Do these pants make my butt look too big? No. Your butt makes your butt look too big. Radical honesty has long been an unspoken taboo in the profession of sales, but if your values and methodologies are honorable, it will make you a fortune. While telling a prospect their butt is too big may not be the best thing to do, being honest about how you do business is. Laying everything out on the table is the best way to break the ice and melt the tension that exists between you and the prospect. The hardest time to be radically honest with your customers is when the issue of price arises. However, using honesty in the most difficult situation makes it much easier to incorporate its power into all other segments of your sales process. Being honest means telling the customer exactly what they want to know. Cut out the games and ambiguity that distracts your customer. Other salespeople in the hot seat dance around the issues and fill the room with magic pixie dust about how they are the biggest, the best, and the cheapest. Customers know better, and so do I. I have learned that when it comes to price its best to take the lead and bring your best price from the beginning. Tell the prospect straight out what your best price is, letting them know that when you say best you mean it. Equally important, tell them why you brought your best price first. Personally, I dont believe in special pricing for one company and not another. I also think its disrespectful and insulting to offer one price, only to come back a week later with a lower price. Whatever your reason, be honest about it. You know that your product isnt the lowest-priced, but theres a reason for that, right? Its not possible to be the cheapest and the best, so dont pretend that you are. When you sell the best, you truly believe its worth every penny youre asking for. When you believe it, your customer will, too. Following these first few steps will already get your customers full attention. Why not take it a step further? Tell them about some of the other things they will notice in your proposal, like your delivery charge. Yes, you actually do charge for delivery; but why? Explain that you have an expense for delivering their products on time and in perfect condition. Every company has this expense, but most of them hide it. You choose to show that charge at the lowest possible cost, instead of hiding it somewhere else in the proposal. Being radically honest with your customer will spark their interest and let them feel comfortable enough with you to ask real questions. Giving them the information that they really need will keep them from thinking about it, comparing apples to apples, or checking the budget. Theyll just say yes. Your honest relationship with your customer will lay a foundation of trust, respect and confidence on which a long-term relationship will be built. This will lead to repeat business, unsolicited referrals, and unquestionable customer loyalty. There is not a company in the world that doesnt love and adore a salesperson that is honest. In fact, they will go out of their way to find one. The fastest and easiest way to get a reputation of being an honest straight shooter is to be an honest straight shooter. Always. One cleverly-spun fact or half-truth will destroy this reputation instantly. So be honest. End the games and have a good set of business values and morals. Work your butt off honestly so it will look great in those pants. Your customers will notice. |
