In an increasingly competitive business world, optimizing sales is essential for companies of all sizes and sectors, as this ensures sustainability and promotes the long-term growth of the business. The conference given by Yanmiver Jiménez, a recognized expert in sales, at the Vision Empresarial 360 forum of the International Chamber of Commerce of Entrepreneurs (IECCUS) at Millennia Atlantic University, is presented as a valuable opportunity to acquire knowledge and practical strategies aimed at improving sales skills.
During his presentation, Jiménez shared his extensive experience, as well as offering valuable advice and innovative techniques to overcome current challenges in the world of sales. He highlighted the empowerment of women in this field, quoting Shakira by saying “Women no longer cry, they invoice”, emphasized the importance of effectively closing a sale, and highlighted the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on our ways of selling and relating to customers. This article aims to explore in detail the topics addressed by Jiménez, analyzing each facet of sales optimization in the contemporary business context.
Throughout this blog, we will explore not only how to improve our sales closing techniques but also how empathy and a deep understanding of our product or service can make the difference between just another sale and a satisfied, loyal customer. We will analyze the transformative role of artificial intelligence in sales, showing that, when used correctly, it can be a powerful tool for personalizing the shopping experience and anticipating our customers’ needs.
Prepare yourself for a journey through the art and science of selling in the 21st century, where human connection and technology play equally important roles. We invite you to dive into the proven strategies and innovative insights that will make your sales process not only more effective but also more aligned with the needs and expectations of an ever-evolving market.
The Importance of Sales
Sales are the heart that drives the engine of any business. No matter the size of the business, the industry it operates in, or the products or services it offers; if they are not sold, the business simply cannot survive. This is a fundamental principle that every entrepreneur, manager, and sales professional must recognize and embrace. Without sales, there is no revenue. Without revenue, there is no growth or sustainability. But sales are much more than simple commercial transactions; they are the meeting point between the customer’s need and the solution that our company offers.
The Vital Role of Sales
In the conference given by Yanmiver Jiménez, it became clear that sales are one of the most beautiful and challenging professions that exist. Selling is not just about exchanging products for money; it’s about understanding and satisfying the needs of customers, it’s about building lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect. It is, essentially, an act of help. We help our customers solve a problem or satisfy a need through what we sell.
Sales and Empowerment
An aspect highlighted by Jiménez was the empowerment of women in the field of sales. Quoting Shakira, “Women no longer cry, they invoice”, he highlighted how women are changing the face of sales, bringing sensitivity, empathy, and a unique perspective that enriches and diversifies this field. This underscores a crucial point: sales are inclusive and offer opportunities to anyone who has the passion and commitment to learn and grow.
The Challenge of Generating Income
All those present at the conference shared a common goal: to increase their companies’ revenues. This is a constant challenge in a saturated and competitive market. The solution lies not only in selling more but in selling better. This involves deeply understanding our customers, personalizing our offerings, closing sales effectively, and, above all, building long-term relationships that generate repeat sales and referrals.
Closing the Sale
One of the most significant revelations was the need to effectively close sales. Many professionals are dedicated to selling, but not all manage to close the sale. This is an art in itself, requiring preparation, empathy, and the ability to guide the customer through the decision-making process to the point of purchase. This is where closing techniques become essential, and their mastery can make the difference between success and failure.
The importance of sales in the modern business world cannot be underestimated. They are the engine that drives the growth and sustainability of any business. Through the conference of Yanmiver Jiménez, we have obtained valuable lessons on how to optimize our sales strategies, leveraging skills, available technologies, and, above all, the power of human connection. In the following sections, we will delve into how we can apply these lessons to transform our sales strategies and take our businesses to the next level.
The Art of Closing Sales
The closing of sales is, without a doubt, one of the most critical moments in the sales process. It’s the climax where all previous interactions, understanding of the customer, and presentation of the product or service converge to culminate in a purchase decision. Through the perspective of Yanmiver Jiménez at the Vision Empresarial 360 conference, it’s highlighted that closing a sale goes beyond simply getting the customer to say “yes”; it’s a complex and nuanced process that starts long before the closing question.
Understanding the Closing Process
The closing process does not begin at the end of the conversation with the customer but from the first contact. Every interaction is an opportunity to guide the customer towards the final decision. This approach requires a strategy that integrates product knowledge, an understanding of the customer’s needs, and the effective use of closing techniques adapted to each situation. The premise is clear: to close effectively, we must be reliable consultants for our customers, not just salespeople.
Effective Closing Techniques
There are various closing techniques, each suitable for different types of customers and situations. For example, the “summary close” reviews the benefits agreed upon during the conversation, reaffirming the value that the customer will obtain. The “alternative close” offers the customer a choice between two options, both leading to the sale. The important thing is to adapt the technique to the context and the personality of the customer, making the closing process a personalized experience rather than a repetitive formula.
