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Stay ahead in business: strategies and insights for success

I once read about a big benefits-management company that conducted a survey where it asked 365 CEOs and sales-management executives, “What are the three key factors that separate high-performing sales professionals from moderate- to low-performing sales professionals?”



Both CEOs and C-level sales executives (all people who don’t sell, but rely on their salespeople to get paid) ranked self-discipline/motivation as the most important factor.



Next in line were customer knowledge, innate talent/personality and product knowledge. Further down the list were experience and teamwork skills. Totally bogus.



These are qualities of corporate greed, not value, service or help—the three things that customers require to give you their business <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/7-examples-of-good-customer-service-to-build-customer-loyalty/">and maintain loyalty</a>.



If you’re interested in the most important qualities of a high-performing salesperson, let me give you a realistic list of the characteristics needed for success:



<h2 id="h-perpetual-consistent-positive-attitude-and-enthusiasm">Perpetual, consistent positive attitude and enthusiasm</h2>



This is the first rule of facing the customer, facing the obstacles, facing the competition, facing the economy and facing yourself.



<h2>Belief that the customer will be better off</h2>



Unwavering belief in your company, in your product <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202201/how-believe-in-yourself#:~:text=Believing%20in%20yourself%20includes%20things,you%20can%20rely%20on%20yourself." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">and in yourself</a> are the first three parts. But most critical is that you must believe that the customer is better off having purchased from you.



<h2>Use of creativity</h2>



Use creativity to present ideas in the customer’s favor and to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-stand-out-from-the-competition/">differentiate yourself from the competition</a>.



<h2>Ability to give and prove value</h2>



Prove the value of your product or service, as well as your ability to give value to the prospect beyond the sale so you earn the order, the reorder and the loyalty of your customers.



<h2>Ability to promote and position</h2>



Your use of the internet to blog, create e-zines, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-build-your-brands-reputation-on-social-media/">utilize social media</a> and achieve top-ranking in Google searches leads customers to perceive you as a value-provider and a leader in your field.



<h2>Exciting, compelling presentation skills</h2>



You must develop not just <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rohn-8-ways-to-master-the-art-of-communication/">solid communication skills</a>, but superior questioning skills, listening skills and a sense of humor, as well as the innate ability to capture the imagination (and the wallet) of customers.



<h2>Ability to prove your value and claims through the testimony of others </h2>



Testimonials sell where salespeople can’t. The best salespeople use video testimonials to support their claims. But you don’t get testimonials; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephanieburns/2022/02/11/5-ways-to-collect-exceptional-testimonials/?sh=552eb8f22130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">you earn them</a>. Same with referrals.



<h2>Ability to create an atmosphere where people want to buy (because they hate being sold)</h2>



This is done by engaging and asking, not presenting and telling. Make your customers feel as if you are working with them to find them the best product possible, not just telling them what you think would be best.



<h2>Ability to build a relationship, not hunt or farm</h2>



I wonder if the executives talking about <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/5-skills-of-the-most-successful-salespeople/">the factors of great salespeople</a> are the same one who are dividing their salespeople into hunters and farmers. Great salespeople are relationship-builders who provide value and help their customers win. They possess unyielding personal values and ethics. It’s interesting that 365 executives don’t deem those qualities to be in the top 10.



<h2>The personal desire to excel and be their best</h2>



This is a desired quality of every salesperson, but the best salespeople have mastered the other 10 elements. And the key is that all 10 must be mastered in order for this quality to manifest itself.



There is no prize in sales for second place. It’s win or nothing. The masters know this and strive for—fight for—that winning edge.



This article was published in February 2010 and has been updated. Photo by Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock

Unwavering belief in your company, in your product and in yourself are the first three parts. But most critical is that you must believe that the customer is better off having purchased from you.

Unwavering belief in your company, in your product and in yourself are the first three parts. But most critical is that you must believe that the customer is better off having purchased from you. | SUCCESS

10 Traits of High Sales Performers

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10 Traits of High Sales Performers | SUCCESS

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Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling. President of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service.

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Jeffrey Gitomer

Overcoming the Economic Storm as a Salesperson Starts with Embracing Inevitable Change

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Change is not in the air; it has hit the ground running. Or should I say running rampant? If it hasn’t affected you or your business in some way, you are in the minority. Breaking news! Have you heard? The economy is down!



It hasn’t been this way, this bad or this low for about 80 years. Companies are crumbling and rules are being abandoned. The government is in scramble mode as never before. But that’s them. What about you and yours? What’s happening to you? Change in business volume? Cash flow? Credit restrictions? Job status? Employment status? Work environment? Work requirements? Customers hurting? YIKES!



In many business sectors, it’s gonna get real, and it’s gonna get raw. It’s not “change”—it’s “drastic change.” Things are changing, and not for the better. How are you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-deal-with-unexpected-change/">reacting to events</a>? Most people are a combination of reluctant and resistant, or a mix of scared and worried. You are not alone, but it doesn’t mean you have to join the afflicted or the paralyzed.



OK, enough of that. Below is part of why you’re having trouble adapting to the changing economic climate, followed by what you can do about it.



