How and Why Customers Buy – and What to do About it (scroll down to view video or access podcast)
Need more sales? In this interview with Lisa Newman-Morris, we uncover the secrets of how and why customers buy and what to do about it.
Here is the transcript:
Olivia:
I’m Olivia and this is Lisa. Hello Lisa.
Lisa:
Hi Olivia. Good to be with you.
Olivia:
Yeah I’ve been looking forward to it, so it’s great to be here at last.
Lisa:
Yeah, same.
Olivia:
So quickly I’ll just introduce, my name is Olivia and I’m just going to quickly run through why this SEMBA South East Melbourne Business Associates group exists in the first place, which is because I work for Officeway. We’re in Dandenong and we do office furniture, so we’re a business to business organization. And earlier in the year we started getting involved in networking events. I joined up with the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce, and I thought, if we’re going to networking let’s go all in. I wanted a way to stay in touch with people that I was meeting at these events. So that’s how the group started, as a way to stay in touch and actually communicate and share information, and also because we are a business to business organization, it’s a way to add value.
So that’s where this started, so thank you everyone for being in the group, and of course I’m always looking to add value to the group and, Lisa … that’s why I asked you to join us Lisa. So hi Lisa.
Lisa:
Yeah excellent.
Olivia:
So Lisa, I met Lisa a few years back, she used to run the Step Into Life in Chelsea Heights.
Lisa:
I did.
Olivia:
And that was an award-winning business that you built up with a lot of hard work and dedication.
Lisa:
Yes, launched from scratch.
Olivia:
I’ve read some of your blogs and what goes into your success, and you started very young as a champion world class trampoline athlete.
Lisa:
Yes. Yes I did.
Olivia:
So I think in that there would have been a lot of training that you still use today in the way you approach things.
Lisa:
Yeah, heaps. I think as an elite athlete, the skills you develop in achieving success, dedication, commitment, resilience and durability and all that personal development sort of skills I think translates really well to business, because as you know business is a roller coaster and there’s huge highs and huge lows, and I think being an elite athlete sort of translates really, really well. But the transition I guess from my athletic career went very naturally into the coaching field, so I’ve been coaching for 34 years in sport, in fitness, in health, and now, more specifically, in business. So I really developed the coaching skills in working with people and helping get the best out of people, and that’s what I’ve really become an expert in. But it started all the way back then when I was just a little tacker myself doing the sport.
Olivia:
Yeah it sounds like it’s all been about consistency and sticking to your goals.
Lisa:
Yes. So the skills of goal setting apply so heavily in elite sport as they do in business so that’s a really nice synergy there, which has helped build my coaching skill I guess just across the board and you can apply those to any aspect of life once you know how to get the best out of people. And goal setting is obviously a massive part of that.
Olivia:
Alright, so buying and selling. Now everyone … I mean I’m an admin on the Bayside Mothers Group and obviously in this group, and I see people have all got their passions and their businesses that they’re trying to get off the ground and get out there, and the necessity is, you have to sell.
Lisa:
Of course.
Olivia:
Of course. And there’s a lot of fear and a lot of blocks people have around that. As somebody once said, everyone loves to buy but people hate being sold to.
Lisa:
Yes.
Olivia:
And when I was asking for questions people might have, and if you have any questions out there feel free to comment, but Caz Michelle, who does the Adopt a Pot, pot plants. She said, “How do you sell without being pushy?” And I think that’s a big fear that people have. They don’t want to be pushy but they’re loving what they’re doing and they want to find the customers that will buy.
Lisa:
Yeah well, as a business owner you need to sell don’t you? If you don’t sell you don’t have any customers, and if you don’t have any customers, you don’t have a business. So, everyone in business needs to sell, they need to gain customers.
But I think where the mismatch is, is that we’ve all had those horrific, sleazy, horrible, painful sales experiences being on the opposite end of a really bad salesperson, a really pushy salesperson, and so we find, you know, we don’t want to be that salesperson. And so that really puts a block in business owners getting out there and doing the sales role in their business successfully.
