Six ways for new salesmen to approach customers

The first contact with customers is a high threshold for new salespeople. This is also the time when customers are most likely to refuse. There is no certain approach method, and it is difficult for new salespeople to get the opportunity to talk with customers. Because strangers meet, the pressure is great. Besides, the sales work has been misunderstood by many people, and has also been discredited by some bad salesmen. Most people have a refusal attitude towards salesmen. In addition to analyzing customer information, choosing a visit route, and mastering product knowledge before approaching customers, salesmen should also decide what methods to use to approach customers. Give the customer a reason to meet, which is the stepping stone to get the opportunity to talk. Based on 13 years of sales experience, the author summarized 6 approaches to customers besides the conventional product approach and self introduction approach. It is a reference for the new comers to the sales industry.

1. The introduction of others. Approaching customers through the help of others is a very effective way. Behind this method is the principle of familiarity and liking in sociology, which means that people are always willing to accept the requirements of people they know and like. The success rate of using this method to approach customers is as high as 60%. This method can be divided into personal recommendation and indirect recommendation. Indirect introductions mainly include telephone, business cards, letters, notes and other forms. When approaching a new customer with someone else's indirect introduction token, the salesperson should be modest and not condescending. Don't show off how close your relationship with the introducer is. You can introduce others by sincerely praising the customer. For example, Mr. XX said that you are a good doctor who cares about the interests of patients very much. He introduced me to visit you. Here is a note he gave you.

2. Use the event method. Take events as opportunities and reasons to approach customers. These events can be events of the salesperson's own enterprise, customers (customer enterprises), or social events. Such as celebration, banquet, opening ceremony, product launch anniversary activities, customer's homecoming, customer's school celebration, various festivals and festival activities, the Olympic Games, college entrance examination, high school entrance examination, even natural disasters, crisis events, etc., are the best opportunities and materials to approach customers. Of course, it is important to know the customer's information background and social preferences in advance. For example, new salesmen know that the customer graduated from XX School in 1998, and they are planning a homecoming. The customer is an active member of the same year's classmates. You can approach the customer for the reason of the reunion. For example, the pharmaceutical industry often holds academic seminars, and new pharmaceutical representatives can use the conference invitation to approach doctors.

3. Survey approach method. The salesperson uses the opportunity of market research to approach customers. It can not only help enterprises to understand the situation of customer needs, but also expand the popularity of enterprise products by taking the opportunity of investigation, and can promote, and can also provide salesmen with reasons to approach customers. By adopting this method, enterprises can also improve the professional knowledge of salesmen. Because if the salesperson's professional knowledge cannot understand the survey content, it will cause customer dissatisfaction. After the customer completes the questionnaire, the salesperson can approach the customer in the form of giving gifts to thank the customer for the second time. An alumnus of the author commissioned a market research company to conduct a product launch survey before launching a drug. At that time, I suggested that he let 90% (Global Brand Network) questionnaires be distributed and collected through his own medical representative team. He declined the author's suggestion on the grounds that the medical representative was unreliable. During the period of sales and sales management, the author often creates opportunities for product market research to give medical representatives, so as to increase their reasons for approaching doctors. Including various types of academic conferences, many market research questionnaires are also distributed. Because this survey approach can also promote customers' understanding and familiarity with the products promoted by the salesperson.

4. Problem seeking approach. The salesperson can approach the customer by asking the customer to help solve difficult problems, or directly asking the customer questions (questions related to the customer). For example, the salesperson asks the customer: Engineer Li, many people say that you are an expert and authority in mechanical and electrical products. Recently, our company has developed Product A, and I want to hear your opinions on the market prospects of Product A, OK? This method mainly makes use of the human's characteristics of being a teacher. When using this method, it is important to ask the other person questions that he or she is good at answering, and introduce the topic into the conversation that is conducive to exchange after asking for advice. For example, the salesperson directly raised the customer's question: Mr. Li, I brought a document that can help patients with peripheral neuropathy get better treatment. If you open it, you will find it worth discussing. Let's talk for five minutes, OK? The method of direct questioning generally involves interest, so this method is also called interest questioning approach method. A method of asking questions that the salesperson uses to bring benefits to the customer by using goods or services to arouse the customer's interest. For another example, the new salesperson can say, "The account books and bookkeepers produced by our factory are 30% cheaper than those of other factories, and the quality is better than theirs. It must be an opportunity for your company to reduce costs without reducing the quality. Can you give me five minutes to talk together?"?

5. Service approach. Salesmen approach customers by providing them with a valuable service that meets their needs. Specific methods include: maintenance service, information service, free trial service, consulting service, etc. The key to adopting this approach is that the service should be what the customer needs and related to the goods sold. For example, the medical representative can say, Mr. Li, listening to Director Wang, you are studying the pharmacoeconomics of XX disease recently, and I have brought some latest information about this. Can we spend 10 minutes to discuss it together?

6. Social handover and legal transfer. Approach customers by approaching their social circle. If the customer joins the health club, the salesperson also joins the health club; If the customer joins a social group, the salesperson also joins the group. The extension of this method, for example, when you meet a customer during a travel in other places, you should approach the customer immediately. In this conversation, you should not sell the product directly, but try to form a harmonious relationship with the customer first. For example, in the station, in the mall, in the farmers' market, on the plane, in schools and other public places, it is a good opportunity to approach customers.

Getting close to customers is the first step to communicate with customers. Many new salespeople are suffering from being unable to get close to customers. Most of them visit customers when customers are busy, and the method is very simple, mainly product approach or personal visit. For example, many medical representatives visit doctors when they are about to leave work, or when their patients (global brand network) are busy, or even queue up for doctors. When I was engaged in sales management, I often reminded medical representatives that such visits were basically invalid and of little significance. It is suggested that they find other time and other occasions to approach the doctor, and the effect will be better! The approach methods summarized by the author above can be used in combination. The method income is very important, but the attitude of approaching customers is more important. If the salesperson approaches customers, the attitude is to look for opportunities to help customers meet their needs, not just to sell products. The vast majority of customers will certainly welcome the approach of salespersons.