Here are some of the reasons <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/06/15/three-tips-for-managing-resistance-to-change/?sh=6715ce3d642b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">you may resist change</a>:



1. Your inability to face the reality that it’s actually happening to you. The news is always about someone else’s drama. That’s why you watch it. This drama is yours.



2. Your natural defensive posture. “It’s not my fault! Someone else did it.”



3. Your natural resistance to what’s new. “It’s always worked before, and I liked it that way.”



4. Your procrastination and inability to face reality. “I see it coming, but it may just go away. I’ll change later.”



5. Your previous and present comfort. “I have a lifestyle and I don’t want it interrupted!”



6. Your unwillingness to abide by the new rules and the new standards. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-importance-of-constant-self-improvement/">Resistance to self-improvement</a>. Resistance to being measured by results. Resistance to being measured against others. This is especially true if you’re a longtime employee.



7. You think: “It can’t happen here.” Uh, Sparky, it already has. And it’s not going away anytime soon. Do something! Is there resolve? Is there a solution? Are there answers? YES—you provide it. YES—you create it. YES—you make them happen. First, start with your resolve:



<ul>
<li>Create more self-time and less TV time. The news is not great—especially when people are giving their opinion about what is happening—so watch less of it. Now is the time for action, not opinion.</li>



<li>Study attitude for 15 minutes every morning. Give yourself time to read, think and plan.</li>



<li>Relax mentally. Breathe.</li>



<li>Do your best every day at work. You never have to prove your worth if you’re doing your best.</li>



<li>Avoid attending the pity party. There are plenty of them.</li>



<li>Don’t participate in the rumor mill; wait for the facts to emerge. Talk about what is, not what might be.</li>



<li>Don’t participate in the grumbling. Just get to work and sell something.</li>



<li>Make a projected cash flow. Cut now so you don’t run out of money in the near future.</li>



<li>Sell more. No company ever cut their way to success. Cutting is fine, but you have to sell to have cash.</li>



<li>Guard your customers. Your competition is gunning for them.</li>



<li>Serve your customers better than ever. Earn their loyalty with value.</li>



<li>Help your customers with their issues. Their situation is what’s causing your falling sales numbers.</li>



<li>Give something of value to your customers. They will thank you and respect you.</li>



<li>Select your top customers and invest in them. They will thank you and reward you with their loyalty.</li>
</ul>



For years I have defined <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/change-is-growth-3-tips-for-embracing-new-opportunities/">change as opportunity</a>. That definition is still accurate. This is not a time to “get over it.” This is a time to get on with it and take advantage of it. It’s not a corporate thing—it’s a personal thing. It’s not the new-new thing—it’s the reality thing. It’s not their thing—it’s your thing. It’s raining lemons. Set up a lemonade stand.



Regardless of the state of your industry, the state of your market and even the state of your sales, as a salesperson it’s best to look at the big picture. When you see the big picture, you can craft more when the marketplace says less.



Before you try to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-tips-to-sell-like-a-pro/">make another sale</a>, before you call on the next customer, I want you to look at the real world so you can come up with real ideas and real answers for your customers, for your sales and for yourself.



Let me be more specific. I want you to look at and define your real world and their real world. Before you visit any customer, you have to know what the total situation is in order to understand them, relate to them, help them, serve them and sell to them. In these times, “sell to them” may be last on the list.



Let me define “total situation.” Don’t make the fatal mistake of just defining your situation. You also have to define the customer’s situation, the market situation and your company’s situation with its customers.



—



“When you see the big picture, you can craft more when the marketplace says less."



—



What you are defining here is what exists now; the present situation. Once you have defined a situation, you will gain both <a href="https://www.inc.com/7-powerful-techniques-for-greater-clarity.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clarity of the situation</a> and clarity of mind. Write the situation down. Writing it down will clarify the situation for you. It will also serve as a springboard for the actions you must take for your customers so you can win not only in these times, but in all times.



Here’s the problem: You may be panicked, maybe even pushed, for more sales now. This means you have to make a choice: Panic or prepare. My strategy is a little slower, but a lot surer.



After you have written down the entire situation, now you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-spot-a-business-opportunity/">begin looking for opportunities</a>. What are the opportunities for the customer, for your company and for you? Is there an opportunity for you to capture a greater percentage of the customer’s business? Is there an opportunity for the customer to make more sales so they can pay their invoices in a more timely manner? Is there a market opportunity that customers are missing because they are more focused on their woes and their competition rather than their strengths?



Once you’ve identified all the opportunities—whatever they are—and you’re clear about the situation, then and only then can you begin to write what you intend to do or accomplish—your objectives. Your objective may be as simple as getting customers to pay their outstanding balances in a more timely manner. Your objective may be to double your business with this customer, to help your customer through troubled times or to broaden your relationship with customers so they will refer you to other customers. Your objective might be to make a sale right now. You may have several objectives. Whatever the objectives are, they must be clearly stated and defined in writing. And please do not confuse objectives with goals. Write down what you intend to do to help the customer, do more business with the customer, gain more referrals from the customer and make the relationship with the customer a financially rewarding one.



