Business Marketing Magazine Summer 2017 December 2015 The best of 2015 | Page 11

Some try to carry their prospect down the
path kicking and screaming. Some try to drag
them. Some try to distract them, push them,
blindfold them…you get the picture.
How do the best do it? The mental image is
that of confidently walking hand-in-hand
from the beginning to the end, perhaps with
a stall or hesitation here and there by the
The first and simplest way
prospect, but with caring reassurances and
to maintain control:
Use good QUESTIONS! This allows for me to invitations all along the way, until one step
listen to my prospect, allows them to create at a time the sale is created! The journey is
their own need, reveal their own concerns complete.
or hot-button benefits, and most importantly, points the interaction in the direction I
want it to go – a win-win SALE! Good questions allow you to receive feedback! And you
can consider it all positive feedback, because
they’ll either agree with you and continue
with your process, or you’ll discover their
true concerns, and then know what you really need to address.
the myriad elements at work in a sale, the
answer is not as simple. This skill is layered
like an onion, with many levels from crude
to elegant. Let us explore some of the makeup and results of maintaining control in our
sales.

Second
Be Agreeable
One of the quickest ways to lose control and
destroy my chances for success is to allow
confrontation into the interaction. By learning to be agreeable, avoiding confrontation, I
will hold onto control much better.

Third
Have a clear process
You must have a logical sequence of steps to
take to go from introduction to close.
But this is not enough! Ideally you must also
have the skill to navigate your process tactfully, without harshness, destructive interaction, and a win-win result. As you journey
down your process/path with your prospect
toward the desired sale - the inevitable result of completing your process/path - intentionally create your experience together.

“Control,
control, you
must learn
control!”

- Yoda
Selling this way, maintaining control this
way, results in a true win-win situation, and
customers who love your product and service, and will not regret your interaction.
Other benefits of maintaining control are:
*It allows you to put the focus where it truly belongs – on the benefits they’ll receive,
rather than their concerns.