He who neglects to prepare, must prepare to be neglected" goes the adage.
A truth that makes even more sense today, in a competitive world where information and professional culture are at everyone's fingertips... Every detail counts. So get ready to be hyper-prepared!
Long gone are the days when the salesperson would come up to his or her prospect and gently say, "Hello, nice to meet you... Tell me a little about your company." Today, such behavior would certainly earn bewildered eyes and a snide laugh as a response... " NEXT!"
In a society increasingly focused on the individual, customers expect personalized attention, and want to feel considered and valued: "Show me that you're interested in me, and I'll tell you who I am".
Objective n°1: win the battle for credibility
It all starts at the very first moment... To capture the customer's attention and, above all, keep it, the salesperson has to show that he's interested in him, that he knows him, that he's mastered his environment, that he's aware of what's at stake... When hyper-preparation rhymes with hyper-documentation.
Because, in the end, what is hyper-preparation? First and foremost, it's a real upstream process of research and analysis, in order to arrive at the customer with a clear understanding of his world.
It's also the elaboration of an initial thought process, enabling the customer to face up to his challenges, and then to provide him with some answers... These are the elements that will put the contact into perspective, and trigger in the customer's mind the certainty of added value.
Hyper-preparation makes it possible to personalize and therefore lend credibility to the sales pitch. The result? The customer feels confident, a bond is created. The first battle is won...
Hyper-preparedness to reassure customers
In addition to putting the salesperson in the best possible conditions, hyper-preparedness also reassures the customer. It creates a marker of competence and sends an immediate positive signal: "This person knows what he's talking about, so I can trust him".
Indeed, the customer needs this confidence to overturn his natural inertia generated by his own doubts, fears and questions. Faced with a hyper-prepared interlocutor, they will not only find answers to their concerns, but also the "courage" they may lack to make certain decisions and move forward.
Beyond their arguments and added value, salespeople must be able to create a sense of emulation, a dynamism, a movement in which to draw their prospect along.
Hyper-preparedness to instill confidence in salespeople
We'll never stop repeating it: hyper-preparedness cannot be neglected. The best example of this is provided by aerobatic pilots. Although they are surrounded by a highly competent technical staff who look after and maintain their aircraft, the pilots always check the planes themselves before take-off. Why do they do this? Because they can't afford to have the slightest doubt about the safety and reliability of their aircraft during the maneuver. Their minds must be 100% focused on their performance.
In the same way, if the salesperson knows that he or she has mastered the subject, that he or she is confident in his or her preparation, in his or her persuasive "material", he or she will be able to invest 100% of his or her energy in the sales pitch, without being destabilized by doubt.
These fundamental principles provide the salesperson with an extra boost of confidence that will reinforce the impact and effectiveness of his or her pitch.
It's up to each salesperson to take responsibility for forging the most solid professional culture possible.
What about you? Are you hyper-prepared?
From preparation to hyper-preparation, or how to make the difference in appointments
