If I were to hand you a paper clip and were to ask you to sell it to me, could you? How would you go about it? What features would you mention? What uses would you bring up? What "special" thing about this paper clip would be the key item in your head that would click in your mind as being "the hook" in your sales pitch?
Interesting questions, right??
Honestly, I've sold paper clips before. Well, office supplies in general. And, when I was hired as a sales rep for the company, I was handed a paper clip and asked to do this very thing. More on that in a minute...
First, let's take a look at how the majority of sales people would handle this issue...
Better than 80% of sales people start the exact same way -- they pitch!
Immediately, you are flooded with every possible fact and figure about the paper clip from its length to the type of wire it is made from and how it is bent into its convenient shape to the color to the protective plastic coating they overlay on top of the implant grade surgical steel wire to avoid accidental nicks to the skin, clothing, or worse -- damage to the documents you are securing....blah, blah, blah.
Some sales people can (and do!) talk about a paper clip for the better part of 6 or 7 minutes. As the diatribe continues, you could literally see the attention span of my sales manager waving goodbye and flying right out the window on melancholy wings.....which would cause them to talk even longer and with more animation and conviction. And all of this without ever asking for an order or even asking one simple question!
So, there I am, hoping with every fiber of my being that I get this job and some schmuck hands me a paperclip and tells me to sell him???
I paused for a minute closely examining the paperclip, then I started my pitch by asking several questions.
"How often do you use paperclips during your daily operations?"
"What other locations within your company are these paper clips used frequently?"
"How often do you order new paper clips?"
"When you do order, how many do you usually buy at one time?"
"Besides yourself, who else is involved in buying paper clips?"
Quite the difference in approach, isnt it.
Quite frankly, anyone can look at a paper clip and see what it is and what it is made of and how it works. And, quite frankly, no one cares. What is important, however, is HOW they are used, how OFTEN they are used, WHERE they are used, and how MANY are used. That information is important to both of us because it determines need and gives me information I require to propose a solution to my client's problem. When you start asking questions about WHY this paper clip is so important to the buyer, things change dramatically.
Take a close look at your "pitch". Do you focus on all of the things that you do? Is your elevator speech filled with all of the facts and figures of your previous sales experience and how you are the #2 blogger on ActiveRain in the county and "you've done this"'s and "you do that"'s? Are you merely brow-beating your potential clients into a mind-numbing submission with impressive facts and figures that do nothing but attempt to make you better than everyone else?
Or, is your focus more on questioning your potential clients and finding out what it is they need and then trying to find a solution that best fits their needs? Do you make a point in finding out what specifially your client wants of you and then explain how your experience can solve that problem for them?
See, once you do this, you have actively involved the prospective client in the pitch of your product and have related it to them by referencing their specific needs. Also, it shows that you really care about what the prospect wants and that you have the ability, knowledge, and want to make that problem go away for them and are willing to help achieve that goal WITH them.
If you would like more information on RECR and how we can help you get more clients to work with, please contact Clint directly at 800-977-7058. Or, fan us on Facebook! Or, follow Clint on Twitter!
Selling a paper clip would be difficult. Maybe I would have to resort to poking you in the eye with it and stealing your wallet while you were distracted.
Malcolm -- LOL!! Awesome comment. :-)
What a tough sale on the spot, but what a good challenge to check yourself.
LOL @Malcolm. Clint they should use that paperclip to clip this one to a gold star. I am recommending it not that I have anything to say about that but.
Cindy -- Yeah, it was a jaw dropper, fo sho. ;-)
Paddy -- Awww, thank you so much! Very much appreciated!
Yay! This post was right on time. I'm working on process, sales and marketing materials for a new product, right now. You've given me the inspiration needed to get "unstuck"! Great topic and advice!
Lisa -- Awesome! Happy to hear that it helped you!! :-)
Two ears and one mouth right? The ratio is correct.