So, in my experience, the skills I’ve developed in helping business owners understand sales, is the number one thing is, it’s not about being pushy. The important thing to recognize is that nobody actually sells anything, the end decision is always the customer’s. So when you’re having an interaction with a customer, it’s not your job to sell them anything, because they get the last say. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, no matter what you’re trying to explain to them, no matter how great you’re trying to tell them your products or service is, the bottom line is that the customer has the end decision. So take the pressure off yourself that you have to sell. Your job, as a business owner, is to facilitate this conversation, and help the customer to buy. That’s it. Bottom line.
Olivia:
Yeah, that’s a mindset shift, isn’t it?
Lisa:
Yes. And it can be a massive mindset shift. As soon as I see business owners getting the hang of this mindset shift, it totally changes their sales conversations. Totally. Because you go, it’s like flipping it 180 degrees. Suddenly you’re not the pushy salesperson that you’ve been in your own buying experiences, now you’re just someone who is there to facilitate this transaction. And you can just allow your passion and your desire to build your business and to help your customers come through. And that’s all you need to do, it’s as simple as that, really.
We just make it too complicated, we complicate it for ourselves because of this word, sales, and the expectation of what you need to be to be in sales, and to be the salesperson in your business, which most single-operator business owners have to be.
Olivia:
Alright. So, how? How do we get to that point? How do we connect, and what questions … What are the right questions to ask if we want to have that conversation, is it the questions?
Lisa:
So, perhaps I might start with what the customer needs, because I think that’s what underpins everything.
Lisa:
Is that okay? I’m going to jump to a different point.
Olivia:
Yeah, please do.
Lisa:
Because the questions come later.
Olivia:
Yeah.
Lisa:
So I think one of the biggest things for business owners to understand is, what their customers need from them when they enter into this transaction.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So I’m actually going to try and prevent myself from saying the word sales, I like to stop using the word sales and use the word buying experience, or buying transaction, because that totally changes your role in this conversation.
Olivia:
Right.
Lisa:
So if I’m the business owner and you’re my customer, there are actually seven things that you, as my customer, need before you can buy from me.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
Now, if those seven things are not fulfilled, you can’t buy. You won’t buy, and you actually, you can’t buy.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
So would you like to talk about what those seven things are?
Olivia:
Yes. Go for it, you could just go ahead. Share.
Lisa:
Okay, perfect.
Well, the first thing is you must have a need.
So nobody ever buys anything without a need. Now, sometimes it can be a rather superficial need, you know, I like that pair of jeans. It can just be all about feeling good, and sometimes it’s a much more deep-seated emotional need, like taking your kids to the doctor, or putting food on the table for your family. So, needs vary, and everyone’s needs is different. One product is not going to fulfill the same need for every single customer that you have coming.
So it’s really, really important to understand that what your customer’s coming to you for is that they have a need. Pure and simple.
Olivia:
Right.
Lisa:
So the second thing they need, the second thing you require as my customer to buy from me, is I must have the right solution to fit your need.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
Now this is where a lot of businesses owners go wrong. They try and just sell what they have. So whatever it is they make, or offer, I’m just going to try and sell it to you because I want to make a sale, and I want to make money, obviously, to drive profit in my business is the number one important thing. And there’s nothing wrong with that, I think we need to get over our fear of dealing with money and wanting to earn money. Everyone wants to earn money.
Olivia:
You have to, yeah.
Lisa:
Of course, of course. So that’s a separate issue, we could have another interview all on that topic all on its own.
So what I need to do, as the business owner, is I need to work out whether or not I can fulfil your need. Because if I can’t, there’s no point us going further in this conversation, because if my solution doesn’t fit your need, you can’t buy from me.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
If you do buy from me, it’s going to end up being a really negative experience, and you’re not going to be a repeat customer, you’re not going to be a raving fan of what I’m selling, you’re not going to go and tell all your friends, you’re not going to post on social media, you’re not going to leave me a review. So it’s kind of a waste of time if you’re not my right customer.
So, you need to have, as the business owner, the right solution for your customer. So how do I know that I’ve got the right solution for you?