The Importance of Empathy in Closing
Jiménez emphasizes empathy as a crucial tool in the closing process. Understanding and resonating with the emotions and needs of the customer can transform a sales interaction into a meaningful experience for the customer. Empathy allows us to address objections and concerns genuinely, creating a trustful space where the customer feels understood and valued.
Handling Objections
An inevitable part of the closing process is objections. These should not be seen as insurmountable barriers but as opportunities to deepen the understanding of the customer and reinforce the value of the product or service offered. The ability to handle objections effectively is indicative of an expert salesperson who not only listens but also responds with clear and compelling solutions.
Closing as a Beginning
Finally, a successful close is not the end of the sales process, but the beginning of a long-term relationship with the customer. A focus on post-sale service and customer satisfaction ensures not only customer loyalty but also future sales and referrals. In this sense, closing a sale is opening the door to future business opportunities and growth.
The art of closing sales is essential for success in any sales career. It requires a balance between proven techniques and the ability to genuinely connect with the customer. Through empathy, preparation, and adaptability, salespeople can transform the closing process into a positive and satisfactory experience for both the customer and themselves. By following the advice and strategies shared by Yanmiver Jiménez, we can start to close more sales, build lasting relationships, and contribute to the ongoing success of our businesses.
Artificial Intelligence and Sales
In the current digital era, artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized multiple aspects of our lives and businesses, including the sales domain. The lecture given by Yanmiver Jiménez at the Vision Empresarial 360 forum shed light on this topic, highlighting how AI can be a powerful tool to optimize sales and transform business strategies. But how is this technology exactly integrated into the sales process, and what benefits does it offer?
Revolutionizing the Sales Process
AI offers a broad spectrum of applications that can automate and enhance sales tasks, from lead generation to after-sales service. By analyzing large volumes of data, AI can identify patterns and trends that go unnoticed by the human eye, allowing companies to anticipate customer needs and customize their offerings more effectively.
Personalization at Scale
One of the biggest challenges in sales is treating each customer as a unique individual, offering solutions that precisely fit their needs and preferences. This is where AI shines, enabling personalization at a large scale. AI tools, like recommendation systems used by giants like Amazon, analyze purchase behavior and previous interactions to suggest products that are likely to interest the customer, creating a highly personalized shopping experience.
Predicting Trends and Behaviors
The predictive capability of AI is another crucial advantage in sales. Through the analysis of historical and current data, AI systems can foresee market trends and buying behaviors, allowing companies to adjust their sales and marketing strategies accordingly. This not only improves the efficiency of marketing campaigns but also increases sales opportunities by identifying and acting on emerging trends before the competition.
Automating Customer Service
AI is also transforming customer service, an essential component of the sales process. AI-powered chatbots can handle basic customer inquiries 24/7, freeing up sales representatives to focus on more complex tasks and building meaningful relationships with customers. This automation improves customer satisfaction by providing quick and efficient responses, while also optimizing internal resources.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
However, the adoption of AI in sales is not without challenges. Concerns about job loss and the dehumanization of customer relationships are relevant issues. Additionally, there are ethical considerations related to data privacy and consent. Companies must adopt a balanced approach, using AI to enhance customer experiences and support their sales teams, rather than replacing the human touch that is fundamental in sales.
Artificial intelligence is redefining the sales landscape, offering powerful tools for personalizing the customer experience, predicting trends, and automating repetitive tasks. However, it’s important to remember that AI is a tool that, when used correctly, can amplify human capabilities rather than replace them. Following the insights of Yanmiver Jiménez, companies can learn to effectively integrate AI into their sales strategies to drive growth and build deeper and more meaningful relationships with their customers. Ultimately, the key to success with AI in sales lies in the collaboration between advanced technology and human intuition, analysis, and empathy, to create a synergy that drives sales to new horizons.
Product Knowledge and Empathy
In the complex landscape of modern sales, two fundamental pillars support the success of any commercial strategy: deep product knowledge and the ability to empathize with the customer. Yanmiver Jiménez, in his lecture at the Vision Empresarial 360 forum, underscored the critical importance of both aspects, arguing that the combination of a thorough understanding of the product with genuine empathy towards customers is what truly differentiates great salespeople from the rest.
Delving into Product Knowledge
Product knowledge goes beyond understanding its features and benefits; it’s about grasping how it can solve specific problems or satisfy the unique needs of the customers. A salesperson who knows their product inside out can speak about it with passion and conviction, conveying confidence and credibility. This depth of knowledge enables the salesperson to tailor their presentation to each customer, highlighting the aspects of the product that resonate most with the individual’s needs and desires.
