Want More Business – it’s right under your nose
Know your top 20% of clients who are keeping you afloat. Maybe it’s just 10% of them (or even 5%) which are keeping the business ticking over.
If you don’t know, I suggest it’s the first thing you do after finishing reading this article.
These are the business where we can get more growth from. They are already sold on you, your solution (or one of your solutions), they trust you, they see you as professional, you have lived up to their expectations. You have delivered.
So, let me share a major issue with the relationship with these clients.
You can think you know them.
You know what they like, dislike, you know what they think about this and that. You would have known them at one stage – or had a peep inside what they wanted and that is what got you the business in the first place. You were aligned on enough important areas.
However, we must recognise its these very thoughts (we ‘know’ them) that are halting you from actually helping them further, stopping you from selling more.
Why, well they have not frozen in their thinking from your last conversation, they have now evolved. They have moved on.
Whilst they are contemplating new things, have new challenges, new ideas you are stuck on ‘pause’ from the last conversation – still thinking that they like (and dislike) the same things as months ago.
The point is it’s our beliefs which are straggling growth. It stops us from asking questions which may lead to something. We have already decided, based on information we assumed days or weeks or months ago, that ‘they are not interested’ or ‘they don’t have the money’ and so we don’t even go there with a question.
I’m telling you they have moved on.
I’m not suggesting you necessarily waltz in their and straight up ask the same question in the same way –and definitely don’t anchor them back in ‘previously you were not interested are you now’. You need to ask at the appropriate time.
Steps to ensuring you are ahead of the game with your top clients:
- Do a brilliant uncover (your only talking should be questions, the client needs to be doing all the talking).
- Note what they are buying and what they really should be buying.
- Don’t assume you know what they want. Recognise you don’t. So, on each visit read your notes and say out loudto yourself, this may bear no resemblance to where they are today. It was my perception at that time – which may or may not have been correct, it was based on assumptions. Therefore, I will assume that anything is possible.
- On each visit, do a masterful Exploration Alignment Funnel TM.If they are not moving on them today, recognise it’s today – and that doesn’t mean always. So, keep notes of what other solutions you have which could help them.
- At every visit ask questions differently. Go about it a different way. Think of timing – make it relevant and go with the flow of what they are discussing. At every visit, where it’s relevant, drip feed your relevant, useful solution so it’s drip fed into their unconscious. They cannot un-think it. Make sure you are masterful with your language and tone – only positive statements about it. And always make it relevant and meaningful to them.
- Assume Add on’s, Up Sells are part and parcel of looking after the client. They are expecting you to mention things which can help them. (So you are doing no favours by not mentioning it). Don’t assume anything negative i.e. ‘they can’t afford it’ don’t buy into that negative limiting belief.
Charmaine is Director of Smarter Selling, Sales Training which works on performance enhancement, mindset and quick behavioural change to drive results.
What’s next you ask?
Creating opportunities which are under our nose and others which need some digging – Growth, Driving performance, Commercial mindset, Success – these are behaviours we are installing every day.
Here at Smarter Selling my team and I live, breath and relish watching clients learn sophisticated selling techniques enabling them to be empowered, confident and motivated to achieve the results they are after.
*Request a 30 minute consultation to see how we can help your business – tell us what’s happening, what you’d like to achieve and we’ll assist you in that journey.
Call us on 02 9188 5253 or 03 9088 3382 or drop us a line at team@smarterselling.com.au or me directly at Charmaine@smarterselling.com.au
*Learn more about opportunities in our training programs here >>
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