Back in the late 90s I was training sales people on how to be better consultative sales people. As I think back now there was one phrase that stuck in my head: Premature Elaboration. Back then and still today it can be described as a sales disease whereby the seller starts elaborating on the product and or service well before they really understand what the buyer’s requirements are and the driving reasons for those requirements. This disease meets the needs of the sales person but does very little for the buyer.
This is very true for the more experienced sales people. You see it is an interesting fact that happens to many sales people. When they first start in sales in a particular field or with a particular product, they tend to ask a lot more questions. They haven’t been around long enough to feel so confident that they have seen everything. However after a year or two, they feel as if they have seen everything. When that happens they start telling rather than selling.
You see one of the first things in sales is to find out the buyer’s requirements. The first part of selling is the ability to ask questions to uncover what the buyer really needs and wants. If you can go a little deeper you can even get to the driving reasons behind each of those. If you are too busy telling them things then you are not asking enough questions in order to uncover their requirements and reasons for each of them.
So next time you find yourself telling your clients something early on in the sales process, take a deep breath and simply start asking better questions. Rather than saying, “so you have two children and therefore want at least 3 bedrooms in a good school district” ask them some better questions. One simple question which many of us ask is how many bedrooms would you prefer in your new home? How important is the local school district?
You may end up finding out that one child needs special schooling and Is in private school while the other is home schooled. Of course they have decided for resale they still need a good school district but simply understanding that much more about them makes you a better agent and therefore a better advocate for your client. After all, this is not about us but rather it is all about our clients.
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