Olivia:
How? Okay …
Lisa:
How would you think?
Olivia:
Well, I don’t know. Well, I’m just thinking, for example, I I’m thinking, for example, I’m using the …
Lisa:
Boom.
Olivia:
I’m thinking the Step Into Life, for example.
Lisa:
Yep.
Olivia:
If someone’s going there and they want to meet people, and they want to get fit, and they want the outdoors, whatever, they might go “Yes, yes, yes,” you tick all the boxes. If they want to be a body builder or something else, you’ve just got to find out what they’re after and whether it’s a yes or a no and then move on or help them.
Lisa:
Exactly.
Olivia:
Right.
Lisa:
So yeah, exactly right, ask questions. The only way you can find out your customer’s need is to ask questions, and they only way I can make sure that I’ve got the right solution to fill your need is to know what your need is, and so therefore I have to ask questions.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
So those two things, it’s absolutely straight down the line, simple as anything, but is really, really misunderstood in this process with a lot of business owners.
Olivia:
Okay. So it’s not always about getting the, that word you don’t want to say.
Lisa:
Getting the sale.
Olivia:
It’s about just having the conversation and finding out whether you can help the person.
Lisa:
That’s right.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
So remember I said my role as the business owner is to help you to buy. So I can’t do that if I don’t know what you need, and I can’t do that if I don’t know that I have the right solution to fit your need.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
So those are the first two most important things.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
Then there’s something which I like to call the trifecta of trust. So, there’s three areas of trust that a customer needs in order to buy from you. They need to trust you, as the person they’re having the interaction with. They need to trust your brand. So for example, with Officeway, they need to know that Officeway is a reputable brand, that they are well known, that they’ve got good reviews, all that type of good reputation and trust. And they need to trust your business. So, they need to trust Officeway, as well as trusting Officeway, and they need to trust you.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So, the trifecta of trust. You, your brand, and your business.
So that’s five things. Then there’s two more things that are out of your control. Completely out of your control. Your customer needs to be the decision maker, and often they’re not. Often they’ll be gathering information on behalf of a significant other, family member, or friend, a child, and they need to be ready to buy.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So I think the personal training example is a really good one to illustrate this readiness. I can’t tell you how many times I had leads contacting me, telling me they wanted to get fit, telling me they wanted to lose weight, New Years resolutions are coming up. You know, New Years coming up, New Years resolutions are going to be flying left, right, and centre; I guarantee you a huge percentage of those are going to be fitness, health, weight-loss related.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
Many, many of those people will contact a gym, a personal trainer, a fitness provider, but very few percentage of them will actually be ready to make that commitment and do the hard work.
But the same goes on a different scale for any product. You have to be ready to actually make that transaction and finalize the transaction. And you don’t have any control over that, and that’s what makes it hard.
So there’s seven things there, before your customer can actually buy from you, and it’s really important to understand that there’s all this going on for your customer before this transaction takes place. That’s why it’s so challenging.
Olivia:
Yes.
Lisa:
Yeah.
Olivia:
It is indeed.
Lisa:
Yeah.
Olivia:
So, how do you give your customers the right solution?
Lisa:
Okay, well, you need to, as you said before, just ask questions.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So, we need to find out what it is that you’re coming to me for.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So the need … A good way to think about your customer’s need, is in layers. The customer will often come to you telling you what their goal is. So they might go to Officeway wanting to buy a desk or a office chair, for example.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
But there’s many layers underneath that end goal that are much more important.
Olivia:
Yep.
Lisa:
So it’s really important to know what you’re selling and what you’re actually achieving for your customer. And what I mean by that, is some pain point that you’re solving? Some problem that you’re solving? Some passion that you’re fuelling? Or some … Oh, I said pain. Pain that you’re solving, and problem that you’re overcoming, or a fear, sorry, a fear that you’re helping that customer to overcome. So you need to go deeper than just what did you come in for today, you need to find out what it is that’s made them actually come to that decision to have that goal to buy that particular problem.
