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If You Make
’Em, Don’t Break ’Em One
of the greatest fears prospects have is that a sales professional will promise
anything, just to get the sale. While this is certainly not the norm, there are
some cases in which this is true, and unfortunately, the entire sales profession
is painted with the same wide brush. So,
what can you do to assure your prospect that you keep your word? First,
make only those promises that you are absolutely certain you can keep. If you
are certain you can deliver the guaranteed outcome, such as faster receipt
printing or 24-hour customer support, then make the promise. However,
if you aren’t certain, don’t make the promise or guarantee. It takes only
one disappointed customer or one unmet expectation to ruin a deal. Take care
especially in situations in which you must rely on others. For instance, if you
want to promise next day delivery of loaner equipment, make sure that when you
make that promise, the prospect understands that you can’t control UPS, FedEX
or the weather. Second,
be sure to promise only attainable goals. A small increase in sales is certainly
possible, however, a 50% increase may be a bit steep. While you may be tempted,
don’t guarantee such grand results unless you have done the research and
legwork necessary to back it up. You may truly believe that your service is the
best, and that you can turn a business with an average performance into a
thriving venture. Go ahead and share your feelings with the prospect—just
don’t promise anything. After
the merchant has used your service for a month or two, check back to ensure that
he is satisfied. If he is unhappy, and he wants to get out of the contract, it
may be because he had unrealistic expectations. Now is the time to make sure he
understands what is reasonable, well before six months go by. You
can certainly share with the prospect your other clients’ success stories and
explain how he could realize similar benefits. However, do not guarantee or
promise such benefits, unless you can predict the future. And if you can do that
you are in the wrong business. |
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copyright 2001 · The Green Sheet, Inc. |
