We get the ESP sale the old fashioned way. We earn it.
Remember that old Smith Barney commercial where the actor John Houseman says the famous line; “We make money the old fashioned way. We earn it.” Well that is how you get the ESP sale; you earn it. You earn it by building a strong rapport with your customer.
Most customers when they walk into a store, or call their sales representative, have no idea they are going buy an ESP. They know the product they are going to buy. They have probably done some research on it; they may have even talked it over with their spouse, friend or boss, but the ESP, that’s a different story. They probably have not given any thought to purchasing an ESP before they walked in the door, and because of this if you are going to make the ESP sale, you are going to have to earn it.
By building a rapport with your customer you help them develop a basic level of trust and confidence in you. Most sales people make the mistake of diving right into their product sales pitch. Slow down, take your time. Start with a little “small talk” to search out common interests. People trust people that are like them, so reinforce your common interests. Share information about yourself, like how long you have worked in this industry or other customers you have been able to help, and in doing so you will imply how you can help them. As you move into asking the customer questions about their needs, listen closely instead of thinking about what you are going to say next. Repeat what they have told and confirm that you understand them correctly. Though it is important to start building rapport early with the customer, it is really something that you do throughout the whole sale.
Only through building a strong rapport with the customer will you be successful at selling ESP’s. Having the customer’s trust and confidence is not something you can take for granted, you have to earn it.
