The fourth step in our successful sales formula is Need Satisfaction. When we do the proper Need Analysis, we understand the prospect’s needs and desires. We follow this with Need Awareness, we make sure that we understand the needs and desires AND the prospect understands the needs and desires. After the sales professional and the prospect are both aware, we offer the Need Solution in the form of our product or service. Finally, we have reached the moment of truth – Need Satisfaction.
Selling, as in life, we are all BORN TO WIN, but to be the WINNER, we were all meant to be, we must PLAN to win, we must PREPARE to win, and THEN we can EXPECT to win. This is the sales attitude that all successful sales professionals work to develop – the sales attitude that WE must work to develop. If we PREPARE and PLAN, then we have every reason to EXPECT to sell.
Sales professionals must be persistent and persuasive and repeating the asking for the order one more time. Asking for the order five times or more can be extremely difficult if we (a) don’t have a deep belief in the value of your product or service (b) haven’t done the proper job with the first three steps (Need Analysis, Need Awareness and Need Solution) in our four-step selling formula or (c ) don’t expect to make the sale.
Salespeople also miss sales because they “assume” everything is “all set”. The sale is not a sure thing until the order is signed, the goods or services are delivered and paid for AND the customer is satisfied. Confidence in ourself as a person and then as a salesperson is essential, however, overconfidence leads to arrogance and salespeople lose “sure” sales.
There are critical lessons here. Number One, there is no such thing as a sure sale until the order is signed, the merchandise or service is paid for and the customer is happy with the transaction. Number two, the “sure sale” wasn’t sure until the prospect is reassured. There are many ways to ask for the order and we need to focus on three K.I.S.S – Keep It Simple Salesperson. We do not need to reinvent the wheel, go to the school on other people’s experience and let these three methods be the foundation upon which we build our successful sales career.
A sale is made on every interview. In our business, the only way we are going to survive – much less prosper – is to have customers who become assistant salespeople and feed us prospects and references. We must remember that no matter how good our products may be or regardless of the quality of our presentation, we are bankrupt and out of business if we do not have someone to tell our story to. We must make the prospect see that they had just BOUGHT and not felt that they had been SOLD, the key element in sales. Our role is to become an assistant buyer and help the prospects make the purchase – not to make them feel we have just sold them. Work within the framework of our own personality and don’t give up our backbone, regardless of circumstances, technical knowledge, type of prospect, experience, investment, or anything else – ALWAYS ASK FOR THE ORDER.
(Adapted from “The Ultimate Handbook for the Complete Sales Professional – Ziglar on Selling”, Chapter 10 – The ABCs of Closing Sales, A.A.F.T.O = Always Ask for the Order, by Zig Ziglar)