Ever notice how we, as buyers, walk into a department store and when asked, "Can I help you?", our response is, "Nope, just looking." Ever notice how we, as sellers, can't truly help prospective customers if they don't reveal what it is that they're looking for? So, how can salespeople convert suspects into prospects that are open to buying?

Before we answer that question, let's delve into two CustomerCentric Selling® core concepts and explore why willing buyers avoid traditional sellers:

• People like to buy, but don't like to be sold to. Most of us have had the joyful experience of buying a car. You walk into the dealership and several pairs of beady eyes set their sights on you. Each salesperson is strategizing mentally about how to get to you first without seeming desperate. The salespeople aren't thinking about what you want, i.e. to buy a car, but instead are thinking about what they want, i.e. to sell a car. This buyer/seller dynamic, unfortunately, is not limited to the automobile market or even to retail. Most buyers go through three distinct phases in their buying process. First they define their needs or a list of requirements. They then shop for options and evaluate each one to see which one best meets their needs. Finally, they choose an option and commit to buying. When sellers lead with product, before understanding what the buyer needs, they are out of alignment with the buying process. The seller appears to be self-serving, and therefore is avoided.
  
  
• No goal, no prospect. We have now established that the first phase in the buying process is all about defining what is needed, or the goal(s) of the buyer. If sellers don't find out what the buyer's goals are, i.e. what problem are they trying to solve, then how do they know if the buyer is a prospect for their products and services? Getting a buyer to share a goal even when asked, however, is perhaps the greatest challenge for a salesperson. Buyers have historically had to listen to a salesperson's "pitch"; they are not at all accustomed to having business discussions with salespeople. It's also easy for sellers to prematurely jump to a solution when they don't truly understand the buyer's current situation. Think about a Florida homeowner who says to a lawn care service in late June, "I want greener grass." The seller replies, "We can do that. We'll be here each month to fertilize, and each quarter to weed and feed." If the seller had dug a bit further, he would have discovered that the homeowner had no sprinkler system. Visualize what happens when fertilizers are applied without adequate watering. Greener grass? I think not!

Okay, so what's a salesperson to do? In the book, "Low-Cost Marketing: Savvy Strategies for Maximizing Your Marketing Dollars" by Mark Landsbaum, the author writes, "Nothing sells like a happy customer. People want to know that other people like themselves were pleased with a product or service before risking their own money."

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