But this knowledge also needs to be flexible. Markets change, products evolve, and customer needs transform. Staying updated is essential, implying a continuous dedication to learning and adaptation.
Empathy as a Bridge to the Customer
Empathy, on the other hand, is the ability to put oneself in the customer’s shoes, to understand not only their explicit needs but also their feelings, concerns, and underlying motivations. In sales, being empathetic means actively listening, asking questions that reveal more deeply what the customer truly values, and responding in a way that shows understanding and care.
Empathy is especially crucial in handling objections or resistance. An empathetic approach allows the salesperson to address these concerns not as barriers to the sale, but as opportunities to deepen the relationship and reaffirm the value of the product or service offered.
Integrating Knowledge and Empathy
The intersection of deep product knowledge and strong empathy is where the magic of sales happens. This combination allows salespeople to:
– **Customize their messages**: Tailor the product presentation to the customer’s specific circumstances and needs.
– **Solve problems effectively**: Identify how the product’s features can solve problems or improve the customer’s life.
– **Build lasting relationships**: Establish connections based on trust and mutual understanding, leading to repeat sales and referrals.
Jiménez highlighted that true success in sales comes from going beyond the surface, genuinely seeking to understand and connect with the customer. This is not just a strategy for closing a sale but for fostering an ongoing relationship that benefits both the customer and the company in the long term.
Product knowledge and empathy are not merely desirable skills in the world of sales; they are indispensable. By cultivating these qualities, salespeople can overcome the challenges of today’s market, making a difference in a competitive environment. Following the advice of Yanmiver Jiménez, sales professionals can transform every interaction with a customer into an opportunity to demonstrate value and build a solid foundation for future success. Ultimately, sales are about connecting, understanding, and offering solutions that enrich the lives of our customers, and it is this humanized approach that will prevail in the ever-changing business landscape.
Personalization of the Sale
Personalization in the sales process is not just a strategy; it’s a necessity in today’s market where customers seek and expect solutions to be specifically tailored to their needs and desires. As highlighted by Yanmiver Jiménez in his lecture, adapting the sales approach to each customer not only improves the chances of closing a sale but also builds a deeper and more lasting relationship with the customer. Effective sale personalization involves several key components.
Understanding the Customer
The first step towards personalization is to deeply understand who you are selling to. This goes beyond knowing their basic needs or the problem that your product or service can solve. It’s about understanding their specific context, values, concerns, and how they perceive what you offer. This understanding can only be achieved through active listening, and asking open questions that invite the customer to share more about their experiences and expectations.
Effective Segmentation
A personalization strategy starts with effective segmentation of your customers. This refers not only to basic demographic data but also to segmenting according to behaviors, preferences, and levels of interaction with your brand. With the help of technology and data analysis, you can identify patterns that allow you to group customers with similar needs and expectations, and then tailor your communication and offers to these segments more accurately.
Customizing the Offer
Once you have a clear understanding of your customer segments and individual needs, you can begin to customize your offers in a way that resonates with each customer or group of customers. This could mean adapting the marketing message, personalizing product recommendations, or even adjusting the product or service itself to better meet the customer’s needs.
Using Technology
Technological tools play a crucial role in personalization at scale. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, data analytics platforms, and artificial intelligence solutions can help you collect, analyze, and act on customer information efficiently. These tools not only allow you to personalize interactions with customers at a granular level but also do so consistently throughout the entire sales cycle.
Creating Memorable Experiences
Effective personalization goes beyond simply selling a product or service; it’s about creating a memorable shopping experience for the customer. This includes everything from the first interaction with the customer to after-sales service. Each point of contact is an opportunity to demonstrate that you understand and value the customer, which can differentiate your brand in a saturated market.
In a business environment where customers have access to a wide range of options, the personalization of the sale is more important than ever. As Yanmiver Jiménez noted, tailoring your approach to meet the specific needs and desires of each customer not only helps you close more sales but also builds long-term loyalty. By focusing on deeply understanding your customers, effectively segmenting your market, customizing your offerings, leveraging technology, and creating memorable experiences, you can elevate your sales strategies to new levels of success.
Sales as a Process of Human Connection
In a world dominated by technology and quick transactions, Yanmiver Jiménez’s lecture at the Business Vision 360 forum reminds us of something fundamental: at its essence, sales is a process of human connection. Despite all advances in artificial intelligence and data analysis, the ability to connect on a personal level with customers remains the most important factor distinguishing good salespeople from truly exceptional ones. This humanized approach to sales not only improves success rates in transactions but also builds lasting relationships and loyalty to the brand.
