How to Stop Your Competition From Being Called

Written by Craig Elias

How may sales opportunities started out strong with the buyer calling you first only to be lost to a competitor? What happened?

In a previous article on Emotional Favoritism , I discussed how to create a value-added relationship with buyers by leveraging your network to address ALL their needs. By creating value beyond what you sell and building a trusting relationship, you maximize the likelihood of a buyer calling you first when they want what you sell. Being called first gives you a significant edge over the competition, but it does not guarantee the sale.

Calls Most ‘sure thing’ sales are lost because during your initial contact with the buyer you failed to help the buyer understand that you have a solution that can address their needs and are capable of delivering and supporting the solution. If the buyer does not trust in your ability to solve their problem and deliver as well support a solution at minimum risk to their credibility, then the buyer will keep searching for a viable alternative. Fail at First Call Effectiveness and you force buyers to do the unthinkable: call your competition.

Understanding the Psychology of Buying

The second part of successful selling is what I call First Call Effectiveness, a critical component in maintaining your Emotional Favorite status. When you can shift a buyer from searching for a solution to the point where they feel they have a solution, the buyer becomes emotionally attached to your solution and moves on to addressing other needs.

The buyer begins to emotionally invest in your solution telling their boss or coworkers about how they found the ideal solution. Once they’ve invested in your solution, they are unlikely to choose a different solution unless you let them down giving them cause.

Walking a Mile in Your Buyers’ Shoes

Think of the last time you decided to purchase a specific product or service. With your mind made up, you call your preferred vendor. How quickly does your desire cool if your preferred vendor can’t solve your problem or does not respond immediately to your request? Like most buyers, you probably moved down your mental checklist to the next vendor hoping they will value your business.

It happens all the time. Why should you as the buyer wait to purchase a product or service from an unresponsive or unknowledgeable vendor? You shouldn’t. And your buyers won’t either.

Path of Least Resistance Selling

How you react to your buyer when they approach you in a favorable buying mood will ultimately determine your success. First Call Effectiveness is a key component to ‘Path of Least Resistance Selling’.

As a sales professional, your job is to remove all barriers to buying. The easier it is to learn about, buy, and maintain your product or service, the more likely the buyer will move forward. Leave your buyers waiting for you, or your internal processes, to catch up and unless you sell a one-of-a-kind, absolutely must-have product, the buyer will likely move on to a competitor or opt not to buy.

How Credibility and Risk impacts Selling

First Call Effectiveness relies on establishing credibility to the point where the buyer’s perception of your credibility is greater than their perception of risk of doing business with you. If potential buyers don’t believe in your ability to solve their problems and deliver as well as support the solution, they will continue searching for alternatives.

When a buyer calls you first, you have a unique opportunity to shape a solution to their problem around what you sell. What starts out as a simple need could expand to an integrated solution given the proper approach and careful research during your first call - phone call or actual visit - with the buyer.

Rules to First Call Effectiveness:

Rule #1: Don’t end the sales call until you have solved the buyer’s problem.

For whatever reason, solving the problem immediately may not be possible. In those cases either:

1) Find a solution while you are still on this call, or visit, to the buyer
2) Establish belief in your ability to deliver a solution and request to call back with an answer within a specified timeframe and make sure you meet or improve upon that delivery date.

Rule #2: Establish credibility with the buyer so they see little risk in doing business with you.

The key to establishing your credibility is to engage your buyer in Problem Solving dialogue by asking questions like:

•    If we could do A (primary need) and B (secondary need) without C (an undesired outcome), would that be a suitable solution?
•    How soon do you need a solution delivered by? If we could deliver our solution in the timeframe you have provided, what would prevent you from buying from us?
•    If they say nothing, move on to getting what you need from the buyer so you can get started.

Now that the buyer is committed to you and your solution, they are unlikely to contact the competition until you have completed designing and pricing the solution and then it’s usually a matter of comparison for good measure. The difference is you had days or weeks to shape and present a solution whereas your competition will be asked to respond immediately.

Conclusion

Making a sale is more than just being a buyer’s Emotional Favorite and getting called first, it is also about maximizing your First Call Effectiveness to minimize the likelihood your competition gets called and making it easier for buyers to choose you over your competition.

Craig Elias -
	Craig Elias is a leading Trigger Event expert and the creator of Trigger Event Selling™. Craig has received coverage on NBC news, in the New York Times, Sales and Marketing Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Business 2.0. You can contact him by phone (+1.403.874.2998), Skype (Craig.Elias), or web (www.ShiftSelling.com/contact ).Read More >>
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