Once you clarify and understand the situation, identify opportunities and write your objectives, making certain that they are congruent with your intentions. When the market is volatile or uncertain, defining the facts will help you think more clearly, act more directly and become more successful.



Now, I’m going to challenge you on a mastery point. Once you have this game plan written down—situation, opportunities, objectives and intentions—I challenge you to share these thoughts with your customers so that they can become aware of how serious, how professional and how certain you are about <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-improve-your-client-relationships/">growing the relationship</a>, helping them and building your business. Doing this will not only give your customers peace of mind; you’ll also give yourself peace of mind. Your list of ideas and answers will not only set you apart from your competitors, who at this moment are merely trying to sell and collect, but it will also build your relationship in more difficult times so that when times become better (and they always do), you will have earned the business and the loyalty you deserve.



Message from Jeffrey: I have one more strategy to beat the crunch. If you want it, go to<a href="https://www.gitomer.com"> www.gitomer.com</a>, register if you're a first-time visitor, and enter OPPORTUNITY in the GitBit box.



This article was published in February 2009 and has been updated. Photo by

Most people are a combination of reluctant and resistant, or a mix of scared and worried. You are not alone, but it doesn’t mean you have to join the afflicted or the paralyzed.

Most people are a combination of reluctant and resistant, or a mix of scared and worried. You are not alone, but it doesn’t mean you have to join the afflicted or the paralyzed. | SUCCESS

Embracing Change: Salespeople Overcoming the Economic Storm

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Everyone has a turning point in their quest for lifelong learning. Everyone has their aha In their personal development, it's what you choose to listen to, watch or read that enhances your understanding of your life and teaches you what you need to do to succeed.

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Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

When I say Think and Grow Rich, what comes to your mind?



Almost everyone in sales and those interested in personal development have read this classic by Napoleon Hill at least once. And almost everyone who's read it has a positive comment. Many (like me) will say that it was a "turning point in my life."



Everyone has a turning point in their <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-techniques-to-never-stop-learning/">quest for lifelong learning</a>. Everyone has their aha In their personal development, it's what you choose to listen to, watch or read that enhances your understanding of your life and teaches you what you need to do to succeed.



Hill's 1937 quote sets the standard. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."



And once you have the information, it's all about what you are willing to do to take advantage of it.



Most people know Hill was the author of Think and Grow Rich. But the person Hill emulated and studied? Not many know that.



Orison Swett Marden was the leading positive-attitude genius of the 20th century. Well-known before 1930 but almost unknown today, he was a founding father of personal development and positive thought.&nbsp;



Author of more than 40 books, Marden also was the founder of SUCCESS magazine. Just as Marden inspired Hill’s aha moment, having your own and taking that turn in understanding can lead to new levels of success.&nbsp;



Here are 7 ways to work toward personal development:&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-expose-yourself-to-knowledge-nbsp">1. Expose yourself to knowledge.&nbsp;</h2>



Based on my personal experience and aha moments, I'd like to challenge you with the rules of personal development and give you some examples of what I have learned so you might make <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-steps-to-execute-a-successful-idea/">your own plan to succeed</a> or enhance the one you have.



At the end of a seminar I gave on positive attitude, I received an evaluation from a woman named Mary with a comment that read, "I wish I would have heard this 30 years ago." I got goose bumps of sadness and thought of a Jim Rohn quote: "All the information you need to succeed already exists; the only problem is you're not exposing yourself to it." This information existed 30 years ago. Mary just hadn't exposed herself to it.



Rohn is known as America's leading business philosopher. His CD, The Art of Exceptional Living, is among the modern classics of personal development. Rohn is the current master of inspiration and aha. He imparts wisdom in every sentence.



Between Marden and Rohn, there is a long list of valuable books to be read. I owe my career success to these books and to the personal development information to which I have exposed myself.



Most of the books are more than 50 years old. Many have religious connotations, but still preach the right words and thoughts. One of the most notable is The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. Biblical and brilliant.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-simple-is-powerful">2. Simple is powerful.</h2>



If you read it and it seems too easy or too hokey, reread it. It's probably part of your personal development foundation.



One of my early aha moments of personal development was the simplicity of the message. Sometimes it's so simple, you go right past it without understanding the impact it can make.



A classic example is the eternal How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. In 1936 he wrote, "<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/09/26/you-probably-need-more-friends-heres-how-to-make-them/?sh=39a3cff3458f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">You can make more friends</a> in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." How many salespeople could benefit from that single aha? I think all of them.