The Power of Empathy
Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, is the cornerstone of this humanized approach. When a salesperson takes the time to listen and understand the concerns, needs, and desires of a customer, they can offer solutions that resonate on a personal level with the customer. This genuine connection makes customers feel valued and understood, which is often a deciding factor in their choice to buy or not.
Building Relationships, Not Just Closing Sales
Jiménez emphasized that sales should not be seen simply as isolated transactions. Instead, every sale is an opportunity to start or deepen a relationship with a customer. These relationships are built on trust, mutual respect, and understanding. Sellers who adopt this approach often find that they become trusted advisors to their clients, resulting in repeated sales and referrals over time.
Actively Listening
Active listening is a powerful tool in the sales process. This involves paying full attention to what the customer is saying, understanding the message, responding appropriately, and then remembering what was said. Active listening not only helps identify the needs and desires of the customer but also demonstrates respect and appreciation for their opinions and experiences. This level of attention can significantly differentiate a company in a competitive market.
Authenticity and Honesty
Customers are more perceptive than they are often given credit for. They can quickly detect when a salesperson is being dishonest or is simply reciting a sales script. Authenticity and honesty are not only ethically important, but they are also essential for building customer trust. Sellers who are genuine and transparent in their interactions tend to create stronger and more lasting connections with customers.
Sales, at its core, is a process of human connection. Strategies, techniques, and tools are important, but without the ability to genuinely connect on a personal level with customers, it is difficult to achieve sustainable success in sales. As Yanmiver Jiménez reminded us, by focusing on empathy, building relationships, practicing active listening, and staying authentic, we can transform the sales process into an enriching experience for both the seller and the customer. Ultimately, understanding and prioritizing basic human needs in the context of sales not only improves business performance but also enriches our human interactions, creating a more connected and compassionate business world.
Breaking Financial Barriers in the Seller’s Mind
One of the most impactful lessons from Yanmiver Jiménez’s conference at the Business Vision 360 forum was the need to break financial barriers in the minds of sellers. This concept challenges sellers to overcome their limitations and biases about money, which is essential for selling high-value products or services. The mindset of the seller plays a crucial role in how offers are presented to customers and, therefore, in the success or failure of the transaction.
Overcoming Fear and Insecurity
Many sellers face internal insecurities related to the price of what they are selling, especially if they consider the product or service to be “expensive.” This fear is based on their perceptions of value and what they would be willing or able to pay. To overcome this, sellers must do internal work on reevaluating their beliefs about money and value, understanding that the value of a product or service lies in how it meets a need or solves a problem for the customer, beyond its monetary price.
Financial Education
A key tool for breaking financial barriers is financial education. Understanding the basic principles of economics, the value of money over time, and investment concepts can help sellers reevaluate their perception of value. This education allows them to see beyond the price and focus on the return on investment (ROI) that the product or service offers to the customer.
Changing Perspective
Changing the perspective on money and value requires practice and reflection. Sellers must learn to see the world from the customer’s perspective, especially when this customer represents a company or entity with significant financial capacity. What might seem expensive from a personal perspective can be considered a valuable investment or even negligible in a broader business context.
The Role of Trust
Building confidence in oneself and in the value that the product or service offers is fundamental. Sellers must sincerely believe in what they are selling and its ability to improve the customer’s life or the performance of their business. This confidence is conveyed during the sales process, positively influencing the customer’s perception of value and justifying the price.
Success Stories
An effective way to break financial barriers is to share success stories of previous customers who made the investment and saw significant results. These success cases not only validate the value of the product or service but also help sellers reinforce their belief in what they offer. Hearing about the positive impact on others can help sellers overcome their internal doubts and present their offers with greater confidence and conviction.
Breaking financial barriers in the seller’s mind is a crucial step in improving sales performance, especially in high-value transactions. By overcoming fear and insecurity, educating themselves about finances, changing perspective, building confidence, and sharing success stories, sellers can transform their approach to selling. As Yanmiver Jiménez highlighted, money is abundant, and when sellers change their mindset to see the real value they are providing, they can reach previously unimaginable levels of success. This approach not only benefits sellers in terms of outcomes but also enhances the purchasing experience for the customer, creating a win-win situation in the truest sense of the term.
Conclusion
The detailed exploration of crucial topics such as the importance of sales, mastery in closing sales, the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, and the vitality of human connection in the sales process, inspired by Yanmiver Jiménez‘s conference, offers us a set of strategies and key insights to succeed in today’s business environment. The conscious and meticulous application of these principles can radically change our approach to sales, the way we interact with our customers and our position in the global market.
