Hard To Sell To: "Are {Insert Niche Here} hard to sell to?" is a common question I see; it was repeated again on an expert platform I'm a member of this morning.
The truth is that no industry is "hard to sell to."
If you are having trouble selling in a marketplace, an understanding of a key problem that niche has that you can fix is what you're missing.
Instead, odds are you're relying on pushing features of the product/service as most salespeople do. But I'll bet you're not even getting that far.
The problem that kills your prospecting process is more immediate.
Why Salespeople Say "This Industry Is Hard To Sell To"
I have trained many, many salespeople. These include so-called veterans with 20 or more years of experience in sales roles. Turned out they existed on soft referrals, though, and when times got tough and they had to start prospecting by phone, they quickly found themselves in trouble.
Two critical steps must be completed before any discussion with a prospect may be had that leads to a sale.
Your first step is to reach a decision maker.
Your second step is to start a conversation.
Most employed "salespeople" don't know how to do these two things.
If you can't reach a DM or start a conversation with them, what chances do you have of making a sale?
Is it any wonder salespeople say it's "hard to sell to" prospects in this niche?
You're not even getting that far—far enough to have a qualifying conversation!
Hard To Sell To: A Symptom of Larger Issues
I discuss these symptoms of a key problem further in this video:
Many large companies I've worked for didn't even have a consistent sales process, or any sales training materials. This is a rampant problem.
You would think sales organizations would have this all figured out, but the truth is they do not.
Customers don't buy because of features. If you want a better process, we should speak.
>> Jason Kanigan is a sales force developer and conversion expert. To book a call with Jason, click here.<<
