You can do that - GET OUT OF HERE!
Coffee shops seem to be my new thing. Today, I met with a person who I have connected with on Linkedin at Starbucks.
As we pleasantly greet each other, we walked up to the counter to order coffees. He had just read my blog, so he was half laughing when he ordered his coffee and quickly asked what it said about him.
It seems that this marketing blog is getting more mileage than I.
As he ordered, I noticed that he put his phone to a technology gadget and immediately I asked what he was doing. He was in fact paying for the coffees with his Starbucks app.
I am sure that I have heard about this before and since forgotten since I am not a huge fan of Starbucks coffee although I do love their concept and all of their marketing. I was completely amazed that one can just pay for their coffee with an app that you top up whenever you need to. How easy is that. Gosh, perhaps Marketing Eye needs an app like that. I am totally in awe of the marketing genius behind this app - easy, convenient and what I call a "no brainer".
As we sat down and started to chat, he asked all the questions, like the good sales person he is. Then he started to tell me about a tax effective option, which I wasn't quite in the market for, but nevertheless I listened.
As we pleasantly greet each other, we walked up to the counter to order coffees. He had just read my blog, so he was half laughing when he ordered his coffee and quickly asked what it said about him.
It seems that this marketing blog is getting more mileage than I.
As he ordered, I noticed that he put his phone to a technology gadget and immediately I asked what he was doing. He was in fact paying for the coffees with his Starbucks app.
I am sure that I have heard about this before and since forgotten since I am not a huge fan of Starbucks coffee although I do love their concept and all of their marketing. I was completely amazed that one can just pay for their coffee with an app that you top up whenever you need to. How easy is that. Gosh, perhaps Marketing Eye needs an app like that. I am totally in awe of the marketing genius behind this app - easy, convenient and what I call a "no brainer".
As we sat down and started to chat, he asked all the questions, like the good sales person he is. Then he started to tell me about a tax effective option, which I wasn't quite in the market for, but nevertheless I listened.
Once again, I was in awe. Here we had a guy in possibly his late 20's or early 30's and he didn't miss a beat. He clearly explained what his company does which ended up being slightly different to what I first thought. He was a financial planner and while I am not in the market for a financial planner, I was certainly intrigued by what he had to say and the way he said it.
Not once, not twice, not three times but seven times - he tried to close a deal. I kid you not! I was impressed. I could certainly learn a thing or two from him in closing although it didn't necessarily work as I was not in the market for a financial planner and I am a fairly astute investor who has been around the tracks one or two times.
I know in Atlanta and America as a whole, the whole sales process is much more aggressive, which doesn't suit an Australian who is as laid back as myself, but is certainly something that we as a company need to be more aware of and learn how to do. Having had a marketing firm for as long as I have had one, you learn fairly fast that the consultative sale is not as straight forward as a normal sale where you close at the end.
How many times should a sales person try and close a deal in one meeting? I am interested in what you have to say.
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comments ( 5 )
Maria Alda Prawitera
03 Apr 2013I think it depends on the client's interest and behaviour. If the client seems interested and if she/he asks more questions about what the salesperson is trying to sell, then the salesperson should take every opportunity to add more value in the pitch (in accordance to what the consumer seem to be concerned about), and persuade the consumer.
ReplyHowever, it is very important not to be too pushy either. When selling, the salesperson needs to approach the client as a friend, and make it seem like they are genuinely trying to help.
If the client does not seem interested from the start, I don't think that leaving the client straight away is the best thing to do either. Instead, the salesperson should keep engaging during the service encounter (keep being friendly and build relationships with them, to leave a good impression).
Arnaud
12 Mar 2013I agree with Lea and Amanda on this point: very often, a potential client can lose the trust he had in a salesperson if this last one tries to close a deal several times in one meeting. The client can sometimes feel like the only thing the seller wants is to close the deal without building a real professional relationship.
ReplyBut it's not always the case. I believe that some clients could be seduced by the audacity, the nerve of a seller trying to close a deal several times in one meeting.
So as often in business, everything depends on the client you talk to.
Lea
10 Mar 2013I agree with Amanda, if a salesperson pushes you too much into buying things, after a while you realize that he's not trying to help you but he's just trying to profit and you lose any trust in him.
ReplyAmanda Flynn
05 Mar 2013Trying to continuously close a deal with a consumer who has turned down the opportunity more than once in one meeting can create frustration in the consumer, making them feel like they are being used where the salesperson is only interested in "closing the deal" rather than building a professional relationship with them.
ReplyWe have all experienced a salesperson trying to continuously sell us "something" when shopping in a store persisting on finding you a option even when you have expressed your disinterest many times but they continuously try to find something to suit your need even if it isn't what your looking for. I know this makes me angry and frustrated and possibly makes me less likely to purchase. Understanding what the consumer wants to buy and what motivates them is important and these need to be targeted to close the deal. If appealing to these don't seem to work, the salesperson needs to be more effective in understanding and appealing to these needs to satisfy the buyer.
In saying this, if the customer seems "easier" to sell to more approaches to closing a deal could be taken but if they seems to be frustrated by multiple approaches to close the deal, the salesperson needs to take this into consideration.
Melinda
04 Mar 2013Hard-headed persistent attempts to close a sale when the party on the receiving end has clearly expressed a lack of interest, is admirable and at times it may even be humorous. I don't think there's a tangible limit to the amount of times a salesperson should try to seal a deal, but rather it is dependent on the circumstances and the type of product/service they are offering. If the other party is displaying relatively relaxed/open/less defensive body language, this may spur the sales person on. Take all the sales assistants for those mobile skin care booths you see in shopping centres for example, they tend to target the "easier" looking patrons rather than the ones that deliberately detour and avoid eye contact at all costs.
ReplyAt the end of the day, as frustrating and annoying some sales reps can be, it is rather commendable the lengths they will go to in order to close a sale especially since most of them will have some sort of a budget or sales target to achieve themselves.