Buying Motives - What should I be looking for?

I have to say that I'm a little overwhelmed by forum life. This thread has been most fascinating and please forgive my original post that precipitated a lot of conversation (which is the point, I realize, but it seemed confusing). I'd like to thank Rattus59 and Johnny Fairplay for helping a sister out. Honestly, I don't have much to add to their rebuttles to the dissenting opinion.

I will say that I love the diversity in commentary and perspective. After all, that's what makes the world go round. My original post, while it was not perhaps the best articulated answer to the original question, I believe that those 5 buying decisions answer what the prospects motives to buy are. I will better articulate myself in future posts. Sorry and thanks for the great conversation. -Lisa Grimm

Lisa, your points were very well articulated, well thought out, and valuable to this thread. -Ace Coldiron

Would you or anyone else who subscribes to this line of thought care to elaborate? -Johnny Fairplay

Clearly the level of comfort with the decision to buy. As I said, it is THAT which all else is dependent on.

It is extremely difficult to close a sale when the buyer has a low level of comfort about moving foward--even when...

1. The need to be fulfilled.
2. The product to fulfill the need.
3. The source for the product.
4. The price to pay.
5. The time to buy.

..are in place. -Ace Coldiron

Do any of you ask your client why they want to buy a certain product? I am always asking why the client wants to buy. I am always asking what they want it to do better for them. I ask what they have done in the past .I then ask questions to discover more needs for that product and find a better fitting product to fit the discovered needs. I need to find out if they are tired of the same results and how I can give them better results.

Finding out why the client is interested in buying informs me on the points I must stress to have them need to own from me.

An example I had a client who wanted to replace four water closets (toilets) in her home. Keep in mind her spouse has just passed away. Most would say what the heck that has to do with anything. Remember this point.

Her water closets are working fine. She requested I bring her pictures of water closets. I did. Right away she said she was interested in changing them and started looking through the trade magazines and asking what is the price what is the price. This is going nowhere fast. I said Mrs. Client why are you interested in changing them? She started giving excuses to them not working and running all the time a false excuse. I just inspected the home and they are working great. The next thing that was said I want to change them. Here is what she is doing changing the look of her home to help disguise then feeling she has of the home while her husband was alive.

I then asked what you were looking for. I do not know. I then asked the questions are you looking for fun? Meaning frilly, cosmetic different look she said that is it. We now narrowed the each book to three pages. Then we were able to narrow the fixtures to 6 different fixtures until we brought it down to the four. Notice we have not talked about price as price meant nothing however when we started it meant everything. Until I knew why she wanted to own and she knew I cared enough to find out why she wanted to change. For those who must know we are over four grand on four water closets.

Buying motives by all means know them. It makes the small decisions the client makes easier and it allows us to find what they want, need, can use, and can afford. Having this information only enhances the opportunity. -rich34232

The purchase decision and the decision to buy are not the same thing.


Would you or anyone else who subscribes to this line of thought care to elaborate? -Johnny Fairplay

I will be happy to.



Lisa posted the following:

1. SALESPERSON - Customers decide if they like and can trust you.

2. COMPANY - What is your company's reputation? Is your company a good match for them?

3. PRODUCT - Is your product the right solution for their needs?

4. PRICE - Is your solution competitively priced? Is it a good value?

5. TIME TO BUY - Is now a good time for them to move forward with the purchase?

I filter much of what I read here in two ways. First, is the idea strategically sound? Second, is it consistent with what I have witnessed to be highly successful in the field in my own experience?

I found Lisa's five areas compatible through both filters. However, I immediately recognized that something was missing which I specifically had pointed out as "level of comfort with the decision to buy." That element's presence is imperative.

