PART 4 IN OUR SERIES BASED ON THE BOOK TO SELL IS HUMAN

According to author Daniel H. Pink in To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, clarity is “the capacity to help others see their situations in fresh and more revealing ways and to identify problems they didn’t know they had.”

While in the past, salespeople had privileged access to information about their industry’s issues and solutions, buyers now have access to much of the same through the Internet. Without the expertise to determine what’s accurate or relevant to their situation, customers may misdiagnose their problems and incorrectly identify what will solve them. That means today’s sales professionals must be problem-finders as well as problem-solvers.

Cut Through the Clutter and Create Clarity

Buyers need your help! By creating clarity through curating relevant information (and weeding out what’s irrelevant) and sharing your expert insight, you can empower customers to understand their needs and the solutions that will meet them.

• Ask questions to narrow down their preferences. For example, don’t show them gray samples if they want a tan deck color.
• If you believe the customer’s preferences will not yield the best results, offer your informed opinion. For instance, if they want a tan deck but you believe gray would provide a more cohesive look, explain why and show them samples of the hues you recommend.
• Before ending a customer meeting, provide clear expectations for both parties. For example: “I’ll send you a quote in a week. In the meantime, you’ll decide which color in the Sanctuary line you want and verify if rod railing meets your HOA’s rules.”

Next, look for Part 5 in our series: Pitch. If you missed them, read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 now.