There are four basic elements that impact whether a sale will close. First, a salesperson must connect with the prospective client and be able to step into his/her ‘shoes.’ Second, the salesperson must determine the prospect’s needs… the factors that will motivate or drive him/her to listen with the intent of purchasing. Third, the salesperson needs to understand how much weight the prospective client assigns to the product or service being sold or its benefits or time frame. Lastly, the salesperson needs to gain the potential client’s trust, projecting credibility while removing doubts.
It is the second factor which is often most important in driving the sale. The salesperson must identify the potential client’s needs and determine what is driving his/her underlying desire to purchase. In the sales process, a salesperson may discover that a potential customer has a long list of needs, but there is usually one factor that will get the person to buy. That is the customer’s ‘hot button.’ The hot button is the trigger that provokes action. It is often an emotional, rather than a practical, need. So how does a salesperson identify a potential customer’s hot button? Continue reading