Strategy #8: Shotgun Versus Sniper
No, I’m not talking about the military. Listen up! Everyone walks into sales presentations like a shotgun. They try to blow up their prospects with tons of information, details, statistics and other useless knowledge. The presentation is not structured and takes too much time. The tactic is to confuse them to close them. Unfortunately, there are many sales managers that teach this tactic, and it’s completely unethical. I can guarantee you that anyone who teaches or uses that type of closing strategy does not have long-lasting, profitable relationships and will jump from business to business.
Instead, be a sniper during your presentation. Know exactly what you need to cover briefly in order to close the sale and open the relationship. Share with them just enough to pique their interest and generate questions. If you expect to handle every objection and every concern during your presentation, you are wasting your time. You can handle the majority of them, but there’s simply no way that you will be able to tackle every question and concern during the initial presentation.
Unlike a shotgun, a sniper will focus in and take one shot at their target. No, I’m not saying to annihilate your customer, but you have to be as laser-focused as a sniper on your ultimate goal. Your target is to close every sale and open up a long-term, prosperous relationship. You don’t want to just confuse the daylights out of the person, close the sale and move on to the next victim. Once again, that’s unethical and no way to build a long-term, prosperous business.
Here’s a bonus for you. Most sales presentations should be limited to one hour. Yes, that’s only 60 minutes in which you will present your business/product for the first 30 minutes. The remaining 30 minutes will be completely devoted to any questions or concerns voiced by your customer. After you finish your presentation, ask them, “What did you like best about it?” This empowers the person to speak positively about the product or service that you are marketing. This is their time so just let them talk and ask questions. You basically shut-up and listen at this point. Let me repeat that, because it’s critically important. You basically shut-up and listen at this point.
Let’s say for real estate, the time of the showing will vary due to the factors involved in showing the home, but still don’t drag out the showing. Be prompt and courteous of the buyer’s time. After the showing, ask the buyer, “What did you like best about the house?” Of course, they will tell you the positive side of things after the question. This question will lead into them telling you what they didn’t like about the house, such as they really wanted a view of the ocean. You still have the upper hand in this situation, because you can respond with something like, “Excellent! As a matter of fact, I have three more homes with a view of the ocean that I can show to you tomorrow.” Even though that house wasn’t for the buyer, you actively listened and laser-focused in on the buyer’s need to have the opportunity to show them a few other properties.
I know that I can sell products that I believe in, and I mean anything - real estate, high-end cars, furniture, nutrition, kitchen cabinets, holistic healthcare services, etc. Give me a sales presentation to do, and I will outsell the number one salesman. I guarantee it! It’s not based on my knowledge of the product. The end result of the sale is all about my belief in myself, the product and the sniper sales process. I’m confident that I can show the plan, handle the objections, close the sale and open a relationship with the prospect. It’s not difficult. You just have to be laser-focused!
Most salespeople never achieve any success, because they never get to the point. They just go on and on and on and on and on and on. Excuse my language, but I call it diarrhea of the mouth. By the time the salesperson is finished, the client has already decided not to invest in the product. All that useless information is highly ineffective and completely unnecessary.
You have to out-listen your competition. Since you know that most sales professionals talk too much, just make the decision to out-listen them. Listen to that potential client’s questions and concerns like you are being told the biggest secret in the world. You have to have ears like Dumbo tuned into every word that they are saying. Of course, your ultimate goal is to outsell your competition, but you have to out-listen first and then your sales will absolutely skyrocket.
Strategy #8 Champion Tip: Become a sniper and focus on your target. Out-listen to outsell your competition.