No matter what business you are in, your success depends upon attracting and securing customers. Every small business owner is a salesman, whether he realizes it or not. If you do not sell your product or service, you will not generate revenues.
Many business owners have a negative image of sales. They think of sales as high pressure and manipulative. They view sales as a confrontational encounter, in which the salesman tries to persuade a potential customer by any means necessary. But sales does not need to be this way.
Sales can and should be an educational process. The salesman’s primary function should be that of a consultant. Regardless of your product or service, a potential customer comes to you because he has a need. He may need something delivered to the other side of the country, he might need information, he might need a widget. No matter his need, he is seeking fulfillment of that need. A salesman’s job is to determine that need, and then propose a manner for meeting it. In some situations this may be very straightforward. In other situations, both the need and the solution may be complex. It may require considerable effort to even identify the need. There may be multiple potential solutions. No matter, the salesman must help the customer find the best solution. Many times a customer will be uncertain as to his need. He may recognize that he has a problem or desire, but is uncertain what product or service will bring satisfaction. The salesman must ask questions, and listen to the answers. He must probe to find the customer’s motivation. He must seek information.
Many times a customer will believe that he already knows the solution. He may have done research, previously experienced a similar need, etc. He may know (or think he knows) what he wants. In such a case, a conscientious salesman will still seek information. He will want to ensure that the customer truly receives the best solution. In either case, the salesman must first identify the need. Only then can he propose a solution. First he must obtain information. Then he must impart it.
The sales process should be primarily educational. The customer should be educated as to the products and services that will meet his need. The customer should be educated as to why your company can provide that solution. The customer should be educated as to his options, and the pros and cons of each. In other words, the salesman should act as a consultant to help the customer make a wise purchasing decision.
