SalesMotivation.net

by Gary Jones

As Sales Professionals, it is our responsibility to manage our customer’s expectations. This is really the foundation of all sales success. Do you sell your product/service, or do you oversell your product/service? The image our clients have of our product/service is largely determined by the picture we paint. That image can be derived from collateral, your web presence and the information/expectation you have set with your client through your sales conversations.

Where have you put the bar? Is it realistic? Is it attainable? Your client/customer will find out soon enough. You might as well set a real expectation as opposed to one that you and your company can never reach. This will only result in negative results all the way around.

How to arrive at proper expectations

What is the right expectation? You can only determine this from a complete and thorough knowledge of your product/service and how it fits the needs of your customer. Make sure that you are only selling what you can efficiently and cost effectively deliver. This can only be accomplished by conducting a thorough sales interview. Your ability to translate your products benefits into problem solving solutions for your customers is the vital skill that will propel you to sales success.

Don’t oversell! If you need to exaggerate your products/services benefits to make the sale, it will not be worth it in the long run. By closing this over promised sale, you will begin a domino effect series of problems that will haunt you for weeks or months to come. Sometimes, the sale we work hardest to get (the one we make the most concessions on) will be the one that messes with us for a long time. It is not worth it! Know where to set your expectations and how to effectively communicate those to your client.

How do deliver the expectation

If you do an excellent job of setting the expectation, your customer will love you! You will give them EXACTLY what you told them you would give them. What a concept! Maybe, just maybe if you acted as a professional, you will find ways to deliver more than expected. This is what will give you the advantage. This is what will set you apart from all of the competitors your customer is looking at or has ever had.

I’m not advocating over under-promising. Don’t minimize the benefits of your product/service just to shine after the sale. That is not what I am saying. If you truly believe in your product and have done an excellent job crafting a solution to your clients problems with your product, then the result of your efforts will be a well received solution.

Creating value while under delivering

Always sell value. This cannot be understated. You are selling your product for a reason. Value should be foremost in your discussions with prospective clients/customers.

Conclusions

This is how you deliver and manage the expectation. It is up to you. You create in your clients mind the picture of what they will expect. Paint a picture that is accurate and achievable. Don’t over sell. Always under promise and over deliver. Manage the expectations of your clients/customers and your Sales career will be less stressful and more profitable.