Because I sell for a living, I can’t always follow the customer service philosophy that “the customer is always right”. It is the same for doctors when they work with patients who think they can control their medical issues. The last time I saw my doctor, he asked me how things were going with the diet and the exercise routine he prescribed. You probably know what this situation is like.
So, I told him the white lie about my diet. “Oh, sure, I have been following it pretty close I said”. LIAR! I was clearly lying to him and I think he knew it.
My doctor stopped for a brief moment, looked at me and said, “Really”. When I heard that word, I felt like a kid who just got caught in a lie. I then proceeded to tell him the truth about my diet and the exercise routine with more details than he probably wanted to know.
This one word question, “really”, is used when I challenge a customer who tells me something I find hard to believe. This one word is listed in my hall of fame for great sales moments because, it works. I can make it more powerful by adding “OH” in front of it and widen my eyes as I say it.
Challenging customers is part of sales. If we want to prescribe the right solution, we must get to the truth with our customer. Sometimes, customers don’t start out telling us what we need to know. Sometimes, customers lie to us. To get to the truth, we must challenge our customers.
Steve Martinez is the Founder of Selling Magic. His company is revolutionizing Sales Management by automating the key areas of sales. Ask for a "Sales Analysis" and subscribe to his ezine to Increase sales with the best practices of sales management at http://www.sellingmagic.com |
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