CUSTOMERS MIND

When you move into a new town, you know no one. But your needs will be great: butchers, carpenters, plumbers, security, bakers, printers, bankers, computer whizzes, , doctors, lawyers, etc...  the list is endless. How do you go about choosing the right people to perform all the services required?

The answer is positioning.

We chose a banker, a printer, a cleaning service, our builder and just about every other provider based on their positioning within the community. What do I mean by positioning? To clarify, Sought out the king of market positioning 

"Positioning means presenting yourself as an expert in the field,

"You position yourself as a valuable resource-a person your prospects wouldn't dare pass up an opportunity to see,  the way great salespeople position themselves is the single biggest factor in their ability to get appointments with key decision makers.

Today Positioning yourself the right way can have clients knocking down your door for your product or service.

Be Deliberate

Positioning is no accident. It is the result of planning, preparation and hard work. Here are 10 effective strategies for positioning

1. Position yourself first in your own mind. "People will see you the way you perceive yourself,. "Positioning starts first in your own mind. It is only when you are convinced that you are a valuable and capable person that you can even begin to consider positioning yourself with your customers." Obviously, your expertise will be in whatever field your business is in. Are you confident of your value and knowledge in your area? If not, you may have a hard time convincing potential clients. Now's the time to build your expertise and value.

2. Position yourself with your attitude toward your customers.  Some people walk into a room and say "Here I am." But the savvy salesperson walks into a room and says "Ah, there you are!"

For example, if you make yourself the center of attention in a sales interview with a prospect, "your prospect will resist all your efforts to move forward with the selling process,. "But if you make the prospect the center of attention, the barriers will come down quickly."

3. Position yourself with your appearance. "The key is to always dress well enough to fit in with the top people you're calling on, yet never to blend in with the wallpaper. Think of your clothes as the way you package yourself.

4. Position yourself with your actions. Not to pop in unannounced at your prospect's office. "What message does that convey to your prospect? "It's like wearing a label that says `Pest.' "

Always think through everything you do and the way you do it to make sure it creates precisely the impression you want to make.

5. Position yourself with words. "Suppose you say to your prospect `You can't pass up a deal like this.' Your prospect will see that as a presumptuous challenge and will be on guard immediately, "You're saying, in effect, `Just try to stop me from making this sale,' and the prospect, properly challenged, will instinctively try to stop you."

A better course of action is to ask plenty of questions to understand what the client needs. Then use words to convey that you're trying your best to solve their problem-not grandstanding about your product or service. Sincerity and a desire to help solve a problem will get you much farther than trite catch phrases.

6. Position yourself with your focus. Never forget that the most pressing question on your prospect's mind is "What's in this for me?.

"The real selling pros position themselves as consultants and business partners to their clients, "They always keep the focus precisely where it belongs-on the customer, not on themselves or their products.

7. Position yourself with your presentation. "If your presentation is too slick and relies too much on memorized phrases, it comes across as canned; it sounds insincere. The key is to practice it enough so you can give a structured presentation in a spontaneous way.

Know your material well enough that you can customize it to fit each new prospect's needs and concerns. I've found that the more I customize my presentations, even for large audiences, the better the response and the more referrals I receive to speak to new audiences.

8. Position yourself by the way you handle objections. Do you challenge your prospects when they raise objections? Or do you handle their concerns in a friendly manner, by precisely identifying the main issue that is keeping the person from buying? This could make the difference between a sale and a "No, thanks."

9. Position yourself by the way you close the sale. How do you ask for the order? Are you giving the customer the idea he is doing you a favor by buying your product? Or do you let him know by your words and actions that your offer provides value for the money spent? "Tailor each close to fit your customer's personality, Then your positioning as an expert will be a given.

10. Position yourself by the way you follow up. "Professional selling involves developing a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with every customer you sell to, "It's turning one-time customers into clients who view you as a valuable resource in your area of expertise.

Doesn't positioning boil down to walking the walk? If you practice what you preach, you'll reap the rewards of decent behavior. Those rewards put you in a class all by yourself, and that's the essence of positioning.