How to Earn the Right to Ask the Customer to Buy from You: Tip #2

Let’s work through a common scenario together.  Let’s say you finally got the prospect, you’ve been after for months, to give you an appointment.  That’s huge!  Now, what do you do?  It’s 4:30 PM.  Your appointment is at 10 AM the day after tomorrow.  And, tomorrow is a day packed full of seeing customers.

Those golf clubs are calling to you from the trunk of your car, aren’t they?  Maybe you hear those gorgeous shoes from Nordstrom flapping in their box.  It seems that you’re left with a choice.  Do you celebrate?  Or, do you stay and prep for this customer?  If you’re wondering how to earn the right to ask the customer to buy from you – stop, look at your habits and check in with yourself.

How to Earn the Right to Ask the Customer to Buy from You

You were ready to celebrate, weren’t you?  If you would have gone to the golf course or Nordstrom, let me share with you, from personal experience, how that choice usually plays out…

The next day runs longer than anticipated making you late in getting your daughter to the soccer game.  You plan to prep in the evening, after the game, but you get so wrapped up in that great movie on TV.  One thing leads to another so before your big appointment the next morning, you only have time to do the dashboard/armrest prep.  How’d you think that works for ya?

Bottom line: If you don’t put in the effort, you can’t expect to get much in return. Nor, do you deserve it, because you didn’t earn the right to ask the customer to buy from you in the first place.

Get Out of your Own Way & Take Responsibility

You aren’t alone!  The scenario above takes place every day in the lives of most average to below average producing salespeople.  I know because I used to be one of them!

I was in my third year of telephone sales when Karen (my manager) hit me over the head with a proverbial two-by-four.  After her “comin’ to Jesus” talk, I realized:

• how much money I was leaving on the table,
• how many sales contests I was losing,
• how much I was underserving my customer,
• how embarrassed I was to be an average producer,
• how unorganized I was,
• how stressed I was,
• and, I was causing all this unrest myself.

If you can relate, try this….

Tip #2: Check in With Yourself

Think about your situation.  If you’re in the same boat that I was, you need to know that land is right in front of you.  You just need to get out of your own way to see it – how to earn the right to ask the customer to buy from you.  Since I’ve lived this experience, I can show you how.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you take responsibility:

• Why don’t I put effort into consistent preparation?
• What am I doing that is holding me back?
• How can I become an expert in my products and services?
• Who should I talk with to give me insight?

The Choice is Yours

Over the years, I have learned that everything we act upon or do comes down to a choice, and every choice has a consequence.  Good, bad, whatever.  Your actions are your choices, and your choices are your reality.  Repeat after me –

I believe in taking responsibility for my actions, and therefore I hold myself accountable to a high standard.

When I finally learned this, my managers never had to put pressure on me because I put enough pressure on myself.  If a sale didn’t work out, I stopped blaming the customer.  I stopped to analyze what I could have done to lose the sale.  Most of the time, it was because I wasn’t prepared or didn’t do my homework before the sales call.

Know that every superstar sales rep started at the lowest rung of the ladder. They became superstars because they chose to commit themselves to the learning process and then worked to become experts.  Commit to do the same and fly up that ladder!

It Starts with You

1. You have the power to change your sales conversation mindset.
2. You are in charge of your own
3. You are in charge over the success that you will experience in your sales career.
4. You can change not only your way of life but your customer’s way of life for the better.

Like one of my role models, Wayne Dyer, says:

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

What is Your Sales Conversation Mindset?

Do you Sell or do you Serve?  Learn how to shift from ‘selling’ to ‘guiding’ your customers to a successful outcome EVERY TIME! Get Your Copy of Chiqeeta’s Bestselling Book Today!

Chiqeeta Jameson – Sales Coach, Speaker and #1 Bestselling Author of Don’t Sell. Let Them Buy, Master the Sales Conversation and Guide Your Customers To A Successful Outcome Every Time.

www.ChiqeetaJameson.com