If he had a long enough lever and a place to put the fulcrum Redskin Montez Sweat Jersey , the Greek mathematician Archimedes said, he could move the world. "Leverage questions" offer that kind of power to salespeople. These are open-ended questions designed to uncover the hot-button emotional issues that actually drive a customer's buying decision. What key benefits do buyers want to gain by making the purchase, either for their companies or Redskin Dwayne Haskins Jersey , more critically, for themselves?
In other words, leverage questions are queries that allow the salesperson to find out Redskin Landon Collins Jersey , from the buyer's perspective, "What's really in it for me?" This tells the salesperson which needs are most critical to address when presenting product features and benefits. What's more, by clarifying the actual stakes of the decision in the customer's mind Preston Smith Color Rush Jersey , leverage questions serve to "turn up the emotional heat," making the expected gains even more desirable to the buyer.
Leverage questions turn up the heat by clarifying what's at stake for the buyer, not just the seller.
As you ask open-ended questions to investigate a customer's needs Brandon Scherff Color Rush Jersey , you will come upon some needs that seem to have a particular urgency. Whenever you suspect this is the case, ask a leverage question to confirm your hunch and clarify the situation. Examples of leverage questions: "How has this problem affected your company?" "How has it affected you, personally?" "What are the consequences if the problem continues?" "How are your customers affected?" "What opportunities does this situation represent for the company and for you?" Good leverage questions identify what's at stake for the buyer's company Montae Nicholson Color Rush Jersey , but the very best ones aim at discovering the customer's personal hot buttons. Unless the buyer owns the company, boosting productivity or decreasing waste are not gut issues. Here's a gut issue: "How will I be better off if I bring this solution to my employer? Will I look like a genius? Will I get a promotion? A bonus? Some recognition I crave?"
By clarifying what's really at stake with a business problem or opportunity, leverage questions increase the customer's desire for a solution. And they let the salesperson know how to present a product as the right solution to the right issues.
In The Field:
Leverage questions offer the highest payoff when they are used in the context of a full-scale sales strategy - a strategy that tells you how to build up to asking such questions and what to do with the information after you've uncovered it. That's what Action Selling Sales Training Workshops teach.
The national sales director of retail-photocopy giant Kinko's puts it this way: "By learning to sell via the Action Selling sales skills process Samaje Perine Color Rush Jersey , our salespeople now know where they stand at every stage during a call and can proceed strategically. They are better able to manage a sales call from start to finish.
Your Small Business is Big Enough to Accept Credit Cards ECommerce Articles | April 23, 2008 The Internet has become a great place for those people who have always nurtured the dream of owning their own business. Instead of having to rent our buy space all one has to do is secure a domain n...
The Internet has become a great place for those people who have always nurtured the dream of owning their own business. Instead of having to rent our buy space all one has to do is secure a domain name and sign on with a hosting service. And with drop shipping, e-store owners don?t even have to maintain inventory.
Indeed Fabian Moreau Color Rush Jersey , the low overhead that comes with having one?s business online also makes it easier to turn a profit. And that has made the virtual world even more enticing for the entrepreneur as the financial risks and rewards are much more easy to juggle.
However, no successful business can become static or things start to erode. That is why most online business people keep an eye out for anything that will help their business grow. Perhaps a fancier site design or maybe switching some items being sold to see if that kicks some fresh energy into the mix.
One avenue they might pursue is the idea of credit card online processing services. Some might just like the idea while others have heard about all the good things that merchant services could bring. Several studies have shown that an Internet business with merchant services will see increases in traffic, repeat business Ryan Anderson Color Rush Jersey , sales and profits. All great things to help anyone?s business grow to the next level and beyond.
However, here is where many online shopkeepers scuttle their own efforts. They let their assumptions carry more weight than any facts they may come across as they research the ability to accept payments online.
They assume credit card processing is for bigger businesses.
They assume credit card processing costs will outweigh any financial benefit.
They assume that there isn?t a plan that is structured for a business like theirs.
And they get wrapped in up in their assumptions that they start to treat them as facts and they forget about merchant services as a way to build their bottom line. And that?s too bad because assumptions are hardly ever factual if any research has been added to the mix.
This is why it is so vital, no matter what size business you have that you are willing to drill down and get some facts before you make any decision that will affect your business.
It is true that there will be several merchant services providers that might think you are too small for credit card services ? and most banks fall into this category ? but keep in mind that any company that says you aren?t big enough usually means you aren?t big enough for them to offer services to and make a profit.