What's the difference? Who cares? You should if you're going to be as successful as possible in selling. You should know the difference between "imply" and "infer" if you want to sell at your price and not theirs!
"Who cares?" you say. Isn't selling just getting "belly to belly" and, as Zig Ziglar puts it, "just tell them your story?" Yes, if you are content with a 20% closing ratio and working yourself to death.
Here's the thing - Einstein demonstrated that we are all confined by time, distance and speed (you remember the E=MC2 thing?) Unless you've mastered instantaneous time travel and can be in two places at one time, you're limited to the number of bellies you can get to -- your "efficiency," (using Peter Drucker's concept of "effective v. efficient." Time to be more effective.)
Let me take a shot at this imply/infer thing. When I ask a prospect detailed questions about their information loop with their sales people - how the information is collected; how the information is distilled and how it is used - I want to imply that this is an important issue in sales effectiveness. I want the prospect to infer that I have a superior program than the process they are presently using. I "imply" and they "infer."
What does that mean in sales? Let's see if we agree on a few things; all buyers want you to believe that what you sell is a commodity and thereby put you in the "race to the bottom" on price. They will imply that you don't have any unique selling position or special value to offer. They want you to infer that you must have the cheapest prices to get their business.
You, on the other hand, want to imply that you have ways to reduce costs so that they will infer additional value to your offering. Confusing, right?
The truth is, with the Internet and the global competition in today's marketplace, everything is a commodity. What has changed is the definition of your "product." Your product is information - information on how to apply your commodity to meet your prospect's needs/wants. What used to be your product is now the currency of your transaction. Let me repeat that a little louder; "WHAT USED TO BE YOUR PRODUCT IS NOW THE CURRENCY OF YOUR TRANSACTION."
Be honest here; how many people go to the expensive electronics store and talk to the sales person about the components for their home theatre and then, when they get enough information, go to the discount store to buy the equipment? The minute that sales person gave you enough information, the sales person became irrelevant to the transaction and you can go for the cheapest prices. That electronics sales person didn't know the value of the information.
We were all trained by the buyers to do a "show up and throw up" presentation where we dump all of our information on their desk hoping that they will buy our stuff. The minute you give your buyer enough information, you've effectively reduced your offering to commodity status and will be in the race to the bottom.
From the buyer's side of the desk all sales people look alike. The one that has the best information on meeting the customer's needs will get the deal - but at what price?
If you learn how to imply that you have the information they need (your real product,) they will infer that they need you in the transaction. Here's the deal -- you can use the quality of your questions and probes to imply special knowledge that is valuable to the prospect; but the minute you give the details away, you lose! You must withhold the specific information and hold the information as ransom in the transaction. You must let the prospect know that they won't get the information they want until you get the order you want. The information is your product and the order is their currency to get the information.
Got it? When you ask a highly technical question about your prospect's business - manufacturing processes, market direction, etc. - you imply that the answer is a critical issue to the prospect getting what they want. You will also imply that you have an answer to the question. Your prospect will infer that you have more to offer than their other options. You have created a unique value position for yourself and your company. You are no longer in the race to the bottom on price. Now your objective is to find out how much of a premium they will pay to get your unique information.
Did I imply that I have special knowledge on selling? Did you infer that you would like to hire me as personal sales coach? See how it works?
About the author,
Bob Ayrer brings a aEURoebeen there, done thataEUR? knowledge to selling. His over thirty-years experience in selling and management gives him a unique combination of theory and practice. If you are tired of the aEURoemotivationalaEUR? gurus and the aEURoemossy rockaEUR? prophets who tell you what to do, but not how to do it, listen to his practical, nuts-and-bolts approach to the discipline of selling.
He is a successful sales consultant and popular speaker at conventions and sales rallies. Bob is the creator of FUNdamental SELLING. Bob can be reached through, (304) 274-6463
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