Additionally, Carnegie's lessons still are being taught in the classroom nearly 90 years later.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-think-and-apply-to-improve">3. Think and apply to improve.</h2>



In As a Man Thinketh, published in 1902, James Allen says, "A man <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/if-you-want-to-change-your-life-change-what-you-think/">is literally what he thinks</a>, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts." Thinking about what can be done is at the core of your personal development. About 54 years later in The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale writes, "We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret." Get it?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-take-a-daily-dose">4. Take a daily dose.</h2>



Think about the time-worn expression, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Apply that to personal development, and it means learn and apply one new thing every day. At the end of a year you will have 365 new pieces of information.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-the-older-the-better">5. The older the better.</h2>



If you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-practices-to-come-up-with-new-ideas/">want a new idea</a>, read a book that's 100 years old. Consider Marden’s 1908 book He Can Who Thinks He Can, and Other Papers on Success in Life, in which he wrote, "The best educated people are those <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/22-ways-to-become-a-relentless-learner/">who are always learning</a>, always absorbing knowledge from every possible source and at every opportunity.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-personal-development-and-positive-attitude-are-joined-at-the-hip-and-at-the-brain">6. Personal development and positive attitude are joined at the hip—and at the brain. </h2>



And there is another component—<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/to-lead-is-to-serve-others/">being of service</a>.



"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative,” said Clement Stone in 1946.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-7-do-it-even-as-your-butt-falls-off">7. Do it even as your butt falls off.</h2>



In 1898, Elbert Hubbard wrote an essay titled Message to Garcia. Deliver the message, get the job done, complete the task—no matter what. Many have read that essay. Few have emulated it.



Personal development challenges you to think forward, to <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/05/to-become-your-best-self-study-your-successes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">be your best</a> and to make decisions based on the person you seek to become.&nbsp;



Wondering where you can find more time to devote to your own success? "It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste,” said Henry Ford in 1901. Just a thought.



The key word is not development; the key word is personal. Do it for yourself, in your own way, and make your own time for it—or not.



The biggest aha of personal development comes from Russell Conwell's Acres of Diamonds. Considered to be one of the finest speeches ever written, Acres of Diamonds offers a multitude of lessons about the rewards of work, education and finding the riches of life in your own backyard—or your own library. Aha!



Another excellent way to work toward your personal development is through a self-paced program, like <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/win-the-day/">the Win the Day Accelerator.</a> In it, James Whittaker walks you through transforming your mindset and life with real experiences, strategies and insights that will empower you to unlock your full potential. 



This article was published in February 2008 and has been updated. Photo by santypan/Shutterstock

Everyone has a turning point in their quest for lifelong learning. Everyone has their aha In their personal development, it's what you choose to listen to, watch or read that enhances your understanding of your life and teaches you what you need to do to succeed. | SUCCESS

7 Things That Illustrate the Power of Personal Development

7 Things That Illustrate the Power of Personal Development | SUCCESS

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Think about the way you sell and the way you present your product or service. How many times do you think you use the word we? Likely hundreds. How many times should you use the word we? None.



Everything you do or say is in “we” format—especially if you have a <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketing-strategy.asp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marketing department</a>. Does the customer care about you or themselves? Obvious answer. So why do you “we-we” all over them? They don’t care about you—unless you can help them.



The key in <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-solopreneurs-guide-to-email-marketing/">mastering sales</a> is switching statements about you and how great you are and what you do, to statements about them, and how great they are, and how they will produce more and profit more from ownership of your product or service.



<h2 id="h-here-s-the-secret">Here’s the secret.</h2>



Take the word we and delete it. Delete it from your slides, your literature and especially from your sales presentation. You can use “I”, but you can’t use “we”. When you stop using “we”, you have to substitute the word you or they and say things in terms of the customer. How they win, how they benefit, how they produce, how they profit, how they will be served and how they have <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-find-peace-of-mind-in-4-simple-steps/">peace of mind</a>. “We” is for selling. “You” is for buying.



Go through your presentation, record it, listen to it actively, which means taking notes. Count the word we. I’ll bet there are plenty. Take out the “we” and begin to make value statements instead of selling statements.



<h2 id="h-here-s-the-reality-in-plain-english">Here’s the reality in plain English.</h2>



The buyer, the prospect, the customer expects you to have knowledge of their stuff, not just your stuff. To transfer that knowledge, the prospect needs to understand and agree with your ideas, feel your passion, feel your belief and feel your sincerity <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/serving-is-the-new-selling-and-other-tips-for-having-your-best-sales-year-ever/">beyond the hype of the sales pitch</a>.



<ul><li>You have to know their industry, not just your product.</li><li>You have to know their business, not just your product.</li><li>You have to know what’s new, what’s next and not just your product.</li><li>You have to know the current trends, not just your product.</li><li>You have to know their marketing, not just your product.</li><li>You have to know their productivity, not just your product.</li><li>You have to know their profit, not just your product.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-are-you-committing-these-classic-examples-of-we-we-thinking">Are you committing these classic examples of “we-we” thinking?</h2>



<h3 id="h-1-we-have-to-educate-the-customer">1. We have to educate the customer.&nbsp;</h3>



Do you really think any customer on the planet wants your education? I can just picture your top 25 prospects sitting around doing nothing and saying, “Boy, I sure hope those people at Acme come over here and educate us, ’cause we’re pretty stupid.”



<h3 id="h-2-you-feel-like-you-have-to-tell-the-prospect-all-about-you-your-company-and-your-product">2. You feel like you have to tell the prospect all about you, your company and your product.</h3>



These three things are guaranteed to put any prospect to sleep while you lose the sale.