Sales, at its core, is a deeply human process that goes beyond mere transaction. It is an act of connection, understanding, and meeting needs that, when performed with empathy, knowledge, and adaptability, can lead to lasting relationships and mutual benefits. Artificial intelligence, meanwhile, emerges as a powerful tool that, far from depersonalizing, can enrich this process by allowing us to better understand our customers and personalize our offerings like never before.
The true mastery of sales lies in the seller’s ability to overcome obstacles, which include not only financial aspects but also emotional and psychological barriers, both their own and those of their customers. Continuous training, openness to technological innovations, and a solid conviction in the value of the product or service offered are key to successfully facing these challenges.
Jiménez’s conference reminds us that, ultimately, sales are about humanity. They’re about understanding and contributing to the well-being of others, whether it’s helping a business grow, a family find their ideal home or an individual achieve their personal goals. This humanized understanding of sales, combined with strategic use of technology and a personalized approach, is what defines tomorrow’s leaders in the business realm.
Concluding this dialogue, the advice for those dedicated to the field of sales is clear: always prioritize establishing an authentic connection, maintain the desire to learn and adapt, and, most importantly, recognize the significant effect they can achieve by meeting the needs of their customers. By acting in this manner, they won’t just be marketing a product or service but will be contributing to the creation of a more united, compassionate, and ultimately more human business environment.
Transcript:
“Good evening. Thank you for being here. How can you optimize sales in your company or business? I believe we are all here for one reason: we need to increase our revenue. We need to make money. I think one of the most beautiful professions is sales, and that’s why we are here. I see many women.
I congratulate you. As Shakira says, women no longer cry, they invoice. We are always selling, but we are not always generating income as such. Why does this happen? There’s a saying that we are always selling ourselves, from when we interact with our family, with our friends, at the company. However, we do not generate enough income because we are not closing the sales.
Do you want to know some closing techniques?
Later on, I will reveal some, but that’s one of the first things we need to understand. That although we may be able to sell if we don’t close, then there wasn’t a sale. Now, let’s work on something here that is artificial intelligence. A lot has been said since artificial intelligence began, that it could be an enemy to humans or a powerful tool for companies.
What do you think, is it a tool? To what extent would it be an appropriate tool for those who do not use it correctly? Exactly. Artificial intelligence has arrived so that we can leverage it. And, of course, when we talk about sales, to boost those sales. There are companies that, from having 100 sales, have increased to 500. I mean, the growth is exponential.
When we know how to apply artificial intelligence in our companies. Now, let’s talk a bit about how we can help ourselves and leverage having companies or entrepreneurship. Big companies like Amazon, Instagram, and Apple, all use artificial intelligence to their advantage. Recommendation system? Who here shops on Amazon? Everyone. And the interesting thing is that each of us has a specific profile.
This artificial intelligence makes it so that when you arrive at Amazon, you say: “Wow, it’s guessing what I want.” It’s not that it already knows your behavior. That’s one of the magics of artificial intelligence. Now, this is not a chatbot, what do you go to Instagram to do? Of course, campaigns for the iPhone that we all want, that when we say a word on our social networks, they automatically send us to the DM, and that’s cool.
But something is interesting with artificial intelligence that, until today, March 26, there still isn’t a tool as such that can have the empathy that a human being has. The empathy we generate with another human being is unique. Artificial intelligence has not yet been able to get there. The day it does, we could be talking about something else.
Predictive analysis is very similar to the recommendation system, as well as marketing automation and price optimization. These companies I mention here are examples because they facilitate our work when positioning a product in the market and, depending on the consumption of that specific product, we no longer need someone to tell us whether to raise the price, lower it, offer deals, or remove them.
If there is a sales marketing department that structures the system for then artificial intelligence to do its magic, everyone here has excellent companies. So, these are tools that we can start incorporating, without neglecting our sales teams. Companies have changed lately over the years. I worked for many years here in the United States, then in Chile, and now I am the advisor, the one in charge of training sales agents when they are new, those who are recruited by the company.
Notice, that it’s a technology company, the largest in the world, and yet, in the call center, they have human beings. Why do you think that is? Even though they have artificial intelligence, they need to be humanizers. It’s no longer just about selling a product but about closing the sale, as I mentioned before. So, we need to know how to manage artificial intelligence. But beyond this, it’s crucial to train our sales teams, especially making them understand that they are dealing with a human being and that, for all the connection that exists through social networks, in the end, it must be a person who connects with that customer.
If we leave all that to artificial intelligence, that’s not magic. Believe me, sales will remain stagnant, and will end up blaming the sales agents. Now, there are five steps you can follow. These five steps are not mine; in fact, they’re from Deisy, Inti: empathy, know your customer, transition to the sale, personalize the sale and assume the sale’s closure.
