Needs Based Selling

I am sure you are familiar with the phrase, "I could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo." First, allow me to personally congratulate anyone out there who has sold ice cubes to an Eskimo, for I believe this to be quite a difficult task to accomplish.

You would have to be one heck of a sales person to accomplish this, but why would anyone waste their time selling somebody something they didn't need?

First of all, imagine how long it must have taken to pull off a sale like that, I doubt the Eskimo jumped at the chance, it must have taken a lot of persuasion on the part of the sales person.

Second of all, the Eskimo doesn't need ice cubes, so why would anyone waste their time selling them to an Eskimo.

Okay, enough about the selling of ice cubes, I think you get the point.

This brings us to the title of the article "Needs-based Selling." Sell your customer only the things that they need, you will find it to be a much easier sale, and you won't spend a whole lot of your time selling it.

If somebody told me that they sold a heater to an Eskimo, I would be very impressed, because this person chose their target market wisely, and then sold his customer something that they need and can use.

If I were an ice cube salesman, my target market would be supermarkets, convenience stores, and liquor stores, because they buy bags of ice in bulk to distribute amongst their paying customers. Why on earth would I waste my time selling my ice cubes to Eskimos?

"Needs-based Selling" is selling people the things that they need and can make their lives more convenient. Get to know your customer before you start selling them your products, get to know as much as you about them.

In my early twenties I was in the market for a new car. When I went to the dealership, the salesman asked me a few probing questions, such as, how old I was, If I lived in the area, and wether or not I was married. After gathering this information, he started taking me in the direction of the jeeps and sports cars. Because he found out almost immediately that I was young and single, he did not walk in the direction of the mini vans.

The next time you have a customer in front of you, take a little bit of time to get to know them and their needs. Once you have accomplished this, offer your customer the products you believe they will need and can use. If they need it, they most likely will buy it.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

---

A Look at Child Mannequins

Not all mannequins are made to look like full-grown adults.... Read More

Why I Hate (Most) Benefit Statements

Benefits are what motivate people to purchase from you, right?... Read More

A Little Something Special Goes a Long Way

Keeping the 80/20 rule in mind; that is that 80%... Read More

How To Make The Most Out of a Business Networking Event

You're not alone. Most people are uncomfortable walking into a... Read More

The Relationship Between Colour & Sales

Make no mistake that emotions are the driving force behind... Read More

Youve Got a Great Business, but Nobody Cares!

I would like to share a disturbing little secret with... Read More

Writing Effective Sales Messages

A sales letter is a document designed to generate sales.... Read More

6 Ways To Get More From Your Promotions

1. Settle On The Right Way ForwardThe purpose of your... Read More

Throw Out Your Selling Language - Unlock Your Natural Voice

I was sitting at my desk last week when my... Read More

How To Bully Your Prospects Into Buying Your Product or Service

Selling is a tough job, and sometimes you may need... Read More

Interactive Sales Letter Skyrockets Conversions with 2 Simple Questions

There are many tactics and techniques that go into converting... Read More

Its Better When They Tell Them

You know that word of mouth can grow your business.... Read More

Quotations Tell... Proposals Sell!

The traditional "Quotation" was originally devised during the Industrial Revolution... Read More

Winning Sales Proposals

Your proposal is selling for you when you're not there,... Read More

Handshake Intimidation

In some situations, attempting to intimidate the other person will... Read More

A Look at Store Fixture Parts

Products for sale need to be displayed in a manner... Read More

Do Your Words Betray You?

What do the words that you use say about you?... Read More

Handling Objections

HANDLING OBJECTIONSSales presentation is not always going to be plain... Read More

Color Psychology Will Make Or Break Your Sales Success

Color psychology is the biggest question I receive on a... Read More

Sales Copy Tips

Writing good sales copy is not an art, it is... Read More

Chicken Little And The Disintermediation Myth

If Chicken Little were alive today he wouldn't be running... Read More

More Cleaning and Janitorial Customers Using Yahoo

We use this method to find new cleaningcustomers, and it... Read More

Selling Commodities

"How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself... Read More

Selling More CDs at Gigs, Case Study: The Rogues

A few weekends back, the Brobdingnagian Bards performed at the... Read More

Selling To Your Difficult Person

We all have people whom we find difficult. We don't... Read More

Talking To A Prospect As If To A Friend

While working with a new coaching client, I asked to... Read More

9 Ways to Keep Clients Coming Back For More

A lot of effort is put into getting new clients.... Read More

Peak Performance ? What You See Is What You Get!

Would you like an easy way to track the performance... Read More

Open Your Introduction With A Firecracker Moment

The number one requirement, whether you are a business owner... Read More

Casual Networking

What comes to mind when you think of networking --... Read More

Seminars for Prospecting

The purpose of a 1- or 2-hour seminar is to... Read More

Lance Has What It Takes

Lance has what it takes and then some.Did you know... Read More

Why There Will Always Be High Paying Sales Jobs

With the dot.com revolution crushing once solid business models on... Read More