The Art of Selling – How Educating Prospects Can Boost Sales

Untold millennia ago, a clever and industrious caveman realized he could offer something that would increase the comfort of his fellows. And so, after much huffing and puffing along with wrestling of heavy objects, he managed to arrange a large flat stone before a large vertical stone and invented “Chair”. By offering to barter such an innovative furnishing to members of his tribe, he also invented “Marketing”. When an equally clever pal did much the same, offering “Discounts” of fewer things in exchange for his creation (as well as presenting it to other tribes) Competition began, Markets were created, the Entrepreneurial Spirit was born, and learning the Art of Selling became integral to human survival.

Needless to say, while new ideas for tools that could be used to gather and hunt for food were vitally important to our ancestors, creativity and style were not much in evidence. However, bartering for something that had never been seen before required educating prospects to the practicality and use of “Chair”. And so, if our clever fellow hoped to barter such a valuable item (in exchange for say, a date with his target’s only daughter in the hope of making her his wife), educating his prospect was essential.

Selling Now Requires More Than Grunting and Hoping

In our contemporary world, grunting and hoping will not make the sale. Neither will assuming your prospects can intuit how your work will benefit them if you do not educate them to those benefits. That said, there is no single, perfect approach to selling your services and products that will work for every client in every situation.

Yet, as our grunting ancestors proved all those millennia ago, fully educating prospects about the benefits and value of working with you is probably the most effective approach to making a sale.

For example, the fact that a homeowner is willing or eager to work with an interior designer does not automatically mean they will want to work with you. And, while we all know closing the deal will take some convincing, proving your worth to them will require some education as to WHY you are their best option.

Then, of course, you must educate them about the value of your work to convince them you are worth the expense!

It’s much the same for furniture dealers who must educate customers on the value of luxury furnishings over cheaper big-box or build-your-own alternatives. In the age of internet shopping, it has never been truer that “Price is what you pay – Value is what you receive.”

Helping prospective clients understand this is the foundation of the education you must offer.

What Kind of Product Education to Offer

The way you educate clients and prospects also matters. An engineer may want to know how the furniture you are recommending is built, while an artist will be more concerned about style. An older couple may be most concerned with comfort while those with a more competitive mindset might be interested in their remodel being “better” than their neighbor’s.

These are the types of things you can learn from the sales step known as “qualifying”, the question and answer period where you get to know them and try to learn about their wants, needs, and goals. By listening closely to their responses, you’ll discover clues to the types of information you should offer to help close the sale.

This is why we say there is no One Size Fits All approach to selling anything: because the answers you receive from clients and prospects during qualifying will vary significantly, requiring different solutions from you.

The art of selling requires thought, patience, and knowledge, as well as the willingness to educate yourself and get better at educating prospects. For anyone struggling to close more sales, Ted is available with business consulting and sales training for both interior designers and furnishing dealers. To learn more, just… Get in touch with TD Fall today.