Olivia:
Right. There’s a whole story behind why someone comes in to buy a hammer or whatever, there’s a whole …
Lisa:
There’s a story behind it, yeah.
So with, say an office chair for example, what … Someone may come in to buy a new office chair. So they come in and they want to buy an office chair. But what are the reasons someone might need a new office chair?
Olivia:
Well, right, it’s either a new staff member, or if it isn’t then they must be having some problem I guess, because they would have had somewhere to sit already.
Lisa:
Yep. Okay.
Olivia:
So the problem is, yes, do they have a back problem …
Lisa:
Right.
Olivia:
Yeah, so do they need to find something that’s more comfortable in that kind of case.
Lisa:
Yes. And what happens if it’s not comfortable?
Olivia:
If it’s not comfortable, well, they’re not going to be … You won’t have solved their problem, they’re going to…
Lisa:
But what happens for them, how does that affect them if they’re not comfortable in their chair?
Olivia:
Well, they’re in pain, they don’t work as well, they’re not as productive.
Lisa:
Right, yes, yes, yes. See how much more important those type of emotional needs are then just I need a new chair.
And so that’s the goal, is to try and get down into those pain points, fears, problems, or passions, it can be on the other end of the spectrum, passions, to really know why they’ve come in to you today and what it is that they need. ‘Cause that’s going to make the difference between which solution that you actually give them, if you can solve their problem.
Olivia:
It is quite fascinating. I think in fitness it would be particularly fascinating, because as you said, there’s all these emotional blocks.
Lisa:
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I’ll give you an example in my fitness experience. So, there was three things that people told me when they called me up.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
I want to get fit, I want to tone up, I want to lose weight. Those are the only three things that people ever said to me, because those were the only three things that they knew how to say. Because those are the things that the media tells them every day, those are the things that they see on social media every day, they don’t know how to express what’s under that.
So, it was my job to uncover what was actually going on that made them get to that point where they felt like they needed to lose weight. So it was usually something like they felt like they were letting their family down, they weren’t able to be a good role model for their children, they weren’t able to engage with their children, they may have been really, really fit in the past and now they just feel like they’ve let themselves go and they feel really down about that. Their confidence is low, their self-image is low, and it’s really affecting their interaction in their families. So it wasn’t about the weight loss at all, it was about all those other deep-seated things.
Now that’s quite an emotional example, it’s an industry where there’s a lot of emotional barriers, like you said. But you know business, for example, business owners, they may come and they say they want more clients, but what does that mean? You need to ask, why do you need more clients? What’s that going to mean to you? How’s that going to change your life? How’s that going to change your family, your future? What’s that going to allow you to do that you can’t do now?
So it’s just about, keep asking questions, keep asking questions. Ask why, again, and again, and again, and again, until you really start to hit some more raw motivators that people have.
Olivia:
Okay. Do you have any tips on what kind of questions, or how to get that information out of people?
Lisa:
So the question … There’s no one set question that you can ask. It really depends on your business, it depends on your customers, it depends on what you’re getting your customers to buy.
So I actually have a sales course that I have, an online sales course, 28 Days Successful Sales Challenge, where we go through this, and I actually get you to start making a glossary of questions. It really needs to be something that’s developed over time as you get the chance to ask questions and then reflect back on the success of how well you were able to interact with your customer. Is to then note those questions down, and then refine them and then practice them again, and try new questions, and just keep refining your approach until you really start hitting the nail on the head.
And you will, you’ll start finding that you ask a question and it’s just like gold. It’s like, yes, that one really, really hit home. So it’s important to make sure that you …
Olivia:
So start thinking about it and noticing it.
Lisa:
Noticing, yes.
Olivia:
And taking actual notes of the questions that you’re asking, because they’re probably going to be quite different depending on … There’s probably a lot of similarities, but they also might be … But you’re going to ask different questions in health and fitness as opposed to selling desks and chairs and so on.
Lisa:
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I think that the one consistent response, which is important, is to ask why. So whatever they come in and tell you that they’re looking for, ask why. And then ask why again. And ask why again. In fact, it’s said that you should ask why three times. So, whatever the response is the first time, ask why. And whatever the response is again, ask why again.