<h3 id="h-3-we-offer-solutions">3. We offer solutions.</h3>



Hey Albert Einstein, do you think I’m just sitting here all day doing everything wrong, hoping that you will come along and rescue me with your “solution”? Solutions are an insult to a prospect. Answers are better and more partnership and relationship-driven.



<h3 id="h-4-you-compare-yourself-to-the-competition-rather-than-differentiate-from-them">4. You compare yourself to the competition, rather than differentiate from them.</h3>



You’re still selling your features and benefits. More “we-we.” I don’t want features, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/are-you-honoring-your-values/">I want value</a>. I don’t want benefits, I want value.



<h3 id="h-5-you-have-a-powerpoint-presentation-that-brags-rather-than-proves">5. You have a PowerPoint presentation that brags, rather than proves.</h3>



Power points focused on brags instead of proving the value of your service will not put a prospect to sleep. It will put them in a deep sleep.



<h2 id="h-here-s-what-you-need-to-make-a-sale">Here’s what you need to make a sale.</h2>



<ol><li>Answers they need.</li><li>Ideas they benefit from.</li><li>How you differentiate from the others.</li><li>Value they perceive.</li><li>Trust they perceive as a result of all the other elements being in place.</li></ol>



Meanwhile, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-winning-sales-formula/">the customer is qualifying you</a>. They are forming a perception of you as you present. They are evaluating their risk of buying and doing business with you. They are formulating barriers. They are aware of their urgency of need, or not. They are doing a mental comparison between you and the others. They are thinking, and their thoughts will become your reality.



In sales, it’s not what you say; it’s how they perceive what you say.



If the prospect perceives that it’s all about you, then there’s going to be a higher chance for unspoken risk and a lower sense of urgency on their part. If they perceive the presentation is about them, and they understand it and they need what you’re offering, then their barriers and risks will be lowered or removed, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-i-learned-to-love-selling-and-how-you-can-too/">paving the path to purchase</a>.



This article was published in May 2011 and has been updated. Photo by @Korneevamaha/Twenty20

“We” is for selling. “You” is for buying.

“We” is for selling. “You” is for buying. | SUCCESS

In Sales, Stop Saying ‘We’

In Sales, Stop Saying ‘We’ | SUCCESS

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Serving Your Ideal Client Starts with Understanding Their Buying Motives

People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy. It is an undeniable rule that on the surface seems relatively simplistic, but when you dig deeper, you’ll find the complexity lies in uncovering the motive of why people buy.



Uncovering buying motives goes against <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-solopreneurs-guide-to-email-marketing/">the strategy of selling</a>. Selling implies informing the prospect of who you are, how great you are, what your product is, what your product does, and a myriad of features and benefits that most buyers are completely aware of or could find out in about 1.5 seconds by Googling.



Uncovering buying motives (the real key to the sale) is harder to do and requires a lot more work on the part of the salesperson, but if done properly, will both <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/serving-is-the-new-selling-and-other-tips-for-having-your-best-sales-year-ever/">double your sales</a> and eliminate your competitors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-why-is-so-important">Why “Why” is So Important</h2>



The fundamental principle is uncovering the prospects why. Why do they want this? Why do they need this? Why is it important that they buy it now? And assorted other emotional questions that creates what is known as buyer urgency. Once you, as a salesperson, understand why a customer wants to buy, all you have to do is match those motives with value, believability, and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/14-ways-to-build-and-lose-trust/">trust</a>.



<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8174690/">Why do people buy</a>? Their history, their experiences, their expertise, their wisdom, their need, their want, their desire to solve or resolve, their desire to recover, their desire to change, their desire to change, their desire to own, their desire to win, their passion (their desire to own + win = their passion), their fear, their greed, their vanity, their desire to impress, their peace of mind, and their desired outcome.



People buy for their reasons, not your reasons. If you understand that, then their urgency to buy is your reality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-element-that-loses-the-sale">The Element That Loses the Sale</h2>



There’s one more element that trumps all the other elements. That is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559326/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the element of risk</a>. Regardless of the prospect’s desire and motive to buy, if they perceive you as <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/afraid-of-risks-how-to-be-bolder/">too big of a risk</a>, they will not do business with you.



Your job as a salesperson is to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7351522/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">uncover the motive</a> and eliminate the risk. Once you have accomplished this, the customer will buy from you.



More sales are lost by “selling” than any other form of sales error.



Your selling skills are not one one-hundredth as powerful as the customer’s reasons for buying. Your reasons for selling are useless if they don’t match the customer’s reasons for buying.



This reasoning is as powerful as it is overlooked.



Ask yourself this: Why did my last 10 customers buy from me? My bet is that you don’t know. I mean the real motive, not the surface one like price or friendship. If uncovering these motives is at the heart of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/5-skills-of-the-most-successful-salespeople/">your future success in sales</a>, maybe you should take a deeper look at what caused the purchase.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-beef-is-in-the-buying-motives">The Beef Is in the Buying Motives</h2>



What are buying motives? They are the real reason or reasons for making a purchase.



