74% of modular home salespeople, both factory and builder,
complain about losing a sale because their price was too high. And almost all them
are wrong.
How did you lose the sale?
Why did you lose the sale?
Was it really price? Or was it you?
Losing the sale manifests itself in “blaming complaints”
about: price, unreturned phone calls, bidding, loyalty to others, and other
blame-based excuses about why a sale does not take place, and the relationship
isn’t being built. Ouch.
Here are the major reasons why salespeople lose sales:
- The
customer was loyal to someone else. Your first job is to uncover what
makes the customer loyal. What’s the real reason they continue to do
business with someone else? Ask yourself if you and your company possess
the same qualities. - Lack
of real connection to or with the buyer. The prospective customer is
looking for comfort, peace of mind, and assurance - Lack
of engagement. You weren’t able to create real interactive dialog. - Lack
of perceived value. If the customer does not perceive genuine, definable
value in your offer, then there is none. - Lack
of perceived difference. If the customer does not perceive genuine,
definable difference between you and your competition, then there is none. - Lack
of relationship. When long-term relationship is present, truth, trust, and
value are the basis of purchase. - Lack
of hustle. Response time to a customer’s need for service and/or
information are critical factors in purchase. - Poor
salesmanship. This has fundamental flaws of preparedness and presentation
skills. There’s an obvious lack of questioning skills or sales strategies
that create a buying atmosphere. This is where a sales manager needs to
step in and retrain for success. - Poor
attitude. The way you present yourself and your word choice combined with
your tone and demeanor leave a HUGE impression on the customer. And that
impression is either positive, neutral, or negative – and YOU CHOOSE how
you made them feel. - Failing
to do your BEST. Without a doubt, this is the BIGGEST flaw in salespeople.
Whether it’s attitude, belief, self-confidence, preparation, or follow up,
your execution at a level less than BEST leaves a huge opening for your
competition to win.
REALITY: None of these reasons are ever stated by
salespeople. Instead, they blame the loss of a sale on price.
“They took the lowest price,” is the most often stated
“reason” for the loss of a sale. And it is totally bogus. It’s easy to blame “price”
for the loss. It’s harder to face and discover the real “why.”
The reality (and life-long value) of why you lost a sale is
forever silenced when you blame the loss on price, and move on to the next
sale.
REALITY: “The customer took the lowest price,” is as bogus
as “My dog ate my homework.” The fact is you let the customer control the
selling/buying process. Not good.
