Making More Design Sales is About Building Relationships: Part 3

In Part 2 of this series, we discussed the second step necessary to begin building a relationship with a prospective client that will lead to making more design sales; that is, making a friend and finding out what is most important to your prospect.A quick reminder from that post: Every positive sales encounter eventually devolves to the relationship created between the salesperson and the prospect. A positive experience, that is, when a sale is made, is the result of a relationship that benefits both of you – and – as a professional, it is your responsibility to build that relationship.After all, the prospect has already done their part by coming to you (however that may have been done) and presenting you with the opportunity to make a sale, which leaves the next part of the encounter, building the relationship, in your hands.

Overcoming Objections to Buying

More than anything, objections to buying are about you – NOT your prospect. When you receive an objection, your prospect is telling you that you have not effectively managed one of the steps in the sales process: you have not built a rapport, you have not made them your friend, or you have not listened to them as they explained their pain points and their perceived solution.When this happens – do NOT give up – it’s simply time to start over.Imagine yourself walking down a hallway full of doors (client objections). As you walk down this hallway with them, address their concerns and objections, but be sure to “close and lock” each of those doors as you progress. Meaning, when you address the objection, make sure it is no longer an issue; make sure they cannot run back into that door. The nature of their objection will tell you where you took a wrong turn during the process sales process, letting you know where to go to get them back on track.To help you with this, you can ask a question such as, “Can we put this (the concern/objection) behind us?” Or, “Have I fully addressed your concern?” As you do this, make sure to read body language and listen intently to their tonality. (Of course, if you do this during the sales process, you’ll save yourself a great deal of time and stress when closing – but – this is a great tool for overcoming objections at the close.)You want to create a situation where, if they tried to run back down that hallway, every exit has been bolted down and all that is left is the obvious path… Your solution!Looking for more new design trends, tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.