A few weeks back, a dear friend of mine – Rajesh said:
“Yaar mere mechanic ne meri jaan bacha lii! (My mechanic saved my life!)”
I got concerned if everything was okay and he said yes before telling me how he arrived at this statement. Rajesh told me that he was having some issue with his Swift DZire – particularly, his car battery.
Rajesh visited a mechanic – Gagan who owned a garage in Kalka ji area in Delhi. Gagan confirmed his hunch.
“Sir, original battery hai yaa change kari hai aapne?”
“Original hai. Battery change nahi kari jab se gaadi khariidi hai”
Gagan proceeded to check a few things and came back after 3-4 minutes.
“Haanji sir, battery mein hi hai problem”
Rajesh said, “Haan kabhi-kabhi dikkat deti start hone mein par dhakka maar ke kaam bann jaata hai. Koi baat nahi, chal jayega.”
Gagan spoke “Sir, I have a question… do you take the car out at night? Or do you travel with your family?”
Rajesh replied “of course… but why are you asking?”
“Sir, imagine that you have gone out with family. It is late at night and you are travelling back home. suddenly your car won’t start. It’s freezing cold, and you’re stuck. You already know how safe our city is at night. Right now, your battery might last another few months, but one of its cells is already weak. That means it’s unreliable. It’s up to you whether you want to replace it now or take the risk.”
Rajesh took a moment and told Gagan to change the battery, understanding the real risk of his decision to delay changing the battery.
In my 50 years in sales there have been countless times that consumers fail to recognise their own needs. To sell effectively, you must grasp the customer’s situation and suggest the best alternatives — to help them see the bigger picture before it’s too late.
“Customer se baat karo, uski situation samjho aur fir yeh samjhao ki uski problem aapke product se kaise solve ho sakti hai aur bina aapke product ke uski problem kaise badh sakti hai.”
Illustrating the Problem
Let’s take an example. Suppose I visit a doctor because of a small but lingering wound on my finger. The doctor has two choices:
- Simply dress the wound, apply a bandage, and charge a nominal fee.
- Diagnose the real issue—perhaps the wound isn’t healing because I have diabetes. If that’s the case, just treating the wound won’t help; I need to address the underlying health condition.
A good salesperson thinks like the second doctor—they don’t just offer a quick fix but help the customer understand the deeper problem and why addressing it is essential.
Ab iss baat ko sales mein kaise apply karein?
Consider an office running payroll software for 400 employees. The system usually works fine, but sometimes, it crashes. The IT team knows the issue is due to faulty wiring, but they delay fixing it because they think it’s not urgent.
Instead of just saying, “Aapki server wiring mein fault hai,” say this:
“What if your server crashes on the last day of submitting a crucial tender bid? You’ve worked hard on it for months, but at the final moment, your system goes down, and you lose a multi-million-dollar contract. That’s the real risk you’re facing.”
This shifts their perspective from a minor inconvenience to a major business threat.
The Key Takeaway
A great salesperson doesn’t just sell—they listen, understand, and help the customer realize their true need before making a purchase decision.
Remember:
God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason. That means you should listen twice as much as you speak.
So, grab a hot cup of tea, reflect on this tip, and next time you’re selling, don’t just talk—listen and understand.
I’ll be back soon with more insights. Until then, Happy Selling! 🚀
Video Title: “Sales Guru Ki Tips: Listening Skills Se Banaye Apni Sales Ko Superhit!”
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VThvpMO8aKI
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