Marketing
Why People Don't Buyby Tim Connor
People buy for their individual and personal reasons, not for the reasons the salesperson's (or the organization's) marketing department think they should. You cannot turn a poor prospect into a customer with a great product or persuasive sales appeal. The key to increasing sales is to identify why people buy and what will cause them not to buy.
People don't buy for any number of the following reasons:
They can't afford what they want.
They don't really know what they want.
They have had a poor history with salespeople or organizations in general.
They don't want it.
They don't need it.
They have not been convinced that the value equals the price.
They are concerned with what others will think of their purchase.
They don't trust the salesperson.
They don't trust the organization.
They don't like it.
The timing isn't right.
They are indecisive buyers.
They don't trust the salesperson (repeated intentionally).
When a prospect doesn't buy, I suggest that you do everything possible to determine what prevented the purchase – especially if this was a well-qualified prospect. This can be done with an after-sales call visit, telephone call, letter, or fax. Once you learn why many of your prospects are not buying, then, and only then, can you disarm these resistance areas during the sales process.
Most poor salespeople give more information than they get. They TALK TOO MUCH. You learn nothing while you are talking. You can learn a great deal if you can get the prospect talking and keep them talking. After every failed sales attempt, make it a regular practice to ask the prospect, "What was it about our product or service that prevented you from making a favorable decision?"
You will learn a great deal which can have a positive impact on future sales results if you will consistently determine why people don't buy from you and/or your organization.
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Tim Connor, CSP, is a professional speaker and expert in the fields of management, sales, team building, and customer service. He's the author of 19 books and can be reached at 704-895-1230, speaker@bellsouth.net or www.timconnor.com.
