3 Three Words That Sell

Having trouble making sales?

Want to be in on a little industry secret?

Here it goes:

When making sales, don’t underestimate the power of this simple, three-word phrase.

Can you guess what it is?

“I don’t know.”

If you’re scratching your head right now, I understand.

As sales people, we’re taught that we’re supposed to know everything—or at the very least, the customer is supposed to think we do.

That’s how you make sales.

Right?

Actually, wrong.

Sometimes, it’s best to say, “I don’t know,” and let the prospect answer the question for you.

Let’s walk through some of the reasons why this is true in more detail:

You Want to Control the Conversation

Imagine yourself sitting in your office.

You’re sitting with your client trying to close a sale.

How are you doing it? Who’s asking the questions?

If it’s not you, that explains why you’ve had trouble closing your sales. When making sales, you want to control the conversation—and you can’t do this if you’re not the one asking questions.

True salesmen understand this and let their prospects do 80% of the talking.

Your main job is to sit back and parse through their information.

And then ask the relevant questions.

If your prospect can come to the conclusion that they should buy your products on their own, you’re much more likely to make the sale.

Think of it this way: you’re there to guide them to the answer—not give it to them. Of course, this only works if you have a product of quality anyway, but that should be a given.

Don’t Talk Too Much

All of this is to say that you shouldn’t talk too much.

A motor-mouthed salesperson doesn’t sell.

It’s as simple as that.

If you’re having to do all of the talking, you’re not giving your prospects any time to think.

And if they can’t think to decide if they want to make that purchase or not, you’re not going to make the sale.

By sitting back and only speaking when appropriate, you can help the customers reach informed conclusions on their own.

Redirect

Finally, if you’re hit with a tough question, redirect it back to your prospect.

If they want to know your prices, for instance, ask them what they think a fair price is or why they think your price is so high. You might just find that they realize the value of what you bring—and that’s much more powerful than you selling it to them.