Many times the salesperson (not you, of course) is fooled into believing that the surface issue is the real reason for purchase. When a potential customer asks for bids, the salesperson thinks that low price is the motive to buy, and nothing could be further from the truth.



Think about the way you buy. First, there’s a reason, then you go shopping. It’s the same with your customers. Price is simply a barrier to owning what you want or need.



If you can get deeper into the buying motive, you can get higher in the decision-making chain (i.e., above purchasing and procurement). Cool, huh?



OK, so let’s get down to the reasons: the motives to buy. Look at these and you’ll see that your discovery process needs to go deeper in order to make the issue of price less of a barrier. And, there may be several motives for the same purchase.



Let me give you some motives as food for thought. To make it easier, I have broken them down by motive category:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-purchase-oriented-motives">Purchase-oriented motives:</h3>



<ul>
<li>Out of stock</li>



<li>Need for production</li>



<li>Need for manufacture</li>



<li>Need for business operation</li>



<li>Previous experience</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emotional-oriented-motives">Emotional-oriented motives:</h3>



<ul>
<li>High desire</li>



<li>Value of purchase</li>



<li>Desire to gain</li>



<li>In a panic: timing</li>



<li>Vanity or greed: ego gratification</li>



<li>Low risk or no risk</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-experience-oriented-motives">Experience-oriented motives:</h3>



<ul>
<li>Preconceived notion</li>



<li>Previous experience</li>



<li>Certain of performance</li>



<li>Confidence in quality</li>



<li>Confidence in service</li>



<li>Brand loyalty</li>



<li>Supplier loyalty</li>



<li>Salesperson loyalty</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-profit-or-money-oriented-motives">Profit- or money-oriented motives:</h3>



<ul>
<li>Fear of loss: losing ground to competition</li>



<li>Fear of loss: losing customers</li>



<li>Fear of loss: losing revenue</li>



<li>Better productivity or performance</li>



<li>Work reduction or efficiency</li>



<li>Increase profits</li>



<li>Have the money or budget</li>



<li>Best choice</li>



<li>Best price</li>



<li>Cheapest price</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-result-oriented-motives">Result-oriented motives:</h3>



<ul>
<li>Increase customer loyalty</li>



<li>Enhance brand value</li>



<li>Better market image</li>



<li>Improve the present product</li>



<li>Gain a competitive advantage</li>
</ul>



Which of these motives fit your customers?



<ul>
<li>Answer: Lots of them.</li>



<li>Answer: More than you know.</li>



<li>Answer: Uncovering them is the key to your sales.</li>



<li>Answer: Often it’s a combination of motives</li>
</ul>



Are some motives more powerful than others? Of course. Fear of loss is greater than the desire to gain. You determine the value by the number of sales that result from each you uncover.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uncovering-motives">Uncovering Motives</h2>



How do you expose these all-important motives from your customers? Start with the past. Past successes and present loyal customers. Existing customers will help you understand why they buy from you. Explore their history. Get their experience. You can learn a lot by asking three or four consecutive “why’s” when you get to the hidden motives. Ask them why that was important? Get their story of the long-term use of your product or service, even if it was not only purchased from you. Motive after motive will come forth.



Then go into the dark side. The real truth will come from lost customers. Why did they leave you? Why they left was tied to their unmet motive to buy. You may even <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/11-ways-master-entrepreneurs-make-unhappy-customers-happy/">regain clients and relationships</a>.



Here’s a way to perceive this process. Don’t think of it as “motive.” Think of it as “money.” Finding the motive means finding the money. Or at least the path that will lead you there.



Show me the motive and I’ll show you the sale.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-not-the-pitch-that-makes-the-sale">It’s not the pitch that makes the sale.&nbsp;</h2>



Once, my team was at a conference making a big sale. This lesson will not be a be-all-end-all solution, but it will be an insight into the mind of the buyer, the decision-maker and how he or she takes your sales information and converts it to a purchasing decision.



We started our meeting with the traditional questioning. I try to uncover areas of opportunity by assessing present situations, past failings, existing game plans, current strategies, and immediate goals. If a buyer has a need, there are specific reasons for it. And my job is not to just uncover them. My job is to create ideas and solutions that the prospective customer will feel comfortable with. Comfortable enough to buy. Same with you.



Buyers will almost never reveal their deep feelings or motives. The motive is the reason behind the situation that will cause them to buy or pass.



I also try to get them to ask questions without prompting. The more they ask, the more I believe they are interested.



We had long since reached the point of being friendly in the conversation, so I felt at ease to ask anything without fear of losing the sale.



About halfway through my presentation, I noticed one of the buying group (there were three of them and two of us) writing furiously on a yellow pad. “Taking copious notes?” I inquired casually. “Yes, I have developed a method of determining whether we should make a purchase. I always use it when the deal is sizable.”



“Will you share it with me?” I asked innocently.



“Sure, if we decide to purchase from you.” He said with a smile.



Two hours later, they agreed in substance to purchase. Needing only a budget addition, and a CEO blessing, our new customer was ready and willing to share his formula for making a buying decision. I was all ears and laptop.



