Will Customer say "YES", the first time?



I was speaking to an "old timer"selling" the other day. The conversation drifted from topics on selling skills, product types, customers' buying behaviours etc to how technology development and advancement had transformed "face-to-face" selling to web-based selling ...

The one thing that stuck to my mind was when this guy said "Customer will always say NO when you sell to him the first time".

Hmmm ... is there any truth in what he said? He further added "if a customer said YES the first time, there must be something wrong with the customer ... "

TRUE? Yes and No.

Yes, the customer is crazy, the "old timer" said, if he buys from you the first time when he has no idea about the product other than to please you or to get rid of you. He must be crazy or very loaded in his pocket.

No, he is not crazy, if the product is a known brand irrespective of whether he has or has no experience with the product, and the price meets his expectation.

In today's environment, pushing a sales, based on lowest product pricing, is not the way to go as competitive products and disastrous pricing have complicated the market place. There is a "bottomless pit" in pricing as well!

Customers are now more selective in their demands and choices aplenty. Product needs to have "value add" in order to tilt the edge to the winner, and customers perception must also be so.. Today, "need selling skill" is inadequate. Customers look beyond the physical product.

Decision to purchase is also based on "delivery of quality customer services", brand image, accessibility, price perception etc

Thus, it is possible to have a customer saying "YES", the first time, when the product has reached the level of brand recognition, quality and the Company known for its reliable quality sales service.

Today's challenges are different from yester-years. Customers are more educated and they know what they want. They are more discerning and willing to "pay for good quality products and services". Thus, pricing is not the only criteria in decision making.

Sales personnel must thus understand his targeted customers' demography, behaviour and location. He must also develop his own "customer data profile/customer relationship management program" and use this diligently in order to have competitive edge over his adversaries.

He must also have the personality, perseverance, soft selling and creative skills.


/31-07-2014



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