How do you answer a potential customer when they say, “Tell me a little about your company.”  If you are like most salespeople, you view this as an invitation to rattle off your 35 minute PowerPoint on your history, management, value propositions, and top it off by giving them several reasons why they should work with your company.   When your customer asks you this question, they are not really interest in hearing what you have to say.  They aren’t lying to you or having bad intentions, the problem is they never learned how to buy and they just don’t know what else to ask you.  When they are asking this question, they aren’t at all interested in your story, they want to hear their story.  How your company is going to help their company.  This mid-understanding can send many a sales person down the path of literally talking their way out of the sale. 

So the question is how do you answer their questions by bringing them back to their own company?  You shouldn’t embarrass a customer by ignoring their questions or refusing to answer the question, but you should find a way to quickly turn the conversation back to them.  Once they start talking about themselves and their company, you have the opening to show them how you can help their business.  This is similar to product selling where you give the customer a sample versus telling them of the product’s features.   Examples include having them lay on the mattress if you are selling mattresses or giving them a chip if you are selling salsa.  Actively listen when they are telling you about their company and their issues, include examples of how you have helped other customers in their same situation.  Show them why they should do business with your company, don’t tell them.  Actively show the customer how your business and/or product can fit into their company. 

Let your competitors sell by telling their story.  It won’t work very well because the only story the customer is interested in is their own.  Find a way to work your company into their story.  Don’t talk your way out of the sale.

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