Steve -- You got it, brutha! :-)
Clint, as always you're there with a humorous spin on a serious message, and for me the timing is excellent. I'm starting as a realtor from the bottom - working low-end rentals. I have been told to sell myself, not the unit. So that the folks want to do business with me, not any other rental company (rentals aren't on our MLS here, for some crazy, unethical, dumb reason that hasn't been shared with me)
But this feels anti-thetical to everything I've ever been taught about letting the customer tell you what they need so that you can help them find it. So your strategy of questioning is perhaps the compromise that will help me achieve what my manager is advising without an overt sell on the poor old frumpy lady standing in front of these prospective tenants. I dunno. Crazy business, eh?
Interesting perspective on the sales. I would fall under pitch category. Thanks for sharing
Juliet -- So happy to hear that you liked the post. Yeah, it is a crazy business. One thing you might want to remember is that you should always be selling yourself. That much is true. But, you should be doing it in a way that actually means something to your prospective client. If you are talking about how many listings you have closed and they want to rent, you are not speaking about anything that means anything to THEM. So, use the questions to target the information that you need to be talking about. That way, you are still discussing the FEATURES of what it is you can bring to the table, but doing it in a way that relates directly to the BENEFITS that they want from you. Best of luck to you, Juliet!
Ritu -- Most sales people do...and not saying that is wrong. But, it makes more sense to talk about the benefits that relate to what the client wants rather than the features that you possess, IMHO.
Great content! It's all about benefits, benefits, benefits. You are spot on.
What a great task for any agent to attempt. Go preview houses and come back and tell people why they should buy that one. Every house has selling features we just need to on the spot come up with what they are.
Diane -- Yes. Yes it is. ;-) Thanks!
What a great task for any agent to attempt. Go preview houses and come back and tell people why they should buy that one. Every house has selling features we just need to on the spot come up with what they are.
Sheri -- Good idea. :-) Thanks for checking out the post. Much appreciated!
Clint - I have been carrying around the same box of 15 billion paperclips for years. For some reason, I never remember to use them - instead I fish around the drawer and find an old one or something that just came off a recent stack of paperwork. You'd probably never sell me a paperclip, since I have too many of them.
Ask questions. The best thing I've ever learned. Sometimes my mouth gets the best of me and jumps the gun, but as long as good old brain kicks in first, the questions usually flow. The positive side for me is that I'm just curious anyway. I want to understand the "why" of anyone I meet, so I usually wind up asking questions.
Matt -- The really funny thing about this is that I dont have a paper clip one in my desk. LOL! I was hunting for one earlier and finally decided to do the fold-n-tear method.
Asking questions is the only way that you will get down to the meat of the matter, as it were. Rarely will anyone ever tell you the full story out of the goodness of their heart whether they are looking to hire you or not. They have a carnal need to feel like they are being cared for and about. And, unless you specifically seek that knowledge through deductive reasoning, you will never really win a client over.
You know, Clint, I had to read this a couple of times, but what you are really saying finally occured to me.
You are talking about laying the foundation. A home with little to no foundation won't last long, and will be plagued with issues. A 'deal' should be viewed the same way.
Without asking the questions, you won't know which paperclip will best fit your clients' wants & needs (a.k.a. pain points, which, when properly addressed, turn into buying cues). More importantly (for anyone who works on commission at least), not only does asking those questions help you A) find the right paperclip for your clients, based on their wants and needs (pain points) and B) show that you care, it also gives you the right to later C) ask for the sale. And at the end of the day, that's why we all do what we do, isn't it?
"Mr./Mrs. customer... based on our conversation, you told me that you needed A and B that your current paperclip was missing. You also told me that you would like to have X, Y, and Z in your next paperclip. Would you agree that this paperclip encompasses all of you wants and needs from A to Z?"
[At this point, you should get a 'Yes', or you missed something somewhere. Personally, I wouldn't even ask unless I was already sure of the 'Yes'; because I laid the foundation with my questions, made sure my solution addressed their pain points, and looked for the buying cues. Some refer to this as a 'trial close'; I just think it's a good summation to make sure all parties are on the same page. If you get a 'no', then it's simply an opportunity to go back and review to make sure you didn't miss anything, while at the same time givving the client the opportunity to add/change the wants and needs. If you get a 'No', it's not a rejection of you or the paperclip- it's an opportunity to go back, ask more questions, and reassure your client.]
