Tips on how to create a tree of interest in our clients

In order to sell, it is necessary to understand one of the most outstanding factors among successful salespeople, and which in fact differentiates a true sales professional: proactivity. To be proactive is to propose different alternatives to the customer, to anticipate and to show a willingness to offer him interesting topics.

Reactivity, on the other hand, is only answering the customer’s questions, meeting the needs they ask for, but without moving towards new openings. It is waiting for them to take the initiative, and the dangerous thing in this case is that their interest will be reduced when there is a lack of information or proposals. Being reactive means condemning ourselves to sell less and less every day.

One case:

A carpenter is paid to make a chair; if he were reactive he would make the chair and deliver his order. By being proactive, in addition to satisfying this customer demand, he would create other additional needs: when ordering the chair, he could propose to make a matching table, and on delivery, ask him to introduce him to more customers (if the one who ordered the chair is satisfied with the service). It is therefore a matter of applying the concept of Referral Marketing. In the words of Anxo Pérez, a reactive person throws a seed to see if it germinates. A proactive person traces a path for it to germinate. He provokes the tree. He does not wait to see if it emerges.

Similarly, modern science does not base its success on the product obtained from experiments, but on the process carried out to achieve it, from which many best practices can emerge. That is accompanying the seed.

5 tools to improve our proactivity on a daily basis:

• Go boldly beyond what they ask for. Starting from the customer’s demand, you have to expand their need.
• Create arguments that highlight the reward that can be obtained with this expansion.
• The reward will be greater if, in addition to offering alternatives, we link them with a positive feeling that arouses a reaction of attraction. For example: you are at the hairdresser’s and the hairdresser convinces you to buy an additional product because of the benefit it will bring in terms of improving the shine of your hair, and also a protective mask that will keep your hair healthier for longer. But he surprises you by saying that if you are not convinced of the results he will give you your money back and give you a free nail clipping. In this way the hairdresser has managed to increase his sales, expand his possible services (manicure), make the customer repeat and reinforce his confidence.
• This is achieved through “hook phrases”, a fundamental tool in any sales process. If you want to sell, you need to create a series of bridges with the customer that encourage them to continue listening to you: “I would like to propose…”, “I want to tell you three things that will be of great interest to you”, “What’s stopping us from starting today?”, “Tell me two things I could do to make it easier to get started.
• These phrases are diamonds, and represent the difference between producing and watching what others produce.

Therefore, proactivity is the way to express the fruits of attitude and courage. Being proactive or not is up to you, it is something that only you can do; but with willingness it can be developed.

Some practical recommendations:

• Keep a record of situations where you have been proactive or reactive this week.
• Mark concrete actions to correct the reactive ones.
• Look for moments to repeat the proactive ones (prepare your visit).
• Use Mindfullness techniques to increase your self-confidence: yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, mind games.
• Learn from the proactive people around you; but adapt their behaviour to your own style.