How To Sell Anything

The fun part of selling for most people is the demonstration or presentation of the product.

This is where you get to engage your prospective client in all the wonderful things it can do for them.

Unfortunately, too many salespeople spend way too much time… on this part of the selling process. They insist on demonstrating every feature—especially features that are fun for them. However, those features may not be of interest to the client at all. That’s when sales are lost.

Clients realize you’re not listening. You don’t really understand or care about what they want and need and they’ll shop elsewhere as soon as you take a breath in your monologue.

You’ll see more results if you spend the majority of your time qualifying and figuring out the needs of your clients than in demonstrating something that might turn them off—even if it is the coolest feature on the planet. By qualifying I mean that you ask them questions about their needs, wants and feelings as they relate to your type of product.

As important as demonstrating your product is (and it’s very important), if you do it with the wrong people because you didn’t qualify properly, it’s all for nothing. Once you know the concerns and interests of your potential clients or business associates, you have to follow these steps:

1. Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
This is your introduction.

2. Tell them what you’re there to tell them.
This is your presentation.

3. Tell them what you just told them.
This is your summary.

That’s the outline of all successful speeches, presentations, and demonstrations. So think in terms of tell, tell, tell.

While you’re telling, you must keep your clients mentally and physically involved in the presentation. How? By asking involvement questions, that will keep them thinking about how they’ll use your offering once they own it. Pay attention to the answers; nothing destroys rapport like asking the same question twice.

Give him simple things to do. Let him figure something out or run the machine you’re demonstrating. Have your client take something from you. Don’t ask, “Would you please hold this?” because the client may say he doesn’t want to. Say just one word: “Here.” The client’s automatic reflex will cause him to take whatever you hand him, and then he’s involved.

Once they have it (the remote control for the machine you’re demonstrating, a copy of your proposal, the owner’s manual, whatever will help you most) the process of emotional involvement in your offering is well under way.