Olivia:
So learn to be more like children.
Lisa:
Just digging in a little bit deep. And this is why it’s so difficult, because you start … I know a lot of business owners have a challenge where they start feeling like they’re prying. But when you get back to that, your role is to help the customer buy, you have to find this stuff out, otherwise you just can’t provide them with the best solution for them.
Olivia:
Now something, looking on your website that I noticed came up, is price doesn’t matter, you thought it was about price, but it wasn’t. So I want to ask you about that, because one thing I see over and over again is … On Facebook groups and stuff, people ask for a recommendation, and almost every recommendation they go, “Don’t want to pay too much, do you know anyone that’s reasonable, doesn’t charge too much?” You know? And I can understand it, because everyone’s got a budget and the other part of me is thinking, I feel sorry for all the businesses trying to make a living when everyone’s asking for the cheapest possible price.
Lisa:
Yeah.
Olivia:
So, what do you mean?
Lisa:
Well, people think they’re on a budget. But they’re not, really.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
Well, everybody only earns a set amount of money, but the way you spend that money is not to do with what the price tag says.
Olivia:
Yeah.
Lisa:
Do you have any idea what it is actually about?
Olivia:
I’m not sure it’s-
Lisa:
Do any of you guys know what it’s actually about?
Olivia:
Anyone know?
Lisa:
Type in the comments if you have any idea what is actually important.
Olivia:
I’m just wondering whether it’s something to do with emotion.
Lisa:
Yes, yes, yes, it’s linked. It’s not about price, it’s about value.
Olivia:
Oh yes.
Lisa:
And I want to give you an example. So let’s say you want to do a … Let’s say you want to go and buy a new office chair. And you have a bad back, and so it’s really important that you have a supportive, lumbar support, and you know, comfy upholstery, and, sorry, I don’t know anything about office chairs, but …
Olivia:
It’s okay, take it. Okay, yeah, okay.
Lisa:
And let’s say that chair is $300. Now, $300 is obviously not the cheapest chair that you can buy, but probably not the most expensive either. But, you may have gone in thinking that you had a budget for the chair, and if the salesperson doesn’t find out exactly what you need, doesn’t find out that you’ve had a bad back, doesn’t find out that what you need is good lumbar support and good cushioning and good hydraulics, then they may just ask you what you’re looking to spend, and they’ll point you in the direction of the chair that is within that budget.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
But, if that back issue and the comfort, because of all those things you mentioned before, productivity, being able to get through the work day and feel no pain.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
If those things are important enough to you, you’ll pay whatever the right chair costs.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So, another example is that, let’s say as women we go and buy a pair of shoes. Now, I know a lot of women will happily spend two or $300 on a pair of shoes.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
Now, to me, my whole life that has just … apart from runners …
Olivia:
I thought that might be the exception.
Lisa:
For me to spend more than $20 on a pair of shoes, just seemed ridiculous, because I never ever was in street shoes. I am now-
Olivia:
But runners. Runners totally have value for you.
Lisa:
Absolutely, runners totally have value. But you know, heels, I very, very rarely wore heels, very, very rarely wore street shoes. So, $200 for a pair of heels, to me, just seems ridiculous, it seems expensive. And here’s where this whole word expensive comes in.
Olivia:
Yeah.
Lisa:
Now, if my son got sick tomorrow, and I had to take him to the doctor and the doctor’s bill was $200? Do you think I would pay it in a heartbeat? Absolutely. But it’s the same $200.
Olivia:
Yeah.
Lisa:
So it’s about the value. It’s not about the price, it’s about the value. So your job is to uncover what the customer needs, and provide … show them value. Provide them with the right solution so they see value. If they see the right amount of value, they’ll pay whatever it costs.
And if you get the price objection, jump for joy and celebrate that you’ve just been given a really amazing lesson that you didn’t provide value.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
And you can use that as a learning experience to go back and rework your questions and rework your script, to be able to provide better value to the next customer.
