The Psychology of Selling
What if the art of soliciting work was less about what you say but more about what you ask? Instead of always focusing on what to say next — talking to yourself rather than truly listening to the prospective client — you would be actively engaged in the process by focusing on client needs.
This and other key points for Psychology and Strategy of Sales are addressed by Shawn McCadden in a recent spot on Remodeling TV. In the short excerpt from his seminar, McCadden points out that a real understanding of sales, understanding “the psychology of this dance that’s going on,” can make a world of difference to your company.
As McCadden summarized, “The questions that you ask will be far more valuable in proving your value — the difference that you bring to the table — than the answers you give.”
McCadden covered several other points in this excerpt (part 1 of the seminar), but there was one other which I found to be especially pertinent. It involved “Determining Your Niche.” That is, know who it is you want to sell to and where they are. Just as important as paying attention to a prospect and asking questions is, it is equally important as a contractor or business to know what you want as well.
In other words, find your niche, find who you want to sell to and focus your attention there. It may take longer to put things in motion, but a localized and focused selling process will reap strong benefits, says McCadden, such as referrals and repeat business — very important facets of business in dark economic times. And as hard as it may be to get the “niche” ball rolling, it will be equally hard to stop once on the move.
Tags: advice, generating sales, interviewing clients, mccadden, meeting, psychology, questions, remodeling tv, selling