I say that, sometimes, sales are like love; one has to be in love. Well, not with me, but it’s somewhat similar because, although there are certain steps to follow when you’re going to woo someone, it doesn’t necessarily have to be something mechanical, but it is a process that you must keep in mind when selling a product or service.
I ask because sometimes, when I give lectures on sales, companies tell me that empathy is simply greeting the customer, saying “Good morning, how are you?”. It’s not just that, being polite is important, but empathy goes further: it’s putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, feeling their need, their problem. This is something that, as I mentioned before, artificial intelligence has not yet achieved.
I noticed there’s something I learned in the call center: although I’ve sold many things in my life and have always been passionate about sales, as Dr. Hugo mentioned here with the oil topic, the steps are always the same. You always have to have empathy with the customer and get to know them, but above all, understand that people are more important than our product or service.
When we understand that people are the most important thing, believe me, we will have secure sales. Today, the approach of aggressive selling, as they say here in the United States, where “everyone is out with a knife in their mouth,” no longer works.
In fact, my methodology, which I have learned over the years, is one of pressure-free selling. Later on, I will give you some techniques because that’s really what selling is about learning new techniques. Now, processes are important, but customers are even more so. What do I mean by this?
Suppose hypothetically you own a bakery, and in this bakery, there’s a baking process, and coffee preparation, and you carry out this process as you know. But a customer comes in with a special need because it’s their child’s birthday that day. What would you do?
In such cases, we sometimes need to be flexible, and that process, as rigorous as it may be in our company, must understand that this is about a customer, who is a human being. I’ll say it again: we must step out of that process and understand that, while processes are important, customers are more important. Being flexible with a customer is a marketing strategy that positions you and differentiates you from the rest. What would you do so you don’t have to tell them to wait because they need to sign up on a list and come back tomorrow?
Now, by getting to know your customers, you can ask more questions to learn more about the human being in front of you. This is also important. Asking the right questions is not about manipulating the customer. Often, we don’t know how to personalize a sale because we haven’t asked the right questions. Hasn’t that happened to you? And then we blame the customer?
Is it because it’s expensive, is it because they don’t have the money? No, it’s because you didn’t ask the right questions. What’s your business about? What do you do? How many partners are there? Is it a family business? How long has it been operational? But this should not be like an FBI interrogation, but rather something natural in the sales process and in communication with the customer.
Every time you ask a question, you get to know your customer more. Therefore, a good salesperson listens more, retains, and talks less. I’m here talking and giving a lecture, but when I sell, I talk less. There’s an anecdote that happened in the company, I was telling my friend Maribel: they tell me that I adapted the sales processes to my way because the approach is aggressive.
I’m here. Has anyone called the customer? Do we have them here? Perhaps I’ve attended to them at some point, but there the sales are aggressive. However, when you understand that there’s a human being on the other side because that’s another type of sale, one thing is body language and another is a person on the phone.
Empathy has to be on another, higher level, the connection with the human being. Neither he sees you, nor you see him. But that’s where attitude comes in, the smile, even though it can’t be seen. He must feel that you are happy, cheerful, content and that you are going to solve his problem.
And this doesn’t only happen in a call center, it happens in any sales situation. That’s why they tell you to smile when you talk on the phone, even though the other person can’t see you. It’s a technique. Sometimes, my supervisor would tell me I was always laughing. Of course, I need to connect, because that customer is coming in upset.
The company’s entire blame was going to fall on me, and in fact, there was once a call escalated to me while I was supervising. They transferred it to me saying the customer was very upset and no one could handle him.
When I took the call, he said he wanted to speak with someone in charge, a manager or a manager. And he started insulting me. I listened to him and said: “Okay, don’t worry, I’m going to help you, I’m the right person, special, who will assist you at this moment. Yes, because of this, this, and this.”
He was very upset about the high cost of his bill. However, in the conversation I had with him, I realized he was someone who worked the land, he was a farmer. I immediately connected with my origins because I come from families that worked the land, and when I told him I understood, that I knew the work he was doing and how hard it was to work the land, I mentioned the word “conuco.”
Does anyone know what a conuco is? Here, few people know, and he immediately connected with me, let his guard down, and said: “Okay, how can you help me?” Then, I began to help him. At the beginning of the call, he said he didn’t want to buy anything, he just needed me to solve a problem. But in the conversation, I understood he had two daughters in college.
What I saw in the system was an internet service that I could offer him, while his wife said in the background: “Don’t buy anything, don’t buy anything.” However, the man ended up purchasing the internet, not for himself, but for his daughters, because I discovered there was a need not his, but his family’s. But what made a difference was the empathy I had with him by connecting on a human level, and that’s what I want to convey to you today.
