The common theme of most sales methodology is to get sales people to first:
* Ask questions; * Find out customers' real needs; and * Find out their buying decision structure
Then suggest solutions that will meet their needs.
However, this model may not be appropriate all the time. During one customer visit that we had with the key decision maker, we tried asking them various questions to know what they need, so that we can provide the right solutions for them. The customer replied us "I don't know, you tell me!". We then find out with whom we can get more information, and then had an agreement from the customer to contact the relevant person. Later, before we can reach out to the said person to ask further questions, we were told that since we didn't impress them enough in the initial contact, there's no need to find out more about their needs. While personally I'm tempted to say that that customer is an idiot, on retrospect and reflection, I believe what we could have done better was to be a bit more assertive and earn their attention and interest. Even when we don't know what their real needs yet.
The Yin of Selling Most people will think of Yin and Yang as day and night, positive and negative. In our case, however, we borrow the concept of Yin and Yang from Chinese martial arts. Whereas Yang in martial arts refers to the hard, rigid and aggressive (or assertive) styles, Yin refers to soft, flexible and receptive ones. In sales, the traditional aggressive sales person who would force his products and services right at you, and not let you go unless some cash (usually a big amount) is squeezed out of you. Generally, they:
* Ask questions;
* Find out customers' real needs; and
* Find out their buying decision structure
Then suggest solutions that will meet their needs.
However, this model may not be appropriate all the time. During one customer visit that we had with the key decision maker, we tried asking them various questions to know what they need, so that we can provide the right solutions for them. The customer replied us "I don't know, you tell me!". We then find out with whom we can get more information, and then had an agreement from the customer to contact the relevant person.
Later, before we can reach out to the said person to ask further questions, we were told that since we didn't impress them enough in the initial contact, there's no need to find out more about their needs.
While personally I'm tempted to say that that customer is an idiot, on retrospect and reflection, I believe what we could have done better was to be a bit more assertive and earn their attention and interest. Even when we don't know what their real needs yet.
The Yin of Selling
Most people will think of Yin and Yang as day and night, positive and negative. In our case, however, we borrow the concept of Yin and Yang from Chinese martial arts.
Whereas Yang in martial arts refers to the hard, rigid and aggressive (or assertive) styles, Yin refers to soft, flexible and receptive ones.
In sales, the traditional aggressive sales person who would force his products and services right at you, and not let you go unless some cash (usually a big amount) is squeezed out of you. Generally, they:
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