"So then, Mr./Mrs. customer, since we've found the perfect paperclip for you, the next step would be to write an offer (contract/agreement/etc.). If you're comfortable with that, then we'll proceed..."
[Again, because of the foundation, there should be no objection raised; if not something was missed, go back to the beginning and start again.]
[Some would argue that between the 'trial close' and the 'actual close', you ask a couple more questions to which you already know the answer is 'Yes' to get your client in a 'Yes' frame of mind, but to me that's manipulative, not the best way, and, if you laid your foundation right, unnecessary.]
To further extend my metaphor, this one 'deal' is just one block in the larger foundation of a lifelong relationship... but that's for another time and another post.
Clint - Love this one! It's tough to "unlearn" certain sales techniques, I guess. Some people will always be pitching the details of their product or service without pausing to figure out how that could benefit the prospect in the first place. Nice job, my friend.
Dan -- Dude...on an extrapolated level...that is EXACTLY what I am talking about. :-)
Jason -- Thanks, brotha. It is hard to break bad habits. I know. Ive broken some doozies. ;-) But, you are right...some people will always fall into that category.
Clint,
I like your style!
Clint - I find that answering questions with questions, helps to qualify, take control & work to get more interest in buying something rather than pointing out the obvious.
Hi Clint~ The last thing our clients want is" product vomit." They just want to know what is in it for them. The rest they could care less about! I interviewed for a job that had me sell them a pen! I thought they were kidding at first. They were dead serious. I had to be quick on my feet. I got the job, so I must have done it right!
Hi Clint, first of all i would like to you to give me a bit of background about the paper clip. Where was it made? Is it new or used or manufactured from recycled material? Is it metal? Is it colored? Is it a standard paper clip or does it have special shapes and styles. How motivated is the paperclip to go from your hands to my possession, are just a few of the preliminary thoughts.
Karen -- Thank you so much! :-)
Paul -- I would agree as long as you arent answering with questions just to be annoying. ;0)
Vickie -- PRODUCT VOMIT!! Ohhhh....good term. :-) Nice work on selling the pen. ;-)
Clark -- LOL! Well played, sir. Well played. :-)
Great post Clint! Sales is all about questions ... I learned a long time ago that a good sales presentation is mostly questions, and not statements!
-- Danny
Danny -- Thank you! You and I learned from good teachers, my friend.
Super post. To find out what the customers needs are requires questions not answers.
wow just great i knew this but forgot it...i'm going to the box in the garage and dig out my complete collection of Tom Hopkins and Zig Ziglar tapes
When I started in real estate I did so as the secretary for a firm. I typed contracts *yes on a typewritter, I took photos, I wrote the ads, but mostly I sat back and listened to what buyers said. When I decided two years into it that I wanted to get my license and was taking the class I was blessed to have a teacher that had been an active sales agent and broker for 30 years before he started teaching. Asking questions, listening to the answers is key to selling anything... paper clip or home. I find now that I'm the broker owner I need to do a little more teaching of my own, even to agents with years MORE experience than me. Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. And if it's okay with you... my agents will be selling me paper clips at next Tuesday's sales meeting.
Clint I think your post holds great value to selling a product. If the product doesn't fit the need, where is the need for the product? Good Stuff!
Clint:
This is wonderful (and clever.) The old school of selling yourself rather than what you have to offer is so passe.
It's more like - how can this paperclip be useful to you?
Clint,
Thanks for reminding us that we work for our clients. Its their needs and wants that come first. The only way we can meet their needs and expectations is to first ask some questions.
Marc Iafrate, MBA
Thanks for the post today. It's a good read and enjoyed it.
I'd love to reblog if you are ameniable let me know please.
Patricia/Seacoast NH/ME EM: sold@patricia4realestate.com
Thank you,
Good advice! Never forget to ask questions!
I learned a lesson from a client once. He never made statements that weren't preceded by a question. By doing so he got your perspective prior to making his statement and thus knew if his statement would align himself with you or oppose your viewpoint. If his viewpoint was in opposition to yours I suspect he simply kept his mouth shut or complied with your stance.
