Selling is Easy

The Secret of Selling Anything

by

Harry Browne

In Harry Browne's The Secret of Selling Anything, Browne has 5 steps to sell anything.  To summarize, these steps can be followed for success in sales.  Once you meet your potential customer, you will need to assess if they need or want your product and/or services.  Begin with step one of five, fact-finding phase.  Your goal is to understand your customers' motivation, what does your customer need, what can you offer them, and if they have a base interest that your product or services can satisfy.  Discover what you can offer that your competitors can’t.  Learn how you can help your customers achieve their goals.  Ask questions.  Take notes.  Don’t waste time.

Your next step is to summarize the information you have learned about your customer.  You must appropriately understand your customer’s motivation and needs.  This will help you reach an agreement.  The goal is to define the problem and summarize the needs.  Ask questions if needed.

Step three in the process is to present your product.  You have recognized the motivation.  Now it is time to present your product.  Present a solution that can have a meaningful impact on his problem or day to day life or a product that can solve the problem altogether.  Do not be afraid to discuss drawbacks of your product.  This will build a relationship of trust between you and the customer.  Even if the drawbacks are a dealbreaker, the customer will likely discuss your openess and trustworthiness with others.  This will attract more customers assuming that the drawbacks of the product won’t be a problem for those customers.

Next step is to answer questions.  It is possible that this step will not be necessary because the first step requires heavy conversation.  All questions the customer will likely ask have happened in the first phase or the questions will be asked in the fifth phase.

Step 5, close the sale.  The customer may initiate the close.  If not, have a closing question prepared.  If your customer is not committing, find out what’s missing, summarize, make a plan, and get a commitment.  Always get confirmation.

typed by KC