I’m about to tell you a story about my friend, Will, who recently paid a visit to a Verizon Wireless store to learn if he wanted to switch his cellular service from Sprint.  Something we can all relate too…

But before I begin, quickly review these basic stages of the buying/selling process*:

1. Introduction: Make a favorable first impression
2. Gain favorable attention: Two-way communication/sell the prospect on you
3. Discover wants and needs: Discover what the prospect wants, needs, and why
4. Presentation: Present your product or service in terms of benefits to the prospec
5. Commitment: Ask for the order/Advance to the next step
6. Follow-up: Over deliver

Keep these stages in mind as you follow along with this story:

Will was intrigued by my Motorola Droid and wondered if maybe he should switch from Sprint to Verizon Wireless so that he, too, could benefit from all the features that the droid, per Verizon Wireless, has to offer.  However, he didn’t want to switch providers just for the product alone.  He also wanted to make sure that Verizon was the best solution for him overall (price, service, products).

When Will arrived at his local Verizon store a representative who I’ll refer to as Cathy greeted him.

Will told Cathy that he was a Sprint customer but he wanted to compare and contrast Verizon’s phones and plans before signing another contract with Sprint.  He also asked one question: “Do you match Sprint’s pricing on phone plans?”

In response, Cathy boasted, “Well…we invest millions of dollars in R&D; wouldn’t you want to go with the best?” (This must’ve been her way of saying ‘no’; they don’t match Sprint’s pricing on phone plans.)

Will was completely turned off by Cathy’s response but kindly told her, “thank you…I’ll think about it. I’m going to compare Sprint’s products and prices, and possibly come back.”

To which Cathy objected, “So you’re going with Sprint then?”  Will never said that; however, he renewed his contract with Sprint later that day as a result of comparing and contrasting his customer experience!

Where in the buying selling/process did “cocky Cathy” lose “willing to switch Will”?

If you ask me, Cathy didn’t get past Stage 2 with Will: Gaining favorable attention.  Will was taken back by her response about being the best because of R&D investment dollars.  Cathy assumed that investing more money into R&D automatically makes you the superior company/provider, and she expected Will to believe her.

What could Cathy have done to save the sale?

Well, as this headline suggests, Cathy could have kept Will involved in the buying/selling process.  Here’s how a better conversation would have looked:

Will: “Does Verizon match Sprint’s prices on phone plans?”

Cathy: “What Sprint plans are you referring to?” (Cathy clears up any ambiguities before proceeding)

Will:  “Well I happen to be looking for the cheapest plan for my personal phone plan since my company already pays for my business phone plan.” (Will reveals he didn’t have a specific Sprint plan in mind, but is looking for the best deal.  He thinks the best deal is the cheapest price; its Cathy’s job to help him discover the best deal is going to be the best return on his investment, without insulting him!)

Cathy: “OK, what are the top 3-5 things you want to be able to do with your phone?” (Cathy makes it to stage 3: Discovering wants and needs!)

Will: “Well, I’m interested in a smart phone. I want to be able to text quickly and easily, take/share photos, and access the Internet if I want to.”

Cathy: “What smart phones, if any, are you familiar with?” (Cathy is learning the prospect’s level of knowledge with smart phones, as well as selecting a benchmark product from which she could upsell/downsell, if necessary).

Will: “Not too many, but my friend has the Motorola Droid and I’m really impressed with the technology.”

At this point Cathy can bring out the Motorola Droid and proceed with Stage 4 (Present the product in terms of benefits to the customer).  Will may be so dazzled with the Droid’s features and benefits that he is sold on the spot and forgets about plan pricing (the Droid will make life more fun and the things Will wants and likes to do easier); Cathy has successfully brought him to this place.

On the other hand, if Cathy failed to emotionally hook Will during this presentation stage, he may still be wondering if he could get a different smart phone for a cheaper plan at Sprint.  Based on Will’s reaction to her presentation, Cathy would have the opportunity to sell ROI with a less expensive smart phone paired with a family plan, for example, or some other strategy that Cathy has rehearsed as a possible scenario.

Always keep your prospect involved:

• Don’t ever be cocky about your product or service.

• You can’t effectively sell your product/service unless you first ask open-ended questions to discover wants and needs.

• Take the time to understand WHY your prospect has his/her particular wants/needs/desires.

• Pay attention to your prospect’s reaction and body language through each stage of the buying/selling process; earn the right to proceed to each successive stage.

• Be prepared to up-sell or down-sell your prospects based on their reaction to your product/service presentation.

What particular buying/selling lesson can you share?

*Stages of The Buying/Selling Process adapted from Resource Associates Corporation’s Sales Development Process

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