(Image by Mohamed Ibrahim)
The uncertain economy is making it difficult for many firms to break out of the economic doldrums that have been sitting over us for what seems like a really long time. Every once in a while we get a peek at the sun coming out from behind the dark clouds, but the clouds won’t move completely out of the way. The result is worried professionals trying to get business from companies whose leaders are also worried, stressed out, over worked, and bombarded with offers.
What does it take to get through to those buyers, who don’t see an end in sight to the chaos? It calls for analysis, planning, and old fashioned hard work. No one is going to give you a magic wand to wave.
You want to start by acknowledging your buyers’ predicament. They are, as Jill Konrath writes, suffering from “Frazzled Customer Syndrome,” and you need to approach them differently than how you have handled other prospects and leads in the past. In fact, “traditional sales strategies actually create insurmountable obstacles that can derail your sales efforts,” Konrath writes in her article, What to Do When Clients Suffer from ‘Frazzled Customer Syndrome’.
Following Konrath’s SNAP Rules, however, you can change how such prospects react to you. Start by keeping it simple. Make it easy for them to buy from you, she says. You also want to show that you’re invaluable, align what you do with what they want to achieve, and raise priorities.
Colleen Stanley adds that successful selling starts with having the right intent. Enter each sales call with a sincere desire to understand and help your prospects and clients, not simply make a quick sale. [click to continue…]