Olivia:
Okay, that was, yes, that was going to be my question. Okay, so if they ask you the price, “Oh, that’s expensive.”
Lisa:
Yep.
Olivia:
Then your response will be around value, or explaining why it’s of worth to them or why it’s a solution, if you believe that that’s what it really is.
Lisa:
Yeah. So if I had the price objection, I wouldn’t try and convince them, I would ask them more questions.
Olivia:
Okay.
Lisa:
That’s a signal to me that I haven’t uncovered the emotional trigger, or the emotional need, the pain point, well enough or clear enough for them to see value. Or, this particular product doesn’t hold that amount of value for this person, and therefore they’re not the right customer for that particular solution. So therefore I would need to show them a different solution that does fit with their value for that particular product.
Olivia:
Okay. Let’s have a quick look here. Any questions guys? No. Not that I can see. But I did have trouble with that last time.
Lisa:
Yeah, I haven’t seen any come through.
Olivia:
Now, personality. Now, we’ve been told that next year that we’re going to do this personality test thing.
Lisa:
Yeah.
Olivia:
The DISC personality, so that they can fit the right person to the right role and that. So it’s D-I-S-C, which is what, dominant, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness.
Lisa:
Yes.
Olivia:
I did this once. I don’t know, it might just be me, but I hated it. I hated being put into a box. But it is good to know what people are suited to, to some degree, and to understand people better, so I understand that, but do you think everyone has the ability to sell? For want of a better word. To give solutions?
Lisa:
Yes, I do, because your job in that role is not to sell, it’s to help somebody buy.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So, where those personality assessments come in … And look, I’m not an expert on DISC, I’m not an expert on psychology, I have done a little bit of psychology study through university, but I have done DISC, I’ve done Myer Briggs, I’ve done Click! Colours, so I’ve done them numerous times, I do have a fairly basic understanding of what they mean. What I do have a lot of experience with is working with people and dealing with people and what they need.
Where personality differences come in is when you’re talking to your customer, is to try to hone in on what type of personality they have, so that you can talk to them in the right manner. So for example, D, dominance. They tend to be really results-driven.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
You know, quite high energy, they know what they want, they’re going to come in, they know exactly what they want, and they want a result now. They want a solution right now.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So if you dilly dally around with a D type, they’re going to be out the door and they’ll go straight to your competitor. So you need to know your stuff, you need to uncover their need, you need to give them the solution, and you need to ask them to buy, boom. Get it in, get it done.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
Because they’ll be in and they’ll be out, they know exactly what they want. So, I, which …
Olivia:
Which was influence?
Lisa:
Influence, yes, influence. So the influence people are quite social, they’re quite energetic, they’re bubbly, they love chatting, you’ll probably … This is the type of customer you’ll probably get, comes and tells you their whole life story.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So, it’s really, really important to match their energy, match their pace, and the key with I-type personalities I think, is to listen.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
So they’ll really want to talk, because they’ve got a lot to share, and that will tell you a lot, in what they’re sharing when they tell you that life story. You’ll be able to pick up a lot of cues if you’re listening.
Olivia: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa: So make sure you’re really listening to what comes out of their mouth, even if you feel like, I wish they’d just be quiet and get on with telling me what they need. They’ll be telling you what they need, within that life story, so you just need to sort of capitalize on that style that you’ll get with I-type people.
Now, S, steadiness, they tend to be a lot calmer.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
They’ll know what they want. Oh sorry, they need to be very clear on what they want, they’ll be maybe … I’m trying to work out between the S and the C.
Olivia:
I know, I can remember the C more, I think, I can’t remember-
Lisa:
Yeah, the S … I’m just trying to think what I had down for the best way to approach S. I’ll come back to that one, the conscientious ones are the ones who need a lot of information.
Olivia:
Yeah.
Lisa:
So you really need to dig deep.
Olivia:
And you have to know your stuff, actually they’re quite challenging.
Lisa:
You’ve got to know your stuff. Yeah, you’ve got to ask … Sorry, you’ve got to provide a lot of information. They’ll want to know the how, the what, the why, the when, and you may need to give them time to go away and assess. And that’s often can be challenging.
