A prospect makes up his mind
Usually I'm selling things, but today I bought something. It was time to get a new accountant, and I had to choose between two. What were the reasons I chose the one I did? Here are my impressions as a prospect of each one.
Accountant A:
- recommended by a friend
- had reasonable fees
- had a very nice, funny (middle-aged) receptionist
- at our meeting, took out a pad of paper and began sketching out ideas and discussing them as we talked
- was dressed like me (polo shirt and khakis)
- spoke as if he knew what he was talking about
- talked to me as a peer
- was the first one I met with
- recommended by a friend
- had reasonable fees
- at our meeting, asked me a lot of questions about my business
- wore a suit
- asked me to explain my typical customer engagement
- talked to me as a peer
- was the second one I met with
Of course, I can't dismiss the fact that Accountant A had already set my mind in motion, so it's distinctly possible I didn't give Accountant B a fair chance. He might have been ready to pull out the pad of paper just as I stood up to leave.
The lessons for us sales types:
- buying decisions are emotional
- prospects aren't fair
- it's better to go first and set the ground rules for the competition
- prospects may make up their mind on the littlest things--be completely aware of how you come across
sales buying criteria
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