Human beings tend fear a lot of things – death, change, aging, clowns… well perhaps I just fear clowns... (something about a painted smile and that movie "IT"). But another big thing we humans fear is the ‘c-word’ COMMITMENT. It is this fear, and this fear alone, that one has to be able to negate when it comes to big-ticket sales.
Think about any big purchases you might have made in the past and I am sure at least a few of them were a bit scary for you. Why were they scary? More than likely they were scary because you were afraid of making the wrong decision. You were afraid of buying the wrong thing. We are all naturally afraid of committing to something because we are just not sure it will be as good to us as we hope it will be.
I recently bought a flat screen TV. Thoughts kept running through my mind – what if it breaks? Is this the best brand? What if it is too big? How long will it last? What if it breaks? Do I really need 1080 resolution? Will the price go up next week? How can I be sure this is a good deal?
I was a bit scared that my purchase decision would be the wrong one. Most of us are just naturally afraid of being wrong. Most of us are afraid of failing to some extent. What a lot of folks fail to connect is that fear of failure equates to fear of commitment! It is that simple. (My male readers surely understand this one.)
So, when it comes to selling, how can you help to ease that fear of commitment for YOUR customers?
I call it “the next step.” At every interaction point with your customer, you should keep in the front of your mind that next small and easy step you want them to take.
For example, if you are sending an e-mail to a potential customer, you might be tempted to give them a long list of all the things that make you great and all the wonderful things you’ve done. Somehow, your amazingly written self-description will sell this person on your services. You truly believe that their reply will be a resounding “YES” to your company’s services or products.
But, it doesn’t usually work that way.
The most important thing to remember in sales is this ‘next step.' What is that first and easy next step that you want your customer to say yes to? Is it a visit to your website? Perhaps it is a phone call to discuss their needs? Maybe it’s a chance for you to visit their job site so you can walk them through some free recommendations?
If the guy at Best Buy told me – “Tell ya what, take the TV home and try it out. If you don’t like it, we’ll take it back – no questions asked. We’ll even deliver and install the TV for you at no charge. If you don’t like it, here’s my number – call me and we’ll come pick it up and bring you a check for your money. Can we stop by one evening this week?”
I guarantee you that Best Buy would sell a lot more big ticket items if this was case. Chances are, I would like the TV and probably listen to recommendations from the installers for enhancing my TV experience and go back the next day to purchase surround sound!
Asking for a simple and easy next step is key to building and closing sales. You have to make it EASY for them to say yes.
You don’t offer a marriage proposal on a first date. Sales are no different.
