I haven’t lifted weights in like 10 months probably, until last week, and damn have I been debilitatingly sore since I started up again.
I recently joined a gym and went through the regular sales process – free 5 day trial, follow up after the trial ended with a limited time promotion to sign up, culminating with the sign up process where I have to sign like 7 documents and scribe my initials a bunch of times acknowledging I understand all the cancellation terms, etc.
Everything was cool except for the sign up process.
I still signed up, because I want to work out, however I recognized some things the sales guy did that might deteriorate trust in some potential clients.
I know I used to do the same things, and maybe you do, so pay attention because this will help you build trust in your sales process.
Maybe due to the fact I didn’t have a great relationship with money, I’d often rush the sale.
I’d barely do an informed consent (actually a vital and beneficial part of the sale which I’ll break it down in another article so stay tuned), speed through all the terms and conditions, and gloss over the payment plan.
I’d just rush right to the hoop when I thought the client was even a little bit interested in my plan.
I noticed the sales guy at the gym do it too.
It made me uneasy.
I wasn’t familiar with the stuff I was signing. I didn’t know about the cancellation policy, I didn’t know when my card was going to get charged, if the rest of the month was going to be pro-rated, if there were any additional hidden fees as there sometimes are… I was ushered through the process very quickly.
I think when I did this in my practice it was because of fear.
I was worried people would back out of the deal.
That very fear caused me to create an uncomfortable situation where clients WOULD back out.
Weird how that works isn’t it?
The more you frame the conversation in your head around a negative outcome, even if you are focusing on avoiding it, the more it will occur.
Think about where you want to go, not what you want to avoid.
Here’s the takeaway: don’t rush the sale. Focus on getting the right care for the client rather than slamming the sale closed.
Take your time – go at a pace comfortable for your client. Some are ready to buy immediately. Make sure they know what they’re getting anyway. Some need a little hand holding so go at their pace. Make sure your client understands all the financials, all the terms, your policies, etc.
Then, repeat yourself. Get them to acknowledge the purchase and the terms, and see if there is any reason they might want to back out of the deal or not make their appointments.
In Jim Camp’s excellent book Start With No, he says to ask confirm your agreement three different ways. You can use the old saying “tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them.”
Tell them what they’re agreeing to, have them agree to it, then tell them what they’ve agreed to. Say it in different ways so you don’t sound like a robot.
This tactic allows them to say “no” three times, however it will strengthen their conviction when they are already on board. Plus, it slows the close a little and lets your client feel like he is in control.
So, If up until now you have been going too fast, perhaps losing some sales due to lack of trust, you now know how to build more trust during the sale and will do just that when you follow these guidelines.
Stay tuned for part two where I’ll talk about THE most important component in building trust with a new client.