Hi Clint, well......never sold a paper clip, but my husband tells me I could sell snow to Eskimo's in Alaska....does that count.
Seriously, it is all about them...what they need...and you never really know UNTIL you ask them.
Clint - you never disappoint - you always bring a smile to my face. Great post.
BTW, I wish you would put THIS profile pic back on Twitter. #justsayin
I remember an interview I went on once where I had to sell the guy a salt and pepper shaker. Personally, I thought it was the stupidest thing ever, and apparently the look on my face said it louder than I did. As I was opening my mouth to say something, he said I was hired. Yeah!
i'll take 20,000 please
Clint ! Historical. Thanks for the humor tonight.
I agree that the best way to start a presentation is by being a great question asker and then listening with the intent to find out motivation and need. That is a much better approach to being persuasive than just informative.
Hi Clint, it never hurts to take a step back and approach a problem from a different angle.
Asking questions is the only way to find out clients needs... Sometimes buyers only have a vague idea of what they want and by being asked the questions, they come to realize what features are important to them...
You are so right about not focusing on" selling them" before knowing what their needs are!!!
What stood out to me was the part about people's eys glazing over at hearing all the facts and figures about 'paperclips'. I have found that the best strategy is to listen first, then ask what people need/want.
"Also, it shows that you really care about what the prospect wants and that you have the ability, knowledge, and want to make that problem go away for them and are willing to help achieve that goal WITH them."
I love this sentence. Engaging your prospects and drawing them into the conversation is just smart business. Humorous way to make your poke point, Clint.
For a business class in college, I had the assignment to sell pencils. I started by handing out a needs analysis and questionaire that was required to be completed with a #2 pencil. Only 3 people in the class had a pencil with them! Made my point and aced the assignment.
Real estate is a business where we fulfill people's dreams. How do we know what those dreams are unless we ask?
ERIK -- I was notified about this already. Thank you for the contact with regards to it. It is being handled, I can assure you.
After further review and a close conversation with the gentleman in question, we are working together to solve this matter. And, as a result, I have deleted your comment in order to not increase the tension surrounding this matter. Im sure you can understand.
Wow. A complete cut and paste. Bank heist in broad daylight. I will give your admirer the benefit of the doubt and assume he is mentally deficient as my four year old would know that's a no-no.
Clint, nicely written but trumped by Malcolm'sone liner, doh!
I followed Andrew's lead and found a fleet of featured posts on that blog, including one of my own from a couple days ago. Now I've seen it all, someone who would submarine their own reputation by putting their name to my material. Boggles the mind.
The turn of events here with copy and paste totally confused me and what I was going to write - argh! ~Rita
Oh I was going to say that I have never been a pitcher - LOL yet I have always seemed to have a natural way of selling - so I have been told. I personally hate to be sold and I guess that comes across one way or another when I'm the one selling something. ~Rita
Andrew -- I am sorry, but I deleted that comment also for the same reasons that I listed above for Erik's comment. I appreciate the kind words with regards to the post, but I do not want to have this post be used to escalate an issue that has already touched as many as it has.....I do apologize to you for having to do this...please understand it is nothing personal. Thanks.
Well heck, I don't know what "the other situation" is about, but I sure like the way you demonstrated that selling is about asking questions, rather than describing what a client can see with their own eyes.
Ted -- Thank you. Asking questions is the only way we have to determine need.
Dana -- Zig is the man!
Tammy -- LOL at typewriter. Ive seen those...in a museum ;-) kidding.... You said it best when you said PERFECT practice makes perfect. I hope your agents pass the test. Let me know how that goes...sounds like a great blog post...
Diane -- Thanks! I appreciate that.
Claudette -- Passe is one way to put it. I prefer annoying. ;-)
Marc -- You do work for their wants and needs. And determining those up front is by far easier than assuming and going down the wrong path...
Patricia -- You are welcome. Please do reblog it!! I will send you permission via email to the address you provided. Thank you for asking!!
Jeff -- Thanks.
France and Mark -- My dad used to do that. Smart guy.
