The sales interview is the most anticipated and longed for moment by every good salesperson. It is the unique and unrepeatable opportunity to conquer the customer and achieve the sale. It is the moment of truth.
by Augusto Diego Berard*
The potential buyer and seller will meet face to face. The meeting implies the possibility of starting a successful and mutually beneficial relationship for many years. It may also be the last time the buyer receives the seller and closes their doors forever.
The opportunity passes only once. The buyers of the companies do not have time or desire to lose it to non-professional and improvised sellers.
In the interview you can not fail, there must be doubts, fears or insecurities. The initial interview or first interview can be compared to the moment when an artist goes on stage and is given to the audience. Adrenaline and the senses have to be on the surface. There is no other equal moment within the sales process. The first 5 minutes of the meeting mark forever the first impression and the birth of a business relationship.
There is no second chance to make a good impression. Given the importance and relevance of the interview, it requires preparation and training of the steps to be taken in those 5, 10 or 30 minutes of talk in front of the potential client (we talk about potential client since he has not yet bought, but he can do it).
The more and better interviews salespeople have day by day, the greater the chances of advancing in the profession and achieving the goals set. The sale is wonderful and there are no limits to keep making money. The limits are set by the human being's own limitations and his inability to dream and overcome his own fears. It always requires always surpassing yourself, being better day by day and working in this sense. Change from the inside so that the change is visible to third parties. We must work on improving and creating habits with a positive and winning mentality.
Types of interviews
Interviews can be classified according to the moment within the sales process or the way in which they are achieved. There are account opening interviews, sales closing interviews, telephone interviews, by e-mail, cold, with previous agenda, etc.
They are all important and require preparation. You have to know how to listen and take the objections raised by the potential client as valuable opportunities and covert questions. Criticisms also have to always be welcomed, because they provide the opportunity to reverse them.
In my opinion, the most important of all is the first interview and we are going to refer to it in this article. The first interview can be achieved in two ways: visiting the potential client without an appointment (cold interview) or having previously agreed to it, with a meeting day and time (scheduled interview).
"In the first five minutes, the buyer is studying each of the seller's movements, gestures and words.
There is no need to talk about the products or services that are marketed. You have to enter the subject gradually and taking the pace set by the buyer".
Cold interview
It is one of the most difficult to achieve and can also be very effective. The seller arrives at the company he wants to conquer with his offer and must pass several obstacles or tests, until he knows the buyer. The process demands concentration and determination. The goal is to know face-to-face the person who makes the purchase decisions.
Some of the steps to travel and obstacles to overcome are:
1- Ring the bell and when attended by the person of surveillance or security, mention that you need to talk to the person in charge of the purchases. We must conquer the security person, so that he allows us to enter the company.
Dressing formally and looking good helps to pass this first step. If this person sees a suspicious attitude in the seller, he will avoid letting go and ask the seller to leave the place. In the present times, there is fear of unknown people for a matter of security.
2-Having passed the guard's test, contact with the receptionist arrives. I suggest greeting kindly and always with a relaxed smile. Mention in few words and with a firm and kind tone that it is required to "know or present" in front of the buyer (the seller may or may not know the name of the person who is in charge of the purchases).
The receptionist will ask what product she offers and whether or not she has an interview scheduled. The experienced salesman will jump the obstacle of the receptionist with a serene and confident attitude, mentioning the importance of the meeting and your visit. He will say that he works in the area and that he seeks to meet the manager in person. The receptionist, being convinced of this importance, will communicate internally with the buyer or his assistant, to present the seller and its purpose. If the receptionist does NOT believe the seller, the cold visit will not move forward. The receptionist will ask the seller to leave a presentation folder or to call or send an e-mail to request the interview. The seller can leave a presentation folder, with the commitment to revisit the company or to generate a call or contact by e-mail to obtain the interview.
3- After the filter of the receptionist, the opportunity to meet the buyer, becomes a reality within a few minutes of waiting. The first words that the salesperson must pronounce are basic rules of the professional sales greeting: good day, thank you very much for attending me. Then keep calm and silence. Wait for the buyer's behavior and make them feel comfortable. The buyer will drive the seller to their space (their desk or meeting room) and begin the much-desired interview.
