Flood Damage
When I hung up the phone last week from an incoming sales call, I was exhausted. The salesperson asked a number of predictable questions and when he thought he had determined what I needed, he presented a variety of different possibilities that he was sure a small business owner like me would appreciate.
He told me about the corporate systems he delivered, recounted several actual case studies to prove his process, recommended that I sit in on a webinar, suggested that I sign up for their very informative newsletter and asked me to complete a questionnaire that would help identify where he could improve my situation. Whew. I was flooded with information and ideas. I mopped up the mess in my brain knowing he won’t be hearing from me any time soon.
Flood damage happens when you overwhelm your potential customer during the sales process. Waves and waves of information mixed with all kinds of debris.
Many sales professionals, particularly those who consider themselves Subject Matter Experts, make this mistake daily. With the best of intentions, they get carried away. Offering all the solutions they can muster and making it challenging for anyone to make a decision. They don’t even realize they are creating serious flood damage.
They are used to telling people everything about their products and services. They forget that most people can only absorb a certain amount of information in any point of time – five to seven things to be exact.
I remember the last time I went to purchase a new phone. The flood of details about all the features and benefits of each of the phones they sold were explained in detail, apps were swiped here and there, and by the end of this draining process I was completely confused and didn’t know which factors to consider. I left, feeling drenched and needing time to recover from the experience.
If the salesperson had asked me what was important to me, he could have offered a solution that was more relevant instead of sending waves of information over me until I felt like I was drowning. I floated downstream.
Customers look to you for help. They rely on your expertise to help them make a buying decision that makes sense. When you send a flood of information or waves of solutions you make it difficult, sometimes impossible, for the customer to breathe, let alone make a decision. Keep your answers brief and to the point –gentle ripples not thundering waves.
The real pro’s ask “smart” questions, they determine specifically what the customer needs most and why - they take the time to learn. Limit your suggestions to a thirst-quenching drink.