Every good salesperson knows the established sales process. You have probably engineered your own strategy that you use all the time. The main question to ask is – does it work?
The truth is that the conventional methods used in sales are becoming more and more ineffective. The main reason for this is that everyone is using them. In addition, the competition is too great, so there is little effect from these methods.
Now is to best time for you to get introduced to the NLP sales process. It has been devised on the basis of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), a psychological method designed for helping people come with different situations and do better in life.
Despite its psychological foundation, this sales process is technical. It involves 5 different steps that require the application of different techniques. Here is an introduction to this innovative method.
Step One – Building Rapport
You have to gain the trust of the prospect. He has to like you. He has to feel that you are bonding at a subconscious level.
The self confidence and the positive attitude are indispensable here. You have to use direct techniques as well. Flattering the person, telling a funny story and sharing a “secret” are all methods that work.
Despite this, the match and mirror method is much more effective. Note the person’s tone of voice and use the same. Are there any words that the prospect is stressing on? Use them in your speech as well.
Does the person have a specific gesture? If he has, use it as well, but make it as if you are doing the same thing subconsciously.
Step Two – Asking Questions
Knowledge of the prospect is a key factor to the successful application of the NLP sales process.
Ask the prospect about his goals and aims. For instance, “What are you planning to achieve?”, “What would be the best outcome for you?” and so on.
Ask about the current situation. This will give you hints to any problems the prospect might be experiencing. You can readily say, “What is your current progress?” or “What are you using now?” or “What have you been using in the past?”
Step Three – Identifying a Need
Your main tools at this stage of the NLP sales process are again the questions.
You have to know what the person needs so that you can relate this necessity to your product. Now is the time to discover an actual issue. You can simply ask, “What is not working?” or “What are you looking to improve?”
Then, you can readily identify the precise need of the prospect. The questions you have to ask are simple – “What is working in this situation?”, “How do you see the solution?”, “What will the optimal solution give you?”
Step Four – Linking the Need to Your Product
At this stage of the NLP sales process, you have to use your presentation skills. Simply match each feature of your product to the specific aspect that the prospect requires. Point out the benefits and advantages briefly.
An important thing at this stage is to get the prospect to agree with you on the points you are making. You can readily ask them if what you are offering is going to give the prospect what he needs.
Step Five – Closing
There is a variety of techniques you can use to close the NLP sales process and the deal. You should know the prospect well at this point. You should have an idea of how likely he is to make the purchase.
You can readily opt for the direct approach. You can simply say, “This product is the right solution for you. I’ll pack it for you.”
Another effective approach to use is the emotional close. You simply have to highlight the intangible benefits from using the product straightforwardly. This psychological method works very well, but it is not the best one for B2B sales.
The shame close is another equally effective psychological technique. Your task is to make not buying shameful.
You know the basics of the NLP sales process now. It is best to build on what you have learned, so that you can begin using this method effectively faster.
The more you think about what you’ve read the more you obviously want to learn even more
