Often I’m asked about how does a sales person educate a buyer to help them make a better decision. Most b2b sales people take a frontal assault to educating their buyers, which can be a fatal mistake regarding any future sales.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Most buyers want some education if for no other reason than to know they are capable of making a good decision. Included in their thinking is education is simply unavoidable and must be done.
However, education of buyers needs to occur within specific conditions and according to maintaining a favorable relationship between the buyer and the seller. Therefore, these four conditions or keys must be observed and followed…
- Simple Terms
Simple and easy to use and implement are more effective than complex and unending. I have seen b2b sales people begin to educate their buyers and talk, talk, talk and talk some more – until the buyers eyes are glanced over. And, complexity only confuses the buyer and delays are the name of the game – unless someone shows a simple solution. - No Forcing a Sale
If you want to kill a sale or slow down the momentum of a sales process, then push education as a means to make the sale. In reality, the more you push, the more the buyer begins to push back. Therefore a total delay will occur and your sale is in serious jeopardy. - Slow and Gradual
Too often some educational expert attempts to do a complete data dump on the buyer. Or, the education is too much, too long and too something else – whereby the buyer becomes confused or loses interest in learning anything else. Sales is delayed. Take your time when involved in the educational process. The buyer’s experience level can be helping or hurting you based upon their perceptions. It is better to give smaller doses of information and education over time with some reinforcement than all at once. Plus, it is important to remember – people learn at their pace and style – honor it. - Just Enough
Too much of anything can be a bad thing. Your buyer does not necessarily need to be or want to be a knowledgeable wizard on your topic of interest. Give them enough information to be knowledge enough to make an educated decision. Do not let the buyer get caught making a decision with the wrong perception of reality, yet, focus like a laser beam on the critical pieces of information.
There you have four simple methods or keys regarding how to educate a buyer. Follow these rules or guidelines to keep your sales process moving forward at a faster pace. Remember, too much or too complex can slow down your sales process. Delays help no one.
Voss Graham
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