Tough or tender?
Kirstie Nicols
- January 2009.
Every company lives or dies by its ability to attract customers. So, for those given the role of attracting these customers, sales tactics are very important. But how do you decide which tactics work best? Is it a hard sell or a soft sell that will have the most success?
‘A low pressure, or soft selling technique is the best,’ argues Sam Halls of Traffords Insurance. ‘Whenever someone tries to force their product on me I’m instantly not interested. I try to remember that when I’m talking to customers and let them make their own mind up, without bullying them into buying.’
Soft selling involves convincing the buyer of the quality of your product in a subtle and quietly persuasive manner. You are essentially trying to create a relationship with a potential customer, and it is a more personal selling technique than the hard sell approach. If you are face to face, smile, look interested and pay attention to the customer’s needs, concerns and issues.
The soft sell is one that works well in businesses where the clients will be recurring. Sam says: ‘I know the product history of all my clients, so whenever I speak to them they trust me to suggest what’s best for them without being pushy or aggressive.’ The technique is often associated with high-value products, and allows you to spend more time with each customer.
However, this positive can also be a negative. When you spend a long time with each customer, you will obviously have less time to look after a higher number of possible clients. It also gives the buyer more chance to walk away from the sales discussions. ‘We do lose customers by not pressuring them to buy,’ admits Sam, ‘but hopefully they remember our relaxed attitude and appreciate it - they may even come back in the future.’ A soft sell can make you seem unmotivated by the product, so be careful not to be too laid back.
Up the pressure
Not everyone likes this sales tactic, however. ‘A hard sell can seem a bit brash, but in the end it shifts the stock,’ says Jeremy Brady of Me Advertising. ‘As long as you go about it the right way, it will be a very effective method of persuading customers to buy your product: I very often get a successful sale when I work like this.’
A hard sell is considered to be a sales approach that is more direct. It is seen as an aggressive, forceful technique; although Jeremy says this doesn’t need to be the case. ‘As long as you know the product inside out, remain positive and show you’re passionate about it, there’s no need to be overtly aggressive.’ If you can show that you are committed to and believe in the success of the product, it is likely potential buyers will see this and draw the right conclusion.
This technique is good when the product is low value, or the quantity of sales is most important. Make sure you get across all the attributes of the product, as well as how it is a necessary product for the potential buyer to own. Advertising often tries to create a sense of urgency: suggesting that the product must be bought now, before low prices end or it is no longer in stock.
Being confronted with a salesperson using the hard sell technique can discourage some customers, so while it is important to keep the pressure on, don’t overdo it and scare away buyers. ‘One negative can spread quicker than two positives,’ says Jeremy, ‘so even if they buy the product, make sure they haven’t been forced into buying it and leave with a bad impression.’
Often the sales tactic that is used will depend on both the product and the type of customer you are trying to sell to. However, being expected to use a sales technique which you are not comfortable with won’t help the company, and ultimately won’t help you. If you think you prefer to use one approach over the other, try to find a position where it fits the business. In the end, if the salesperson is happy then the product’s sales will benefit.
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