successful selling grab the spotlight

Whether the customer walks in to your car yard, Real Estate office, Shop, or you are making a call over the phone, open with a focus on your customer, this opening sets the tone.TIP: Remember when a potential customer walks in to your shop they have come to buy, so why not from you? Set the tone and win their business.When opening a sale there are four important things you must accomplish these are:
Create Rapport: Without establishing rapport with your customer your opening is heading for disaster. As a sales professional you have 5 seconds to establish rapport with your customer. These five seconds are critical to your success.
Establish the purpose: Clarify the purpose of your call iyou are on the phone, and if face to face clarify what you can do for them - your customer.
Set the Focus: make the customer feel important by setting the focus on them.
Bridge: Bridge to the customers needs.
Where you are in the sales cycle will determine the emphasis on each of the above points.Tip: Always leverage your openings to the maximum.Grabbing the spotlight could go something like this for a new customer," Hello I am Brian, thanks for taking the time to come into our store.... (Rapport). I know you are busy...How can I assist you today? (Then briefly bullet your agenda). How does that sound? You have now transferred the spotlight onto the customer and have positioned your self to identify their needs.After you have established rapport, show the customer how you can assist (if you are on the phone state the purpose of your call from the customers' perspective.) Briefly bullet the key points of your agenda and keep checking with the customer that this meets with their expectations.While your objective is to get a commitment and sale which is how you measure your success, your purpose answers the all important question from the customer's perspective which is "What's in it for me (the customer)". So aim for your objective by positioning your self with your purpose as you open the sale to engage and gain interest from your customer.Far too many sales people are focused on them selves when they open a sale, which usually hurts not only rapport but also the relationship. By being customer focused you as the sales person will realize the importance of an opening that builds common ground and a shared understanding of your customers needs.Follow these simple steps to work on this skill:
Prepare to build Rapport. Take time to plan on how you will achieve this.
Totally leverage your open. Plan what you want to accomplish from your greeting, rapport, purpose and confirming the agenda.
Define the purpose. Turn your measurable objective into your customer focused purpose to gain your customers interest.

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