What followed was the most open and informative dialog I have ever had with a customer. What I recommend is that you take a close look at his purchasing criteria and apply it to whatever it is that you sell.



The customer started out by saying that he had a list of “purchase-criteria” questions that when answered, made the decision to buy evident. But before he put down any answers, he outlined existing situations to make sure that all the information he had was relevant.



Here are the questions:



<ul>
<li>What do you offer?</li>



<li>What do you offer that no one else has?</li>



<li>What do you offer of value?</li>



<li>Does it really fill my need?</li>



<li>Is it real world?</li>



<li>Will it work?</li>



<li>Will it work in our environment?</li>



<li>How will it impact our people?</li>



<li>How could it impact our success?</li>



<li>Will senior or executive management buy-in?</li>



<li>Will my people use it?</li>



<li>How will we produce as a result of the purchase?</li>



<li>How will we profit as a result of the purchase?</li>



<li>Do I trust the people I’m buying from both as people, and their ability to deliver what they promise?</li>



<li>How will it come together and how do we buy it?</li>



<li>Do I have the comfort to sign off now?</li>
</ul>



Now the question is, how do you apply this gold to your sales? And the answer is simple: Make certain you incorporate the answers to these questions in your sales presentation.



Simple: yes. Easy: no. This is a complex process that must be studied, practiced, implemented, and refined. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/success-takes-time-and-hard-work-follow-these-5-steps-to-stick-with-it-to-the-end/">Hard work will pay off</a>.



This article was published in October 2009 and has been updated. Photo by @kiwitanya/Twenty20

Uncovering buying motives is harder to do and requires a lot more work on the part of the salesperson, but if done properly, will both double your sales and eliminate your competitors.

Uncovering buying motives is harder to do and requires a lot more work on the part of the salesperson, but if done properly, will both double your sales and eliminate your competitors. | SUCCESS

Understanding Buying Motives: Serving Your Ideal Clients

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Serving-Your-Ideal-Client-Starts-with-Understanding-Their-Buying-Motives.jpg

People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy is my #1 rule of selling. It is an undeniable rule that on the surface seems relatively simplistic, but when you dig deeper, you’ll find the complexity lies in uncovering the MOTIVE of why people buy.
Uncovering buying motives goes against the strategy of “selling.” Selling implies informing the prospect of who you are, how great you are, what your product is, what your product does, and a myriad of features and benefits that most buyers are completely aware of or could find out in about 1.5 seconds by Googling.
Uncovering buying motives (the real key to the sale) is harder to do and requires a lot more work on the part of the salesperson, but if done properly will both double your sales and eliminate your competitors.

Why “Why” is So Important
The fundamental principle is uncovering the prospects “why.” Why do they want this? Why do they need this? Why is it important that they buy it now? And assorted other emotional questions that creates what is known as buyer urgency. Once you as a salesperson understand WHY a customer wants to buy, all you have to do is match those motives with value, believability, and trust.
Here’s why people buy: Their history, their past experiences, their expertise, their wisdom, their need, their want, their desire to solve or resolve, their desire to recover, their desire to change, their desire to change, their desire to own, their desire to win, their passion (their desire to own + win = their passion), their fear, their greed, their vanity, their desire to impress, their peace of mind, and their desired outcome.
People buy for their reasons, not your reasons. If you understand that, then their urgency to buy is your reality.

The Element That Loses the Sale

There’s one more element that trumps all the other elements. That is the element of risk. Regardless of the prospect’s desire and motive to buy, if they perceive you as too big of a risk, they will not do business with you.
Your job is a salesperson is to uncover the motive and eliminate the risk. Once you have accomplished this, the customer will buy from you.
More sales are lost by “selling” than any other form of sales error.
Your selling skills are not one one-hundredth as powerful as the customer’s reasons for buying. Your reasons for selling are useless if they don’t match the customer’s reasons for buying.
This reasoning is as powerful as it is overlooked.
ASK YOURSELF THIS: “Why did my last ten customers buy from me?” My bet is that you don’t know. I mean the real motive, not the surface one like price or friendship. If uncovering these motives are at the heart of your future success in sales, maybe you should take a deeper look at what caused the purchase.

The Beef Is in the Buying Motives
What are buying motives? They are the real reason or reasons for making a purchase.
Many times the salesperson (not you, of course) is fooled into believing that the surface issue is the real reason for purchase. When a potential customer asks for “bids” the salesperson thinks that “low price” in the motive to buy, and nothing could be further from the truth.
Think about the way you buy. First there’s a REASON, then you go shopping. It’s the same with your customers. Price is simply a barrier to owning what you want or need.
And, if you can get deeper into the buying motive, you can get higher in the decision-making chain (ie: above purchasing and procurement). Cool, huh?
And here’s the best part -- it’s hard work. This means you eliminate all the lazy salespeople from the race.
OK, so let’s get down to the reasons. The motives to buy. Take a look at these and you’ll see that your discovery process needs to go deeper in order to make the issue of price less of a barrier. And, there may be several motives for the same purchase.
Let me give you some motives as food for thought. To make it easier, I have broken them down by motive category:

