There have been many theories about selling and sales techniques. However, you may not have heard of one technique that has been proven to yield significant benefits with its application. This technique is titled “Non-Manipulative Selling” and I would refer you to the book, Non-Manipulative Selling by Tony Alessandra, Phil Wexler and Rick Barrera. The book can be found at most large book stores or on-line. In this article I will try to summarize this technique and explain how it produces success.
This technique is predicated on the idea that good sales skills can be learned and good sales people are made, not born. In non-manipulative selling, as opposed to traditional selling, more time is devoted to finding the right prospects and focusing your time on these prospects. When the prospect is identified and you meet with him, the non-manipulative salesman seeks to establish a level of trust and make the prospect feel comfortable. The objective is to build a relationship that goes beyond just making a sale, and seeks to assure the prospect that you want him to succeed.
In the initial meeting you are spending time learning about the prospect’s business and his needs. The non-manipulative salesman gets the prospect to become a part of the sales process by asking questions and offering “thought-provoking possibilities”. After you have met with the prospect and understand his business, you are ready to make a proposal. However, this is not a “one-sized fits all” sales pitch. Your proposal should fit each prospect’s specific needs as you understand them. Rather than “closing” the sale, the non-manipulative salesman seeks to have the prospect confirm that he agrees with the proposal as fitting his needs. The objective is to gain a satisfied customer who will welcome your business and, ideally, include you in his product planning.
In order to gain the credibility of the prospect or customer, the salesman approaches the prospect in a manner that is comfortable with that particular prospect. To accomplish this approach you need to understand human behavioral styles. There are two general dimensions of behavior: open and self-contained is one dimension; and indirect and direct is the second dimension. Open people are people oriented; and self-contained people are task oriented. Direct behavior versus indirect refers to the amount of control a person seeks to exert over people and situations. Each dimension is a wide scale and a prospect can be at different levels of this scale. It may be helpful to imagine these styles in a grid pattern. The Open vs Self-contained are on one axis; and the Direct and Indirect would be on another axis. The book will help you to identify the behavioral styles. The identification of a person’s style is based on the unconscious clues the prospective client gives you in your meeting.
As you recognize the behavioral style of your prospect, this information will help you in questioning him. It is important to learn the art of asking questions. How you pose a question goes a long way to making the prospect feel comfortable with you and getting him to become part of the discussion. There are two types of questions: Open and Closed. Each type is used at the appropriate time to gain information; and to confirm what you have presented to the prospect. Your conversational questions seek to manage the tension inherent in a sales meeting, to build trust, to identify the prospect’s needs and to identify his style of behavior. The Alessandro book goes to great lengths to explain the art of asking questions.
However, asking questions is just one part of the meeting. You must also learn to be a good listener. The art of listening is as important as the art of questioning. This book explains the three levels of listening, marginal listening, exhaustive listening and active listening. Alessandro’s book shows you when to employ each level. As you are listening you give feedback to the speaker. This feedback helps the prospective client gain trust in you.
The book goes into examples for each key skill mentioned. However, as with any skill, you have to practice to become proficient. You can practice these skills with family members and friends, business colleagues and supervisors.
Non-manipulative selling is a slower approach to selling, but yields a higher change of success if employed properly. Many of you have met a salesman who utilized this method. Think back on those salesmen in whom you had confidence and with whom you enjoyed working. How did these men relate to you that elicited this level of trust? Would you like your customers to relate to your salesmen in this manner?
I have seen this technique employed by many salesmen and have seen their success. What obstacles do you see to using this method of creating customers in your company?
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