SAVVY SALES PROFESSIONALS adjust their approach when selling to first-time buyers, especially when their products or business services are complex. If you approach first-time buyers and seasoned buyers the same way, you could end up with a very unhappy customer. To identify a prospect’s foundation of understanding, ask early in your discovery process if the prospect has ever worked with a firm like yours. If he hasn’t worked with a similar firm before, explain the steps in the buying process, how to effectively compare your firm to competitors, or costs that should be taken into account. Build long-term loyalty by arming your prospect with the information he needs to make an informed decision that is in his best interest. Next, ask your prospect how he would define success in a partnership with your firm. This question will help you determine if the prospect’s expectations for the partnership are realistic. If they aren’t, this is an opportunity for a candid conversation about expectations that benefits both parties. It’s important to have this kind of conversation sooner, rather than later. Go on to outline what’s essential for a successful relationship. If you’re selling a business service that requires your prospect to make substantial changes, be transparent about what’s required. Share success stories about clients who have embraced change, and possibly describe failure that occurred because a client resisted change. Your prospects will appreciate your honesty, and their reactions will indicate whether or not they’ll be a good fit for your company.
Real sales professionals only want to work with customers if it’s a mutually beneficial relationship that leads them to buy again and even refer your products or services to others. If you’re working with new buyers, you need to focus more intently on building trust. Build trust by asking questions, listening more than talking, and by making it clear you genuinely care about what your prospect is saying. Don’t push too hard. Give them a reason to trust you by sharing evidence of successful client partnerships. Share a specific story about a past client, the challenges he faced, the strategy you implemented to help him rise to those challenges, and the specific results the strategy generated. Unfortunately, many new buyers aren’t able to foresee the inevitable bumps in the road that might come up along the way. Make sure your new buyers can anticipate curveballs. This will help you build trust with them, while also making sure their enthusiasm doesn’t slowly diminish. As you walk first-time buyers through the sales process, be patient, build trust, outline expectations, and warn them about possible obstacles. Remember this initial time investment is a necessary part of creating long-term loyalty.