Purchase oriented motives:
Out of stock
Need for production
Need for manufacture
Need for business operation
Previous experience

Emotional oriented motives:
High desire
Value of purchase
Desire to gain
In a panic -- timing
Vanity or greed -- ego gratification
Low risk or no risk

Experience oriented motives:
Preconceived notion
Previous experience
Certain of performance
Confidence in quality
Confidence in service
Brand loyalty
Supplier loyalty
Salesman loyalty

Profit or money oriented motives:
Fear of loss -- losing ground to competition
Fear of loss -- losing customers
Fear of loss -- losing revenues
Better productivity or performance
Work reduction or efficiency
Increase profits
Have the money or budget
Best choice
Best price
Cheapest price (I put this here because sometimes price is the real motive to buy -- but rarely)

Result oriented motives:
Increase customer loyalty
Enhance brand value
Better market image
Improve the present product
Gain a competitive advantage

Which of these motives fit your customers?
Answer: Lots of them.
Answer: More than you know.
Answer: Uncovering them is the key to your sales.
Answer: Often it’s a combination of motives
Are some motives more powerful than others? Heck yeah! Fear of loss is greater than the desire to gain. You determine the value by the number of sales that result from each you uncover.

Uncovering Motives
How do you expose these all-important motives from your customers? Start with the past. Past successes and present loyal customers. Existing customers will help you understand why they buy from you. Explore their history. Get their experience. Ask deep -- three or four consecutive “why’s” will get to the hidden motives. Ask them why that was important? Get their story of the long-term use of your product or service, even if it was not only purchased from you. Motive after motive will come forth.
Then go into the dark side. The real truth will come from lost customers. Why did they leave you? Why they left was tied to their unmet motive to buy. You may even regain a few relationships.
Here’s a way to perceive this process. Don’t think of it as “motive.” Think of it as “money.” Find the motive means find the money. Or at least the path that will lead you there.
Show me the motive and I’ll show you the sale.

It’s Not the Pitch That Makes the Sale
Here’s a real-life illustration of this crucial fact. Once, my team was at a conference making a BIG sale. A seven figure sale. Big enough for you? I’ll disclose a few details of what transpired between the buyer and us below.
Let me begin by saying our “selling” was only 25% or less of the total impact of the buyer’s desire to purchase.
And let me add that it’s the same for you in your selling situations.
What matters are: their motives to buy. And I had the rare opportunity at the end of the sale, for my customer to reveal his motives -- his decision-making process -- to me in detail.
CAUTION ONE: This lesson will not be a be-all-end-all solution. But, it will be an insight into the mind of the buyer, the decision maker, and how he takes your sales information and converts it to a purchasing decision.
CAUTION TWO: You will have to convert and adapt some of the lesson to your product or service. Our product is online training. Customized internet-based learning that is available 24/7 to an individual, and completely accountable to, and coachable by his or her manager.
We started our meeting with the traditional questioning. I try to uncover areas of opportunity by assessing present situations, past failings, existing game-plans, current strategies, and immediate goals. If a buyer has a need, there are specific reasons for it. And my job is not to just uncover them. My job is to create ideas and solutions that the prospective customer will feel comfortable with. Comfortable enough to buy. Same with you.
But -- shrewd buyers will almost never reveal their deep feelings or motives. The “motive” is the reason behind the situation that will cause them to buy or pass.
I also try to get them to ask questions without prompting. The more they ask, the more I believe they are interested.
We had long since reached the point of “friendly” in the conversation, so I felt at ease to ask anything without fear of “losing.”
About half way through my presentation, I noticed one of the buying group (there were three of them and two of us) writing furiously on a yellow pad. “Taking copious notes?” I inquired casually. “Yes, I have a developed a method of determining if we should make a purchase. I always use it when the deal is sizable.”
“Will you share it with me.” I asked innocently.
“Sure, if we decide to purchase from you.” He said with a smile.
Two hours later, they agreed in substance to purchase. Needing only a budget addition, and a CEO blessing, our new customer was ready and willing to share his formula for making a buying decision. And I was all ears and laptop.
What followed was the most open and informative dialog I have ever had with a customer. What I recommend is that you take a close look at his purchasing criteria and apply it to whatever it is that you sell.

The “Golden List”
My customer started out by saying that he had a list of “purchase-criteria” questions that when answered, made the decision to buy evident. But before he put down any answers, he outlined existing situations to make sure that all the information he had was relevant.

Here are the questions:
What do you offer?
What do you offer that no one else has?
What do you offer of value?
Does it really fill my need?
Is it real world?
Will it work?
Will it work in our environment?
How will it impact our people?
How could it impact our success?
Will senior or executive management buy-in?
Will my people use it? 
How will we produce as a result of the purchase?

People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy is my #1 rule of selling. It is an undeniable rule that on the surface seems relatively simplistic, but

People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy is my #1 rule of selling. It is an undeniable rule that on the surface seems relatively simplistic, but | SUCCESS

34 Reasons Why People Buy

34 Reasons Why People Buy | SUCCESS

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