To thank again the possibility offered, with a frank look, will add points to the seller. In these first five minutes, the buyer is studying each of the seller's movements, gestures, and words. There is no need to talk about the products or services that are marketed. You have to enter the subject gradually and taking the rhythm set by the buyer (king of the place).
The seller has to seek to empathize with his interlocutor. This means you must put yourself in the buyer's shoes and perceive how they feel. The role of the seller is to be useful. The seller helps his customers through his offer. The seller is necessary and fundamental for every customer. It is the person who will meet all the requirements that this has and will always seek to satisfy them.
The seller is the best friend the industrial or corporate buyer has. That is why professional sellers are many times more important than the same product they market. They are the ones that make the difference and that buyers prefer and choose, sometimes beyond the product itself. A successful seller can change companies or brands represented, but if they achieved trust with the buyer they will continue to do business for many years.
Trust is the most valuable intangible good in all business relationships. That is why trust must be built day by day, with the conviction of being at the service of customers. You don't have to lie or exaggerate to sell. On the contrary, truth and honesty make the real difference.
The goal of the first interview conducted in cold is to obtain as much information as possible about the potential client and their needs. To do this, it is necessary to take note of everything relevant that the potential buyer mentions.
With this information, the door should be left open for a second visit and face-to-face interview, in which progress will continue with partial closures until the final sale or closing is achieved.
"Budgeting is not selling. Nor is selling granting everything the buyer asks for. To sell is to seek the mutual benefit of both parties and to achieve stable ties over time, which allow the commercial relationship to be loyal".
Agreed interview
or previously agreed This first interview is granted by the person in charge of the purchases and has a previously established day and time. The agreed interview contains two enigmas that must be discovered: the buyer needs the products marketed by the seller and for this reason accepts the meeting or the buyer only needs to know the seller's offer to know if he is paying or buying at good prices and conditions from his current supplier. Attention: you have to know how to ask and listen without falling into the trap.
The professional seller does not quote or talk about prices or commercial conditions without being sure of the real needs of their potential customers. The buyer will ask for quotes and prices.
The seller will not give them to you if he is not convinced of the real interest of the purchase. Budgeting is not selling. Nor is selling granting everything the buyer asks for. To sell is to seek the mutual benefit of both parties and achieve stable ties over time, which allow the commercial relationship to be loyal.
Getting the human relationship to make a difference is very important both for the realization of future businesses and to maintain them over time. If there is a good human relationship between the buyer and the seller, the door is closed to all potential competition. You have to keep customers by providing good services and being better than any other seller.
What should not be missing in the interview:
*Punctuality: If a day and time is agreed for the interview, comply with the clock and attend punctually. It is not allowed to be late to the meeting. Nor arrive and pretend to be attended before the established time. If it was agreed at 15 to arrive at the place five or ten minutes in advance and wait for the exact time to be made, to announce itself.
Punctuality sums up many behaviors. The professional buyer knows how to read punctuality as a good point. The punctual person has a much better chance of complying with what he says. Punctuality contains commitment and respect for the time of the other. Time is valuable and must be taken care of.
* Appearance: Dress according to the guidelines of the potential client. If the seller is going to interview a buyer who wears a suit and tie it is necessary that he presents himself in the same way. Clothing is part of the language that must be respected and allows to achieve affinity with the buyer.
* Notebook: You always have to have a neat notebook to take notes while the interview goes on. The notebook will be placed in front of the buyer and the most relevant points will be noted. The mere presence of the notebook is a sign that attention is being paid and that there is a genuine interest in the problem or need that the potential client is mentioning in the interview. Writing down on loose paper, or on a napkin, is not serious and reflects the opposite of what the seller should show.
* Smile and positive comments: The interview should be enjoyable and relaxed. Comments always have to be positive and smiling creates a good climate of communication.
Conclusions
Selling requires discipline, so I hope these concepts will be useful. I make myself available to readers to clear any type of query about this or any point related to what is discussed here
*Augusto Diego Berard is a renowned business consultant. If you want to contact him write to the email: [email protected] or visit the website: www.pampamarketing.com
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