I learned that what Lisa had posted was from Action Selling, a training program that has been mentioned previously on this forum. When I investigated further, I found that Action Selling contains nine steps (They call them "acts") and exactly one third of those steps covers the imperative Comfort Level I spoke about, although they do not refer to it as comfort level. I also found that the Action Selling process was very similar to my own which has brought me an inordinately high conversion rate. For instance, their "progression of milestones which demands commitment objectives" is remarkably similar to my own "Progression of Consent."

Based on what I learned and my aforementioned criteria, I would not hesitate to endorse Action Selling as an excellent methodology. -Ace Coldiron

Barry Feig in his book HOT Button Marketing says there are 16 emotional buttons that get people to buy:

The desire for control
I'm better than you
The excitement of discovery
Revaluing
Family values
The desire to belong
Fun has its own reward
Poverty of time
The desire to get the best
Self achievement
Sex, love and romance
The nurturing response
Reinventing oneself
Make me smarter
Power, dominance and influence
Wish fulfillment -jdedwa11

I always remember the John Candy character in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. He sold shower curtain rings to institutions, obviously because the writers thought "mundane" would add humor to his character.

But, you know--there probably are people out there selling shower curtain rings, wax toilet seals to hardware stores, carpet binding machines, tissue dispensers, packaging...on and on.

Do you feel that people selling such things would do well to memorize Barry Feig's list? -Ace Coldiron

Ace your reply didn't address my question. Lisa had posted the five questions previously mentioned and later wrote, "... I believe that those 5 buying decisions answer what the prospects motives to buy are." I am interested in knowing How specifically those 5 buying decisions answer what the prospects motives to buy are.

P.S. The five areas of salesperson, company, product, price, time to buy have been part of sales education long before Lisa's Action Selling. -Johnny Fairplay

Obviously.

I would think that we're not out to reinvent what works.

Before anyone attempts to answers any more of your questions, would you tell us what point you're trying to get across.

For instance, do you believe Lisa and the sales education you mentioned are wrong?

Spell it out. -Ace Coldiron

I don't believe those 5 buying decisions answer what the prospect's motives to buy are. I may be mistaken and will stand corrected if I am. If I am not mistaken then readers should know that the information they are getting is incorrect. -Johnny Fairplay

Fair enough and as it should be.

As a moderator here, it is not my role to make a case for Action Selling. As a member and sales professional with a serious interest in sales education, I endorse the program as excellent. -Ace Coldiron

Okay, I'm going to chime in here. First of all, this is a great conversation. I feel like eventually we're going to get to the bottom of things. I'd like to begin by saying Johnny, the five decisions are not mine, but Duane Sparks of Action Selling. He did the research, owns the company and authored the book as well as four others that describe the nine-step process Ace mentioned, the five buying decisions and many other concepts involved in the sales process. Also important to note... I work for the company as a product manager.

In answer to your probing question, those five buying decisions a prospect bases a decsion on are determined by how well the salesperson implements thier presentation. How specifically those 5 buying decisions answer what the prospects motives to buy are... is determined by a number of other factors. If those are the decisions they base the purchase on, there are a number of things that occur along the way. The HOW is in the salesperson and how well they plot out their sales process, which as you know is tailored to ever new sales endevour a salesperson encounters. As Ace mentioned, in Action Selling (BTW thanks Ace for reseraching and finding this out about AS) there are nine-acts of the sales process that are built around the (HOW) buyers decision making process. I will elaborate on them in a untraditional way that I'm hoping helps.

Act 1 The Commitment Objective
A goal that we set for ourselves to gain agreement for the customer that moves the sales process forward.
No commitment objectives, no sales call, - period.
Every sale is a series of steps, a progression of milestones and every mileston demands a commitment objective.
SALES CYCLE
Milestone: Commitment Objective:
1. Phone Call Schedule Needs Analysis
2. Needs Analysis Meeting Set Presentation Meeting with D-makers
3. Meet with D Makers Schedule Proposal Meeting
Present Product
4. Proposal Meeting GAIN SALE

You can shave 25% off your sell cycle time with a commitment objective.

