What personal selling techniques can you use to determine a customers needs?

Customers love to feel special and understood. According to research from Epsilon, 80 percent of customers say they’re more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences. Additionally, 90 percent indicated they found personalization appealing.

Personalization often begins long before a consumer even considers making a purchase. You must first capture their attention through lead generation techniques and then maintain that interest by providing relevant, personalized content and showcasing how your company can solve their problems.

Of course, you can’t provide this level of personalization unless you truly know your customer. To gain that deep understanding, sales agents should meet with potential customers one-on-one. The act of personal selling will help you discover what customers really want and need from your brand.

What is personal selling?

Personal selling definition: When a sales representative meets with a potential customer to nurture them until they make a purchase.

Personal selling usually happens face-to-face, but it can also take place over phone or video. Direct contact distinguishes personal selling from other sales and marketing strategies, like public relations or automated sales calls that tout your company’s products or services.

Think of the personal selling process as getting to know someone like you would a friend or potential romantic interest who you consistently follow up with. You’re discovering details about what the person likes, dislikes, and needs. And in the case of personal selling, you’re also learning about the motivations behind their purchasing decisions.

During this one-on-one interaction, focus on building a sincere relationship with the potential customer rather than on making a sale. (Remember: You don’t have to sell your soul to close a sale—ethical selling will get you further in the long run.) Ask the right questions to establish rapport and learn more about their pain points and what they’re looking for in a solution. Listen carefully to their concerns and see how your company’s products or services can help them.

Say you sell mattresses. You might find out your customer’s sleeping preferences by asking:

• Do you prefer a soft or firm bed?
• Do you sleep on your stomach or side?
• Did you run into any problems with your previous mattress?
• Do you have insomnia?

Sure, you could collect answers to these questions through a survey, but you’ll receive a limited response. Personal selling is unique because it entails exchanging back-and-forth information and allows you to dive a little deeper so you can provide that personalized touch.

If a customer’s answer doesn’t make sense, for instance, or if you’d like more clarification, you can ask for more details from the prospective buyer on the spot. You can also tailor your responses, sales strategy, and suggestions to what they’re telling you in real-time. If you’re meeting with the prospect face-to-face, you may even be able to pick up on their body language and eye movements to get a sense of how they feel about your product or service.

Why is personal selling important?

Unlike asynchronous communication, personal selling allows you to build relationships with potential customers in real-time. You’re able to address their questions or objections right away and in detail, which helps create trust. At the same time, you’re gathering critical information that empowers you to meet each buyer’s unique needs and customize your sales presentation accordingly. Personal selling also provides an opportunity to upsell or cross-sell existing customers.

Personal selling allows you to build relationships with potential customers in real-time.

You can overcome objections

Personal selling gives you the chance to handle objections from potential buyers and convince them that your product or service is worth their money, the time it’ll take to implement, the conversations they’ll need to have with their team, and so on.

Suppose you’re communicating with a potential customer asynchronously over email. The customer says they don’t want to try your software because they’ve already tried a similar product from a competitor. You can send an email explaining what makes your product unique, but the customer may have already chosen to stay with the competitor by the time they see your message.

With personal selling, you’re in a much better position to overcome objections because you’re communicating in real-time. You can explain what differentiates your product and why it’s well-suited to the prospect’s needs. If pricing is the issue, you could offer them a discount or suggest a payment plan that accommodates their budget.

You can upsell and cross-sell customers

Once you’ve developed an ongoing relationship with a customer, you may notice when they’re ready for an upsell or a cross-sell that can provide them with even more value. You could send them an email suggesting different options, but there’s a good chance the customer will ignore it in their overflowing inbox.

By speaking directly with a customer over the phone or in person, you have a better shot at explaining the value of the upgrade or additional item. Based on what they share about their initial impressions, you can tailor your sales pitch around their needs.

Say you’re selling hair products, and a current customer tells you their hair is dry. You could offer them a more expensive shampoo that deeply moisturizes hair (upsell) or suggest that they purchase a nourishing conditioner and a fortifying hair mask (cross-sell) to help with the dryness.

Improve your sales process

A good sales process is the foundation of any successful sales organization. Learn how to improve your sales process and close more deals.

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