You know an annoying salesperson when you see one. They aren’t trying to be annoying and are most likely well-intentioned but they have forgotten the most important part of selling: Being helpful.
Helpful salespeople take the time to understand their customer’s business. They have learned how to look at their own products and services from the customer’s point of view. They want to help the customer achieve their goals rather than push their own agenda. The helpful salesperson will make suggestions that are valuable and relevant to the prospect.
If and when you ever encounter times when it seems like you just can’t connect with the right prospects, don’t go into desperation mode because that leads to “annoying” sales behavior. Instead, focus on these three things to make sure you’re delivering an exceptional customer experience (1) Pay attention to timing, (2) Deliver the right information, and (3) Always be helping.
Timing is Everything
If we think in terms of the buyer’s journey, then it’s important to understand timing as it relates to making a decision. Now if you’re one of “those” salespeople, you’ll disregard this notion. But timing is everything.
According to Think with Google, there are 4 game-changing moments that really matter, which are: I-want-to-know, I-want-to-go, I-want-to-do, and I-want-to-buy.
These are the moments you need to be there for. Otherwise, your buyer will move on to someone who is delivering on these moments.
Thanks to the ongoing developments in sales technology and marketing software, it’s now easier than ever before to gather information and draw insights about your target audience.
If you’re utilizing a sales and marketing software, like HubSpot or Marketo, then you have the ability to see who, what, where, when, and how people are interacting with and engaging on your website. This information is extremely valuable when it comes to the timing of your outreach.
Let’s say someone just read, commented, and shared a recent blog post you wrote, then you could interpret this as a positive sign that that person sees value in what you’re saying. Use that blog post as your starting point for reaching out and it will help guide your conversation in a way that’s more useful to creating a relationship instead of focusing on just closing the sale.
On the other hand, if someone has just downloaded a case study, then it’s safe to say they are interested in learning more about what type of clients you work with, how your product or service is implemented, and what kind of return-on-investment you could deliver. This is a good opportunity to reach out with similar information like a client video testimonial or sample project plan to help them visualize what it would look like to work with you.
Deliver the Right Information
Everyone can relate to seeking out information when they need it. Especially when it comes to making a decision. We want to be knowledgeable and informed before we say yes or no.
As a seller and marketer, you need to deliver the right type of information at the right moment. While your buyer will go through different stages before ultimately making a decision, it’s essential to help them through each stage by creating content and messaging that matches their mindset at that moment. Otherwise, you’re just adding to the noise.
If you think about the type of information you would provide to a person who read, commented, and shared a recent blog post, there are a few things to consider before we decide what to share:
- What was the topic of the blog post? Are there more articles on this topic to share?
- What other actions have they taken on the website?
- What kind of marketing campaign is set-up for this type of prospect? Are they enrolled?
- How can I continue to deliver value?
Asking yourself these obvious, yet essential questions will help you optimize the path to purchase by creating and delivering the right content at each step of the way.
Always Be Helping
While it may be easier to take a “one-size fits all” mentality by lumping all of your prospects together to deliver the same message, it’s not the most effective approach because each prospect is different. They have specific needs, challenges, and goals, which means you have an opportunity to personalize each and every message you send.
Sales is about helping. It’s about being curious, asking questions, understanding the other side, and providing relevant and useful information.
Effective salespeople are committed to learning as much as they can about a prospect. They want to understand the unique pain points a prospect is facing in order to tailor their message into a personalized plan that will solve the customer’s unique problem.
How do you make sure you’re always providing value to your audience?
Run your sales activities and interactions through a “helpful filter” by asking yourself:
- Who am I trying to reach?
- What are they trying to accomplish?
- What type of information are they looking for?
- How can I anticipate what they will need next?
- How can I continue to provide value?
Start gaining a competitive advantage and making a difference in the life of your prospects and customers by paying attention to the timing of your outreach, ensuring the delivery of the right information to the right person, and always doing your best to be empathetic and helpful.
