When selling, the rule is:
Don’t lead WITH your product. Instead, lead people TOWARDS it.
In other words, if you’re selling pensions, don’t start with “Do you want a pension?”
Instead, prepare great questions, to build a conversation that leads to someone realising they want one.
(Spoiler alert: all great salespeople ask great questions)
You do this by starting with what you want to sell, then working backwards, to identify questions that’ll uncover whether they need it. Example:
- Who do you know who’s having a great retirement? (The customer says one of their friends)
- Why do you mention her?
- What is it about her retirement that most appeals to you?
- Out of all the things she has, what’s most important to you?
- How soon would you like to retire like that?
- And will your retirement be like that?
If they say “no”/“not sure”, say something like “I can help you with that. Here’s how…”
And you’re now talking about your pension. They’re more willing to listen. And you’re more confident when you do.
Action Point
Invest time creating a list of questions, to lead people TOWARDS your product. Much better than blurting out “do you want to buy something or not?”