Discuss, Dialogue & Deal with Customers

Salespersons must understand that if they want to deal with customers successfully they should initiate a discussion through a process of dialogue rather than debate and for sure derail a sales training!

What happens if you debate with a customer?

1. You win the debate. ( Customer will develop an ego problem and will never buy from you)
2. Customer wins the debate. (Customer will never buy from you)

So it is clear that debating with customers does not lead you anywhere in life even if you have very strong points in your favour in the said debate.

What is the advantage if salesperson enters into a discussion through a dialogue and avoids the debate?

Example:

Customer – I am sure that your product is not of the right quality. The look and feel itself tells me everything.

Bad salesperson – Sir, let me prove to you that my product is of the highest quality sales audit due to the following reasons : a) ISO certified b) ISI mark from govt of India c) Customer installed base of 2000 d) Complaint history is zero e) so many good features in my product.

Good Salesperson – Sir, you are such an experienced person. You must be right in your judgement. What kind of look and feel are you looking at? For fulfilling the need in question, what kind of product are you using right now? How is its performance? etc etc These questions will make the customer talking and you have already started a dialogue with the customer market penetration strategy.

Advantage :

When customer talks

1. It helps the salesperson conduct his “Need Analysis”.
2. Customer raises objections and the salesperson gets an opportunity to handle the “Objections”.
3. Salesperson gets an opportunity to understand the customers perspective so that he can explain / demo his product with the right perspective. e.g. A customer buying washing machine has little space in his balcony to use the front loading option and the salesperson starts lauding the advantage of a front loading washing machine because there was no dialogue. Finally the salesperson lost the sale.
4. Salesperson will get an opportunity to close the sale.
5. Sales management training call will not get derailed.

As a fresher in Eureka Forbes, where I started my career in Sales, we were made to take an oath: ” Thou shall never debate with a customer. Your job is to discuss with the customer through a dialogue.!”