Back in the office after two weeks on the road training in CA (shout out to my clients there!), and during both weeks – in L.A. and Oakland – it rained! My wife tells me I can no longer say it doesn’t rain in CA. It does, and I was there!
While preparing their training programs, there was one important similarity that I think applies to any sale. And that is identifying and asking the most important (value statement) question to get buy-in from your prospect upfront. Let me explain.
Regardless of what you are selling, there is usually one buy-in question that determines how interested and engaged your prospect is going to be.
For my sales training and consulting services, it’s simply: “How important do you think sales training is to your overall sales development and the performance of your sales team?”
If my prospect thinks it’s very important, then I have a strong basis for closing the sale, and I can leverage that buy-in throughout my presentation. And it’s the same for you as well.
If you are selling, for example, pre-need funeral arrangements, then the obvious question is: “How important is it to you to have all your arrangements completed ahead of time so it’s that much easier on your family should something happen to you?”
If you are selling franchises, the question is: “How valuable do you think owning a franchise is to you or to your business?”
These “core buy-in” questions form the basis for your sale. They establish the core interest level of your prospect, and if the answer is positive, then you can refer back to this buy-in throughout your presentation.
What’s interesting is that many sales reps, and companies, haven’t taken the time to identify this question, and even fewer ask it and leverage the buy-in throughout their presentation.
So the natural question is: “What is your unique buy-in question?” In other words, what one question can you ask that establish the core suitability and the core interest of your prospect?
Once you identify what it is, start asking it during the prospecting call and at the beginning of your presentation. If you get buy-in, then refer back to it to leverage and reinforce their buying motive.
If they aren’t sold on your basic value proposition, then you have more digging (qualifying) to do to establish common ground (and buying motive).