If you skip vital Acts early on in the sales process, you will pay later.

Establishing a Commitment Objective takes place before the curtain rises on the actual drama – before the interaction with the client begins.

Act 2 People Skills
The five Buying Decisions are made in a predetermined order as follows:
Decision 1 Salesperson
Decision 2 Company
Decision 3 Product
Decision 4 Price
Decision 5 Time to Buy

All 5 Buying Decisions take place in a major purchase.
They are made in sequence. Our presentation must match the sequence of the Buyer’s Decision.

To gain a $50K commitment, you need a $50K relationship.
Great listeners ask great questions, take careful notes, and then summarize what they have heard.

Act 3 Ask the Best Questions
1. “Asking the Best Questions” lets you establish that you’re a good listener and that you’re genuinely interested in helping the client find solutions to his needs. In Action Selling’s terms, it helps you sell yourself. That’s the customer’s first buying decision.
2. It allows you to identify and clarify the best targets to aim at when you present your company and product – the needs that let you differentiate yourself from competitors by selling a solution, not a commodity.
3. It enables you to leverage the emotional side of the buying decision by further zeroing in on high-yield needs – the ones that have the greatest personal urgency to the client.
4. It allows you to sell strategically, and to adjust your Commitment Objective so that you can keep the process moving forward with the right people and at the right pace.
Act Dumb/ Dig Deep
Finds emotional needs..

Act 4 Agree on Need
From what you’ve told me you are looking for … (insert needs). Is that correct?
Whoever does the best job of uncovering needs for the strengths of their solution will WIN.
Back-tracking benefit: Uncover a minimum of 3 high-yield needs for your product.
To help – this process identify the feature if product, benefit, need and then note relevant questions and also leverage questions.

Act 5 Sell The Company
Acts 2, 3 and 4 sell the salesperson Act 5 you sell the company.
In Act 5 the salesperson changes roles and does more of the talking.
To sell your company – provide the answers to these questions
1. What does it do?
2. What is it known for?
3. Are we a good match?

Act 6 Sell the Product
Two thirds of the selling decision is found in Act 3
Tie – Back – connect to an agreed upon need
Feature – What is it?
Benefit – What will it do for the customer?
Reaction – How does the customer perceive this as a solution?
Repeat the TBFR process for each need. Save the most important ones for last.
Keep a TFBR – reserve in case you hear a stall when you ask for commitment.
At the end of Act 6 ask
Do you have any questions?
If they say No – head for the price
If they say Yes – head back to Act 3
Use the Word investment not cost.
Investment is more positive.

Act 7 Ask for Commitment
62% of all salespeople don’t close.
3 Reasons why salespeople don’t close
1. No plan
2. No procedure
3. Missed Opportunities
Never try and pressure, manipulate, trap or trick the customer into buying.
To ask for commitment:
1. Summarize – features and quote price
2. Ask – ‘How does that sound?’
3. Positive – Ask ‘Would you like to go ahead with this?’
Negative – Return to Act 3 and ask more questions.
A stall measures that the customer is not quite sold yet but has no specific reason.
With an objection, the customer has a specific reason for not buying yet.
Never challenge a stall.
Handle a stall by:
1. Say: ‘I understand’
2. Review: reinstate features the customer liked
3. Act 6: Add new TFBR
4. Act 7: Ask for commitment
When you ask for commitment the second time and don’t get it, what you will hear is almost certainly an objection.
Action Selling defines an objection as a customer response to an unasked question.
When an objection surfaces return to Act 3.
Handling Objections
1. Act 3 Ask the Best Question – clarify, qualify, identify
2. Act 4 Summarise objection as a need
3. Act 5 Positive Company Statement
4. Act 6 Present solution – TBFR

Act 8 Confirm the Sale
How to fight FUD - fear, uncertainty, doubt.
Do this by assuring, appreciating and scheduling a future event.
By scheduling a future event you have replaced the clients worry over the money they’ve just spent.