You need to connect with that human being. Otherwise, no matter how many techniques you have, of the 20 that I teach you about closing, you’re not going to sell more. Now, here’s a series of questions you can also photograph. Here, the sale involves 20% of the product. We’ve heard it, and it’s true, we need to know our product and our service, but we need 80%, knowledge of people.
We need to know our prospects, who they are, what they do, what they are dedicated to, and what their life is like. For example, if I’m selling a computer for business, I need to ask what they need the computer for. All sellers look for the most expensive computer to sell. I would look to know what they need it for.
Is it for business or video games? What are you going to do with the computer? I need to take an interest in your needs and make the customer understand that I’m there to help them, not to impose a product for a commission. When we reach that level, we can sell anything. And these questions, although they might sound a bit like an interrogation if you adapt them to your products or services, believe me, you will get a lot of information to then customize the sale.
The transition to the sale happens in this discovery process when we have already been able to talk with the customer and understand their needs. I don’t impose the sale, I suggest it based on what we have discussed so far. For example, if someone owns a restaurant, I always ask what the best dish is, even though they often recommend the most expensive one. But the most expensive doesn’t mean it’s the best, right? There, they closed a sale, but not a customer, because I go only once and I do it on purpose.
I always ask what the best dish is and pay for it, but I don’t come back, because we need to understand that it’s not the most expensive thing the customer needs, but what they are looking for. And that happens a lot in restaurants. That’s why we need to train and coach our staff. Something happened to me in an Argentine restaurant regarding cuts of meat, I asked the girl which one she recommended, and she said, “I don’t know, I’m vegetarian.” I don’t accept that answer here.
So, you would have a vegetarian person working at the “Meat” restaurant? Even though we might want to help that person, we would have to relocate them, wouldn’t we? But these are realities, experiences that I believe each of us has certainly gone through. So, the key word here is “suggest.” I suggest, I recommend.
Here we have an example of customizing the sale. Imagine you’re selling exercise equipment and have been talking with a client who has told you that their main motivation to get in shape is to improve their cardiovascular health, due to having had a heart attack. In my case, I had a heart attack a few months ago. Could someone give me an example if I were the one going to buy the equipment? The important thing, as we customize the sale, is that we already have to be looking for the close from the beginning. And I’m going to reveal a secret about closing: although we might think that the word suggests it comes at the end, and in fact, I’ve placed it at the end, the closing begins at the beginning. Many people think the close is at the end because that’s what the word indicates, but from the first contact, whether by phone or in person, we’re already closing, and that involves a lot of the attitude of the seller. I’ve had sellers to whom I say, “Look, this is the prospect, these are his characteristics, we’re going to sell it this way,” and they say, “No, he’s not going to buy it.” But I tell them, “We haven’t talked to him yet.” “Yes, but that’s not it. He’s not going to buy it.” So, attitude is very important when closing in the sales process. That’s why I tell you that closing starts with empathy because I use empathy at every moment of the sales transition.
I understand if I’m here based on your needs and what you are looking for. I know you had a heart attack and I know the doctor recommended that you have to go to the gym for so many days so that you don’t have to move from your house. Here you have the equipment. Do you want me to send it to your house or your office?
There it is. A double alternative close. You have to ask questions: always to the office or to the house. And here comes the “assume the sale” or the close. There are four types of closing, although there are many. You can take pictures here without any problem. These are some examples. For example, the direct close is based on a specific need and objectives to improve your cardiovascular health.
Would you like me to send the equipment to your house or your office? That is close where the client automatically has to say “house” or “office”. Another thing, with the theme of closings, if you have already reached this point, you can’t start selling again. There are salespeople who, after the client says yes, start the sale over again.
For example, let’s imagine we are selling a house and the prospect tells me it’s for his family, he has two children and a pet, and we have shown him the whole house in Coral Gables. He says: “I’m going to pay the 20 million dollars”. Perfect. And when you are going to make the transition and you are saying goodbye, you say: “Imagine this whole house when your mother-in-law visits”.
Now the sale falls through because he hadn’t thought about that. It’s terrible to see. “I don’t have them”. If the mother-in-law wasn’t in that picture, the children, the wife, and the pet were, but you mention the mother-in-law when he said yes, and he’s going to say: “Hey, you know what? I’m going to reconsider it”. You lost the 20 million dollar sale.
The sale of your day, of your life. Has that happened to you? It’s called “restarting the sale”. Of course. That’s why I’m telling you, in this case, you are right. That’s why I tell you, this is an example. And that the whole closing process will depend a lot on the prospect the type of objection he makes to you and the questions he asks you.
