“The customer has to perceive you as the expert, and if they do, you’ll have a much better time closing the sale.” – Allan Langer in today’s Tip 509
Are you perceived as an expert in your field or as an expert in your product or your service?
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The 7 Secrets to Selling More by Selling Less
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip comes from Allan Langer. Allan is the author of The 7 Secrets to Selling More by Selling Less that he wrote as an antidote to the numerous “sales pitch” trainings and teachings that have existed for decades, but simply didn’t produce the results he knew could be achieved. Here he is:
Allan Langer: Hey everyone. Allen Langer here from the Seven Secret Center for Sales and Marketing. And here is my sales tip for you. I call it “becoming the expert.” And what I mean by this is perception is reality. Okay? You have to be perceived as the expert in your field, whether you are or not.
So with today’s attention span, I just looked at some statistics, and the average attention span today for the average human being is seven seconds, especially online.
So if there’s someone out there who has a problem, and they are looking for someone to solve that problem with a product or a service, they are going to look to see if you are an expert and you have seven seconds from your standpoint to show them that you are, or they need to have the perception that you are the expert.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. Let’s say I’m in the market for lampshades and I’m at a networking function and there’s two lampshade guys in the room. So I meet both of them. I take both of their business cards and then I’m gone from the networking function. And a few days later, I think, Oh boy, I need to order these lampshades. So I pick up both business cards and I look at one and says, Joe Smith, Lampshade Consultant. And then I look at the other business card and it says, Steve Smith, Senior Lampshade Consultant.
Well, now I don’t really remember either person, but I’m going to call the senior lampshade consultant. Why? Because right there, I am perceiving Steve as more of an expert than Joe simply because of his title. Okay?
So you need to take a step back and look through the eyes of your customer, to how you’re perceived on your website? On your company’s website? What your title is? How are you perceived in your LinkedIn profile? Are you perceived as an expert in your field as an expert in your product or your service? Or are you perceived as just another sales rep?
The perception right now you have that seven seconds to have someone believe that you are the expert because once you do that, you’ll have a much easier time getting in front of that customer. And you’ll have a much easier time selling that customer because really you need to believe you’re the expert as well, but the perception has to be there. And that has to be from the customer’s standpoint. Okay.
So that’s my tip become the expert. The customer has to perceive you as the expert, and if they do, you’ll have a much better time closing the sale.
Scott Ingram: For more about Allan and a link to his book, The 7 Secrets to Selling More by Selling Less, just click over to DailySales.Tips/509 and the first two people who reach out to Allan and mention this tip will get a free signed copy of his book.
Once you’ve done that. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another great sales tip. Thanks for listening!