don’t want, salespeople should be enthusiastic about assisting prospects in finding and owning what they want.
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Bob Burg speaks on “Endless Referrals” and “Positive Persuasion.” He is author of “Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales” and “Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion”, “The Go-Giver“, and “Go-Givers Sell More.” Visit Bob Burg at www.burg.com.