Missy -- hehehe...my dad says I can sell s**t to a dogpound. LOL!
Lori -- Thank you. Glad you liked the post. I will see about changing my twitter profile pick just for you. ;-)
Donna -- Awesome! Another good choice for this test. LOL @ your reaction, too!
Carl -- Would you like those small, medium, or large?
Monique -- Glad you liked it. ;-)
Morgan -- Ahhh...finally. Someone said the 'L' word. Ok, that sounds wrong....but yes...you must LISTEN to the responses given when you ask the questions. Otherwise, its just fodder.
Liz -- Always a good idea.
Monique -- You are right. And, if you know what their needs are and show them how you can meet those needs, you dont need to sell anything to them. They will be sold already.
Lisa -- I concur.
Frank and Sharon -- Thank you. That is one of my better sentences. LOL.
Mark -- Excellent example of determining need and driving home a requirement all at the same time. Sweet.
Paul -- We talked last night about all this...so, Im not going to re-hash it here. ;-)
James -- Yeah, Malcolm got me with that one fo sho... ;-)
Paul -- See previous comment to you. ;-)
Rita -- Yeah, it was a bit of a mess... I agree with your comment about being sold. I can not stand being sold something. I dont care if I need it or not...dont sell it to me. Provide me with info, ask me questions, etc., and then I will buy it after I feel comfortable in doing so... ;-)
Sherry -- It appears that my content was stolen. Let's just leave it at that. I am very happy that you liked the post!! Thank you so much!
Selling paper clips isn't difficult. Just like anything else if you go about it correctly. Trading a paperclip for a house is. Did you ever here the story about the red paperclip. Take a look at this true story. One Red Paperclip
Clint, you've taken me back to the good old days when I first started selling! BTW-Joseph has a cool link to a paperclip story that's simply amazing. Thanks for the education.
You are right on the mark; this is classic sales strategy. As realtors we should assess the needs of our clients first, and this is done by asking questions and listening to their answers to gather information before we formulate a response. I have always heard that the person talking is not in control, but rather the listener.
Joseph -- Dude, that is an awesome story! Thank you for sharing that link!!
Anthony -- Love that it did that for you! :-)
Stipe Vickery Team -- Thank you so much! It is hard to have a plan when you have no idea where you need to go...information is they key to success...
Straight out of a Zig Ziglar book....Sales 101. And there is a reason why these techniques are timeless. You can't sell a paperclip to a man who already has more than he needs. I'm happy to say the first thing that popped into my head when you asked this question was to ask the prospect "You have quite a bit of paper on your desk, what do you use to keep them organized?" :)
Wow - picturing myself in that situation makes me feel sick to my stomach. I'm not good at 'selling' people, but I'm very good at communicating.
Clint,
A reminder that we all need in sales. Great post and discussion. Don't know if the 2-1 ratio mentioned in a previous post is realistic for us "talkative" sales people, but I'd settle for 50/50. Then, it's a dialogue, not a monologue.
BTW- Think about all the hidden uses for paper clips. I just used one last weekend to open the bathroom door my son accidentally locked (Never can find those keys that are supposed to be on top of the door frame) :)
Clint: Wonderful analogy. Reminds me to stay focused on the questions instead of just pouring out answers.
Karen -- Thank you for the comparison! :-) Excellent question to have asked!! Very good! ;-)
Joetta -- I nearly threw up, so I feel your pain there. ;-) I have been in sales pretty much my entire life..and I dont think I can remember ever really 'selling' anything. I have had lots of people buy stuff from me, however. ;-)
Jeffrey -- Dialogue is the key. :-) Ohh...lock picking. Good call. ;-)
Dianne -- Thanks! How do you know what answers to give if you dont ask the questions, right?
Great Post, very nice way to look at salesmanship. I will forward this to all my co-workers.
Alex -- Awesome! I appreciate that very much!
As a home inspector the first question I usually field is "How much do you charge for a home inspection?" I try to answer that as quickly as possible and, as you suggest, swing into finding out about the prospective clients needs.
