The Steps To A Deal

Taking your prospect from one mindset (“I’m not going to buy anything today” or “What should I have for dinner”) to the other (“I need this right now!”) is a step by step process. This process varies from industry to industry and sometimes from product to product. The best way to learn this is to get a salesman in your field of interest to spill their guts (alcohol helps). The general steps are:

1. Meet and greet. Work at making friends with different types of people. The faster you can make your client believe you are two peas in a pod the better. Smile, have things in common, compliment, and take an interest in their life. The more time you spend in this step, the better.
2. Show the product. Overload them on features and benefits. Usually, the more you show the more they will become overloaded with information and begin to shut down their rational mind, opening up their emotions.
3. Make them laugh and/or cry. You need to fill a void with your product, so if they don’t have a need, you have to create it. Usually a sob story works best, about how you or someone else really needed the use of this product, but didn’t realize it, and now look at them. Most people care about their families, pets, and hobbies the most.
4. Let them test drive. Finally let them touch or use the product. After they are feeling empty, manipulating any product will make them feel better. Ask questions like “If this were yours, where would you drive it first,” or “Which one of your kids would enjoy this the most,” or “Can you see your wife’s face when you give this to her?”
5. Close.
6. Follow-up. This can be very important if they have the ability to return your product. A simple phone call, postcard, or letter does the trick. Welcome them to their new lifestyle, let them know how much you enjoyed meeting them, and welcome them to stop by or imply you will see them again. (No one would go back on a deal they made with a friend, right?)