A refinancer said whatever deal she puts together today might not be possible in a month. A mortgage broker said he expects his business to shift dramatically this year when interest rates start to rise. A fellow consultant said most are stuck in a "wait and see" mode, unwilling to commit. A banker said conditions for making loans are tighter than ever before, and he has to tell his prospects "No" most of the time.
Of course it's all true, and it misses an important point: No matter what happens with interest rates, with taxes, with credit, with unemployment, with rapidly changing rules and conditions, with the random fluctuations of Wall Street, an effective sales strategy has to do just three things:
- Find willing & able customers
- Offer help with what they experience as a problem/opportunity
- Make buying easy and satisfying.
When a business offers a good solution to a priority problem, or the means to sieze a perceived opportunity, the sales strategy becomes getting it "out there" in front of those with that problem/opportunity and make buying a reasonable and easy choice.
How? Depends on the customer, and how they want to buy. The customer is in control; all a business can do is facilitate their awareness, confirm their wants & needs, anticipate and answer their questions, inform them of their choices in ways that help them decide -- however they decide.
And once a willing customer decides to buy, the rest of the strategy becomes important.
More on that next time.
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