I have even on occasion told a client they don't need a home inspection! Sound strange? Well if I find the caller only wants his foundation or roof or other single aspect of a home looked at I tell them that it will save them money to go directly to a trusted professional in that field. I get calls or referrals from these people from time to time because they know I care about their concerns and provide the best advise I can for their situation.
Often the questions bring the caller's concerns to light and instead of just a price they are aware I will address those concerns. These callers are often converted to clients in one call.
A great post and applicable across a much broader spectrum that just Realtors.
I never skim your articles. You give great content.
Marshall -- Thank you for the awesome comments on this post. And, kudos to you for being willing to turn down work in order to make sure that your customer's needs are met. That is awesome!
Susie -- Love you too, sweetheart! :-)
The one terrifying thing that came to mind while looking over your post is the paper click person looks like the annoying microsoft help avatar.
Gene -- I KNOW!! Thats why I used it....figured it wouldnt take 80 comments before someone said something about it. LOL
Good thinking.. a different approach. A good approach. I've never considered myself a "salesman." I've always fulfilled a need for someone needing something. In Real Estate, it's a home. I use your approach to point out to renters that it's cheaper to own than to rent (in Vegas anyway) but there's always the addage of "you can lead a horse to water......". Hey, can you do a blog on motivating lazy prospects?? I could really use THAT topic, lol.
Jeffrey -- Hmmm..... a blog on getting people that are sitting on the fence to move forward....Might be able to pull that together. Thanks for the idea....
Thanks for the clip tips, Clint! (Say that 3 times fast.) Great post - reminder of what we really need to be doing.
Kathryn -- You are quite welcome! Thank you for enjoying the post!
How can we be good at the sale, if we are unaware at how our service or product is going to be used. I loved your post. Well written too!
Dawn -- Exactly! :-) And, thank you. Very much appreciated!
This brought back memories of my days in Toastmasters International! We had to do brown bag speeches in which you would reach into a brown paper bag, pull out some unknown object and have to try to "present it" to the group. Sometimes you wouldn't even know what the object was and you had 3 minutes to "sell the benefits".
VERY good post ,,, made me think ;-)
Jim -- Excellent exercise! I should try that with my sales reps. ;-)
GMS -- Thank you very much! That is what it was supposed to do...... :-)
I'm a realtor-broker, not a salesperson. Dictionary definition: Broker: "a person who acts as an agent or intermediary in negotiating contracts, buying and selling, etc."
When I act as a realtor with a buyer I never sell them anything. They willingly buy it. They use me to assist them. In order to assist them to find and purchase the home I have to ask numerous questions and listen to numerous answers before doing any searching or showing.
When I act as a realtor with a seller I ask numerous questions to find out if I am the right person to assist them with their sale. Sometimes I am not right for them or they are not right for me. The answers to the questions determines the results.
Its a listening process not a selling process.
Your answers were perfect! Mine weren't!!! I would not have got the job, if they were relying on my answer!
I thought I'd heard this paper clip thing before. I did go to a Zig Ziglar seminar once....thanks for the valuable recap
Is the glass half empty or is it half full? Thank goodness we have clients that like Realtors to see things both ways.
Malcolm started out really good here. I'm still laughing about stabbing you with the paperclip. What does this post & Zig Ziglar have in common? Paper clips.
Very good post, we're all in sales though, selling ourselves!
Sales are always about meeting client needs. Once we determine what they are, we can help our buyers and sellers meet their needs and grow our business through increased sales. Communicaton is key!
Clint
Asking questions, being non confrontational and showing that you care will get you more clients than you can handle!
Ty
Mark -- Amen!!
Kathy -- Well, I hope you found something here that can help.
Kristin -- Love Zig!
Synergy -- uhhh....ok. ;-)
Lyn -- Yeah, that was a good one fo sho. ;-)
Gary -- Thanks!
Sharon -- "Communication is key!" <----- Amen!
EREBI -- You get more bees with honey than vinegar.
I like your approach Clint. Asking questions is a way to address the needs of the client.
Wayne -- And, without that information, you would only be spinning your wheels. ;-)
Very good analogy and logic. It works and it's true.
Bev and Bob...Thank you very much! And yes....Yes it does. And yes it is.