Decisions to Make?

Have you ever gotten yourself into trouble by not checking with your spouse before making a major purchase? 

I have. 

In fact during my engagement, I purchased a car without even mentioning it to my fiancé. 

Afterward, she said, “You didn’t even discuss this with me!” 

Right then and there I knew that I was wrong, so I promised to get her input on major decisions in the future.

Early in our marriage we decided to never carry over credit card debt to avoid high interest charges. 

Although we use credit cards, we write a check at the end of the month to pay them off. 

If we didn’t communicate on major purchases, we might not have the money to do this. 

I’m glad we plan our expenditures.

After we married, I better understood my wife’s personality type, which is analytical. 

(She has a B.S. in Math). 

What she really likes to do is research. After she pulls together the product’s information, she’ll discuss her findings with me. 

It helps me to get her input. In fact, she encourages me to make the final decision.

Recently, we decided to purchase a new refrigerator. I told her that I had a lot of confidence in her. 

I told her to go ahead, pick one, and then buy it. 

Instead, she insisted that I visit Best Buy, Sears, and H.H. Gregg to look at refrigerators. 

After I saw them all, I helped her pick one. We bought the best refrigerator, according to her research.

Because some items are major purchases, we need to understand how our prospects make their decisions. 

Oftentimes, the final decision maker is not the person calling. The choice may be a joint decision between two or more individuals made later. 

In those cases, it will be impossible to book an appointment because the caller can’t make the final decision. Then, what should we do?

When we receive a phone call, we should be educators, as much as salespeople. 

If we don’t educate, the prospect assumes that all competitors are the same; therefore, they focus only on price. 

It’s up to you to make sure that no caller hangs up uninformed. 

As you talk, ask probing questions to uncover the prospect’s knowledge, and then educate as needed.

After you’ve educated the caller, attempt to book an appointment. 

If the caller hesitates, answer any objections, and then attempt to book again. 

If they still resist, remember you might not be talking to the final decision maker. 

Your next step is to arrange a visit. Ask them to bring another person for input. 

Remember, it’s a lot easier to convince a prospect to give you 15 minutes of time instead of a $500 sale.

Explain the benefits of a store visit such as touching your samples, looking at your completed job photo album, or reading your customer’s testimonial letters. 

Also, you can tell them that you want to walk them through the entire installment process. Be available to do it at a time when the decision maker can come. 

Remember; don’t be too busy to schedule visits! Selling through visits could eventually be your best sales tool.