How NOT to close a sale!
How NOT to Close!
My hairdresser is a NAG!!
My hairdresser asked me to buy shampoo/conditioner set for $30-Eight times . I’m not kidding. I counted. Finally, I said, “Steve-stop, you’re killing me, no shampoo..I have all those hundreds of little bottles from my travels”.
His reply was “I need to sell four of them today and you’re my only female client..”
Whose agenda is that?
He needed some sales coaching. Bad. Starting with- “How’s your weekend? Where are you headed? Oh, the Builder’s Show-how exciting. I’ll make sure your hair looks amazing!” As he does my hair-what kind of shampoo are you using? Your hair seems a bit dry. Any other issues? (Yes, it’s not shiny anymore). Get me to talk about my “pain”. THEN, discuss his “solution” (special shampoo/conditioner for color treated hair).
Instead, he kept asking me to buy the shampoo over and over. He started joking about it. When I volunteered my speaking gig coming up in Vegas (he never asks), he joked “your speech will be better if you use that $30 shampoo!). He finally gave up after practically begging. It wasn’t –pretty. He said, “Boy, I stink at sales, better stick with hair.”
And I’m thinking-You ARE in sales-you just don’t think of yourself as a salesperson. You sell your hair services. (Believe me, I tried to do-it-myself. A big disaster that needed to be re-done! Screaming siren red)
You can “sell” me on products if and only “if” you create a “need” and ask me questions/
You can “sell” me on my next appointment since it’s a given that every 6 weeks, I come in like clockwork
You can “sell” me on referring you to my friends by giving me a stack of your business cards.
The close happens when the “pain: is uncovered. No pain, no sale.
How about your buyers? Have you uncovered their pain? Have you asked them about their current home and really drill down about what they disliked about it? Floor plan chopped up? Closets too small? Power bills through the roof due to poor insulation? Neighborhood decaying? We have conducted over 1000 video shops last year and we are not seeing many salespeople who really drill down to that “pain” and in doing so, earn the right to ask for the sale.
Remodelers are doing well. Three of my friends have decided NOT to move but to remodel their home instead. Remodeling, Home Depot and Lowe’s are our competition, not the builder down the street or the short sale nearby.
Get your buyers to discuss “why” they are looking at a new home. Then, and only then, can you “close” with the solution-an amazing new lifestyle that they will enjoy in their gorgeous brand new home.
Oh, and tell them you’ll stock the bathrooms with that $30 shampoo set if they “buy today” (LOL)