Act 9 Replay the Call
A professional salesperson will replay every call.
The best way to replay a call is to go over each Act and determine what worked and what you could have done better.
Great questions shine a light on problems or opportunities which gives you direction for later – the call….
You always learn something by replaying the call.

I hope this is moving in the right direction in terms of getting to the HOW Johnny. Please do let me know.

Lisa -Lisa Grimm

Nothing in your post explained to me how those 5 buying decisions answer what the prospect's motives to buy are. I don't believe anyone here would be able to make the connection either because there isn't one in my opinion. -Johnny Fairplay

-Lisa Grimm

I've not the opportunity to spend time on this right now, more than I already have on this, but to suggest that Lisa's process doesn't uncover buying needs, desires, motives through the use of proper questioning is to misunderstand the process and its effectiveness.

My own observation is that buyers buy when they are comfortable with the decision that they come to with the sales professional. This process of Lisa's is a process. It is structured, it is effective for the neophyte, the rookie, whether starting off or coming to realization you've stopped doing what you once did to become successul, and it covers the bases and keeps you prepared.

I'm not sure individual lights go off as it would in a pinball game when the puck/ball hits the right buttons in sales, at least I can't recognize them, but it must be like pornography, you know it when you see it.

Aloha... shds; ;bg -rattus58

You are fettered on your question which is much less important than the information that Lisa is taking the time to share here.

A major purpose of SalesPractice is to share information among members. Like most forums, sometimes debates and disagreements take place. All fine. As you might be aware, questions are an important part of threads like this, and even a greater part of successful selling. However, in the spirit of wanting to move this thread in a positive manner, I need to tell you that there is a line between questions and outright cross-examination of other members. I believe you are very close to crossing that line, and it would not be welcome on this forum.

If you have points to make--that's fine--providing you make them in a respectful manner. -Ace Coldiron

Lisa, I believe that your posts on this thread were a significant contribution to the purpose of SalesPractice.

Challenges to new information, or information that does not fit one's frames of reference are a dime a dozen. They are a small price to pay for enlightenment. -Ace Coldiron

I appreciate the words Ace. Both you and Rattus58 have been very helpful to me since joining the forum. Many thanks. I look forward to future conversations and posts.
sn; -Lisa Grimm

Am I to believe that the information Lisa presented has a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue which I understand to be Buying Motives? -Johnny Fairplay

You are to believe what you choose to believe.

In any event her posts are constructive and instructive on this thread.

You have stated your point that you don't agree with her. -Ace Coldiron

Now that we're on the topic of Buyer Decision Process let's discuss this further. First, we need to establish a framework for buyer's behavior as it relates to this topic. I will post a widely accepted model with a baseball example I found earlier, for the buyer decision process:

1. Recognition of Need (the throw needs to be made)
2. Information Search (who is open, who is going to be open)
3. Evaluation of Alternatives (who is the best option)
4. Decision to Buy (here goes the throw)
5. Post-purchase Behavior (he caught it-I can do that again)

The five buying decisions you named:

• Salesperson
• Company
• Product
• Price
• Time to Buy

...fall under "Evaluation of Alternatives" in the category of concerns, buying conditions often called "common concerns".

The presentation affords the salesperson the opportunity to address common concerns, and Others*, in a way that appeals to the prospect's unique motive(s) and satisfies his or her want(s) or need(s).

"It is important to know that people have, generally speaking, the same basic motives for buying, and that each person wants to satisfy a want or a need. Some of these motivations are dormant or unrealized, and an important part of the salesperson's job is to make the prospect conscious of them so that they will become active and arouse him or her to buy."

It is also important to know often the prospect's *Other concerns have the greatest impact on the "Decision to Buy". These *Other concerns are unique to the prospect's reality and are often left undiscovered and unaddressed by salespeople. It is these *Other concerns that "Change Management" shines a light on. -Johnny Fairplay