To be a good salesperson you need to become a great buyer

Jeffrey Scott

Great Scott!

By Jeffrey Scott

If you are going to be efficient with your time and make a sale that is win-win, you should be working with potential customers who "need" what you have — not just "want" what you have. If they need you, it means they have a problem you can solve. If you are talking to a prospect who doesn't seem to have problems that you can uniquely solve, then you are not likely to be the winning salesperson. In fact, they may not even be looking to buy anything. The client has to prove to you that they have a problem. Pretend you are the buyer, not the seller, and look for the "value" that you can provide by uncovering the client's problem and making sure your solution is a good fit. Let them sell you on why you are a good fit for them.

Too often we look at a property and we think potential. This is a mistake.

A good salesperson is a detective. Whether you are selling residential or commercial, you need to identify three attributes to make a sale. The first attribute is identifying pain. Not just a problem, but the actual consequences of a problem. For example, the lawn is always burning out in the back (problem). And this is causing a deeper problem — the boss's office faces the back, and he keeps complaining about it to me — if I can't fix it, I am in trouble (pain!)

Let the prospect sell you on his or her problem, and find their deeper pain. Be a good buyer, and you will be a better salesperson.

If you want to learn the other two attributes to a successful sale, email me here.

Editor's Note:
Author, consultant and speaker Jeffrey Scott is joining the list of LM's regular blog contributors. Please look for his commentaries here periodically.
Scott is author of “The Referral Advantage” and “The Leader’s Edge,” both of which are available on LM's bookstore. He grew his landscape company into a $10 million enterprise, and now consults with others on how to do the same. He facilitates PEER GROUPS for landscape business owners who want to transform and grow their business. To learn more visit www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.