I mean, it doesn’t always have to be like this, but these are examples that we can adapt to our product or service. These examples serve not only for selling houses because sometimes we think: “It’s just that I sell houses”. However, when you know these sales processes, you can sell anything. The same applies when I’ve sold phones and also oil; it’s the same empathy, but on different levels of negotiation and with different amounts of money. I always have to show empathy. Some clients tell me: “But I need a discount”, and they are talking about 100 million dollars, not 100 dollars. And I have to show the same empathy and negotiate at the same level. That’s why I always resort to this: welcome to the fallacy.
Another issue with sales is that we need to know our product. Often, we send salespeople out into the field, but then we blame them. It’s not that you’re not training them; you need to know, you all need to know. Can anyone tell me why sales don’t close or what the biggest objection we hear from salespeople is? Why not? Because they don’t know the product. They don’t even know what they are selling.
When the customer starts asking all sorts of questions, they are left wondering… Now what do I say? Okay, because as this says, they are thrown into the field without training, and companies are doing that; in fact, almost 90% are launching salespeople without any idea of what they’re going to do. But there’s a common objection, the one you’ve heard from salespeople.
Why didn’t you close? I believe it’s because the salesperson doesn’t believe in the transformative power of what they offer. Exactly, exactly. Look, people don’t buy because of money; that’s a myth. Because if it were about price, companies would fire all the salespeople and talk directly with management to sell. “Let’s do some calculations here, let’s lower the prices, let’s level it to the break-even point, and let’s start selling now, and we’ll take orders.”
So, it’s not about the prices, but about buying emotions and sensations. That’s one thing. But I sincerely believe I have a premise: if I am not the first buyer of the product, then I cannot sell it. I need to be the first buyer of the product. I could have the best product on the table, but if it doesn’t convince me if it doesn’t satisfy me, I won’t be able to sell it. Exactly, that’s what I’m saying. That’s why I tell you that you need to know what you sell and even try what you sell. Many people sell life insurance and don’t have one. They need to have it. We need to be consistent with that.
Moreover, I know there are products, like, I’m not going to have barrels of oil at home, but I have to know my product, I have to know what I’m selling. And that’s the problem with salespeople because the customer doesn’t buy because of the trust you convey from the first moment.
Some salespeople don’t even believe in what they’re selling, and the prospect detects that. So, how are we going to move forward in the conversation? When we have the microphone in hand, can we? Plus, you have to be a good representative of your product, because it’s like going to a dermatologist and seeing they have acne all over, right? Or going to a cosmetologist whose image doesn’t represent what they’re selling. This is also a matter of image, of what you represent and how you project yourself as a person, how you influence the trust you convey about what you’re selling, and the assurance you offer. Even if you are very young, maybe you don’t own a house and it’s your first sale, but you have to feel as if the house were yours.
I don’t know if I’m making myself clear. That is, you have to make that prospect understand, who is going to invest 2 million dollars in the house, that if it were you, you would buy it. But it has to be genuine because you can tell when the sale is fake. When I’m in the role of selling as such, I immediately say: “Today I’m going to sell, today is my sales day.”
I was born for this, and I psych myself up, whether I’m selling a car, a house, or oil. For me, there are no limits, not even financial ones. I always say, there is plenty of abundance. When I got to know the world of oil, I thought: “Wow, people are being deceived in my country”, because in an oil-producing country, people don’t know about the abundance that exists, but we are talking about millions of dollars.
So, when you understand that there is a world out there moving so many millions of dollars and you get a little closer to reality, you say: “A 1 million dollar house, that’s nothing, absolutely nothing”. An oil well is worth 16 million dollars, just like that. And I turn that around in six months. So, a 1 million dollar house is nothing.
But we have to… Well, I can’t handle that anymore. Yes, but in your mind, I need you to break through that threshold and understand that money is infinite, it’s abundant. It’s like trying to scoop water out of the sea with a bucket; it will never run out. There’s a statistic that says if you gather all the money in the world and distribute it, there are 1 billion dollars for each of the people here, but do you believe it? So, look, throughout this talk, I’ve tried to show you that this is a closing technique, a sales technique. It’s a technique you should use while talking to the prospect involuntarily, so they say “yes”, because you’re bringing them into your field. Since I started the conference, I’ve been leading you to the “yes” without you realizing it, because yes, it’s always towards the positive. With this, I conclude, here are my social media, my page, and the final message for everyone here is to understand that sales go beyond profiting from selling a product or service.
Let’s understand that we are here to solve a problem for a human being, a person just like you and that when you connect from the spirit with that person and manage to solve a problem, you don’t just have a customer, you have a friend. So thank you for being here. If you have any other questions, I’ll be glad to answer them.”