Miller Heiman Sales Performance
http://www.millerheiman.com/knowledge_center/sales_performance_tips/index.html
Selling Against the Status Quo
People buy when, and only when, they perceive a discrepancy between reality and their desired results.
When you have a buyer who sees trouble in his situation or has a desire to improve his results, he is most likely eager to buy - not necessarily from you - to fix the situation. This is generally the ideal selling scenario because the buyer has already recognized that he needs help and is looking for a solution. Your success rests on how well you can connect the benefits of your proposal to his solution image.
But, what about prospects who are clearly satisfied with the status quo, those who are in Even Keel mode? Is there a chance to make a sale with these types of prospects at all?
When a buyer is resolute to keep the status quo, consider these two effective strategies that can improve your odds of making a sale.
1.Have another Buying Influence help him reassess his position.
In every complex sale, there are always multiple Buying Influences. One effective way of getting someone in Even Keel to reassess his position is to get another Buying Influence, ideally a superior, to persuade him that there is either trouble looming in the horizon, or growth opportunities the company needs to seize right now. Buyers in Even Keel mode will heed the advice of their superiors more than they would a salesperson’s warnings. Your strategy is to sell to the superior and then get him to convert the other.
2.You can demonstrate a discrepancy that the buyer doesn't see.
You can do this in two ways: show them that the reality isn’t as satisfactory as they currently believe, or show them the results they’ve settled for are far short of those they can still achieve. Either way, you want them to see the gap that’s prerequisite to making a sale.
Admittedly, the probability of making a sale soon is remote, but not entirely impossible. Remember that even though there may not be a match between your solutions and the buyer’s perceived needs today, there could be one in the future. Stay close and position yourself as the one who can either get them out of a mess or help them take their results from good to great.
Selling Against the Status Quo
People buy when, and only when, they perceive a discrepancy between reality and their desired results.
When you have a buyer who sees trouble in his situation or has a desire to improve his results, he is most likely eager to buy - not necessarily from you - to fix the situation. This is generally the ideal selling scenario because the buyer has already recognized that he needs help and is looking for a solution. Your success rests on how well you can connect the benefits of your proposal to his solution image.
But, what about prospects who are clearly satisfied with the status quo, those who are in Even Keel mode? Is there a chance to make a sale with these types of prospects at all?
When a buyer is resolute to keep the status quo, consider these two effective strategies that can improve your odds of making a sale.
1.Have another Buying Influence help him reassess his position.
In every complex sale, there are always multiple Buying Influences. One effective way of getting someone in Even Keel to reassess his position is to get another Buying Influence, ideally a superior, to persuade him that there is either trouble looming in the horizon, or growth opportunities the company needs to seize right now. Buyers in Even Keel mode will heed the advice of their superiors more than they would a salesperson’s warnings. Your strategy is to sell to the superior and then get him to convert the other.
2.You can demonstrate a discrepancy that the buyer doesn't see.
You can do this in two ways: show them that the reality isn’t as satisfactory as they currently believe, or show them the results they’ve settled for are far short of those they can still achieve. Either way, you want them to see the gap that’s prerequisite to making a sale.
Admittedly, the probability of making a sale soon is remote, but not entirely impossible. Remember that even though there may not be a match between your solutions and the buyer’s perceived needs today, there could be one in the future. Stay close and position yourself as the one who can either get them out of a mess or help them take their results from good to great.