So if you’ve got someone, for example, who is a C as the business owner, and who wants all the facts and wants to be able to think things over and, you know, to have time to make the right decision, and you’re dealing with a D, who wants to get in, knows what they want, and get out, and you’re not matching their style, you’ll find that you won’t have success with the transaction. So I think that’s the main way that personality types really influence the buying conversations.
But I think yeah, absolutely, to answer your question, to get back to your first question, that anybody absolutely can be in the sales role, because if you understand that it’s just about helping the customer buy, then it really takes the pressure off actually having to do that sales and selling.
Olivia:
So it’s not … And you don’t have to think of it as a limitation on your role, it’s more as a tool to help you understand and give the best value to the person that you’re dealing with.
Lisa:
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Olivia:
Okay, well is there anything that you’d like to add maybe, before we wrap up?
Lisa:
I think another big problem that I see, is the failure to hear buying signals.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
Buying signals can very easily sound like objections. So, I’ll give you an example. If someone comes to me and wants to do some business coaching, and I recommend that they meet with me once per week, and then I’ll find out what they need, I give them the right solution, we’ve built trust because we’ve had a relationship on social media and I’ve spoken to them by email and we’ve had a conversation and they know my background, they are definitely ready and they are the business owner, so they are the decision-maker. So I give them my recommendation based on what they’ve told me, they really, really need consistency, they need to meet with me once a week.
Olivia:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lisa:
Now, if they say to me, “Look, I don’t have the time to meet once a week, I can probably only maybe fit in once a month.” Many, many business owners will see that as a rejection, as an objection, because you haven’t agreed to what my recommendation is. But in actual fact, that’s a buying signal. They’re not ready to take the package for once a week, but they are ready to take a package for once a month. So the correct response would be, great, well let’s get started. When would you like your first monthly session to begin?
Olivia:
Boom.
Lisa:
Easy as that. So it’s really, really important to listen to what the customer is saying, rather than trying to constantly bombard them and tell them how great you are and all the features of what you’re selling. Just zip it and listen.
Olivia:
Listen, listen.
Lisa:
Yes, two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Olivia:
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
So, hello Lisa, hello, who’s that? Cass?
Olivia:
So, we might … Well, so, from here, I guess if anyone has any questions, even if you’re looking later, you can put them in the comments I’m sure.
Lisa:
Yep. I’ll jump on and answer questions if anyone wants to leave one in the comments.
Olivia:
Okay, and of course, Lisa’s available for … You’ve got some time for business coaching, and there’s also the 28 Day … do you want to talk about … just quickly go over what that is?
Lisa:
Yeah, yeah sure. Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, so I have a consulting service, if anyone is interested in moving their business forward. Contact me through social media, if you just look up Lisa Newman-Morris Business Consultant, or go to my website, lisanewmanmorris.com.au.
And I also have the 28 Days Successful Sales Challenge, which I designed because I found there was so many mistakes being made by business owners. And I made every single one of them myself in the early days as well, I made so many mistakes, and every mistake I made I learned something new, and I learned how to refine my technique. And so that’s what I do every day now, is I go and I help business owners with their sales processes, and with their sales conversations.
And so I designed the online course to be something that you can do at home. It’s 28 days where we tackle one problem per day, and there is examples, there’s videos, there’s audio where I talk you through each issue, one at a time, and I give you real life examples of businesses having problems with this issue. And then there’s a workbook worksheet exercise to work on your own business, so you can relate that issue to your own business.
So you can find that at my website, just go to the courses tab and you can find the 28 Days Successful Sales Challenge there.
Olivia:
Okay. Well, thank you very much, Lisa, and thank you everyone for joining us.
Lisa:
Thanks, Olivia.
Olivia:
Thank you, bye.
Lisa:
Thanks, guys. See you.
Interview conducted by Olivia de Sousa-Ferres
You can contact Lisa Newman Morris here
You can find the SEMBA South East Melbourne Business Associates Facebook page here.
SEMBA is sponsored by Officeway. Their office furniture website is here.
