Just an hour ago, I had just completed a remote sales meeting with one of my most valued clients. The program allows us to interact with people remotely via teleconferences, webinars, and one-on-one coaching calls. I was discussing the dynamics of your meetings with buyers and what motivates them to buy from ME.
A series of slides was shown to me about how the mind works. Don’t think of the other person as a prospect or suspect. Let go of all the sales talk and treat this person as a person. Your “buyers”, are simply regular people who make purchases or make decisions every day just like you.
You’re probably right. In fact, you have made hundreds of buying decisions in the last week. You don’t believe so? How about this… You’re tired and beat on Friday morning. You’ve had a long week. Now it’s Friday morning and you’re ready to get on the road for work. Yes! Yes! Urrggh. Do you want to take her car? You don’t need to go anywhere, as you will get gas tonight on your way home from work. You’re flying to get to the meeting at 9:00, but there’s an accident ahead. Weesh! Here we go… at the next intersection, you turn left and follow the side streets weaving through traffic to get to your home at the nearest parking spot. You finally walk in. It’s 8.45. Time to grab a cup of Joe, get up, make a shake, and check your voice mails. It’s Susan, your new client. You can guess that you’ll get a quick phone call before the Sales Beat…
What number of decisions do you believe you have made? In the real world, there are many, and it’s not even 9 a.m. Ohh! And when you drive home, the little gas pump appears on your dashboard display. Which gas station will you use? Shell and BP [oops. Not a good example. Let’s try again] Shell or Exxon [hmmm] Shell or Chevron are your options. Shell is at $2.72, while Chevron is on the right. Chevron is at $2.69.
We all make purchases or make decisions every day. This is what your buyers experience. These people are searching for something better than the current situation. You won’t get far if you don’t have a connection with them and their interests.
Although we love to spit on the gecko, “15 minutes could help you save 15 percent or more on car insurance.” Millions of people have embraced a cute little mascot that even 4-year-olds recognize. Why? You can make a huge return on your investment by putting in a little effort.
How do you approach the idea of speaking to people about the “why” of working with them? WHY is an emotive proposition. People buy based on what they feel. It doesn’t matter if it “just feels right”, or, Joe, there’s something that just doesn’t feel right about Joe.
Imagine if you could just sit down and tell people, “Brian,” that the way you see insurance is the same as how you see everything else. This applies whether you’re buying new tires for your truck, new shoes or taking your client out to lunch. It’s really as easy as buying the item and paying the price.
When I think about those tires, I consider the cost of the tread life, warranty, and the number of shops that will offer me a free flat repair. They seem to be friendly and interested in my business. It’s interesting to see how people can be so indifferent even in difficult times.
Here’s some of the ways I teach producers how to talk with buyers when I speak with them about insurance.
“So, to start, I want to say that I understand the importance of numbers to us all right now and I’m going leave that one alone.” “We will get there, but not yet.” “First, let me just listen to what you want and need. What expectations do you have of your insurance company regarding the amount of money that you pay? How many years have you worked with them? What kind of results do you expect from your company’s people?
Your buyer will weigh the options based on their decisions, not yours. It’s just like when you drive home from work searching for the best gas station. Your buyer might tell you that it is all about price but, in reality, we all buy from people we like.
There’s a lot more to be discussed, so we’ll continue that discussion next month.
