Although the title may suggest it, this is not about selling dipsticks or selling to dipsticks, although the possibility of exploring this further appeals to me the more I re-read the title.
Dipstick selling is the processes of periodically interrogating your customer to make sure they are still following your sales pitch – much like testing your vehicle oil levels by periodically using the engine dipstick.
There are generally two factors that should be considered when thinking about the use of the dipstick.
The complexities of the product
The consumer’s predisposition to the product knowledge.
The product is reasonably fixed in nature so there are fewer variables to consider. Your customer, on the other hand, is different every single time. On most occasions, especially on initial contact, you have little, if any, customer background knowledge to work with. As the sales person you need to establish this quickly otherwise your pitch will be at the totally wrong level. This will cost you.
Dipstick Selling is not exclusively used by the sales process. Once you learn the technique you will see this being used in many places. One of the most common non-sales related areas where this technique is extensively used in the public speaking arena. Attend a few of these sessions and you will quickly notice some common processes:
- The speaker will identify themselves.
- The speaker will present their credentials (establish themselves as the expert).
- The speaker will identify the audience knowledge by asking a question or two*
- The speaker will proceed with their presentation.
- The speaker will test comprehension by asking a question or two during the presentation or at the end.
*Good speakers will weave this into their presentation and you will not be aware that it has happened. Great speakers will alter the presentation level based on the audience knowledge. Occasionally some assumptions can be made. If you are speaking on new rhinoplasty techniques to an audience of facial cranial surgeons, then there is a better than average chance that you will be able to pitch this at a high level without losing the audience. If, on the other hand you were presenting a talk on engine oil change techniques to the same audience then you will need to test their current oil changing technique knowledge – you could not assume that, although generally a smart group of people, that they will have any engine oil change technique knowledge.
By the way, do the 5 points of good public speaking look like 5 points of good sales technique? It is no coincidence.
So how do you know when to “dip the stick”?
Well a glazed look is a big give away, maybe fidgeting, maybe an anxious “get me out of here” look. The sooner that you can identify if you have lost your customer, the quicker you can get them back. If you leave it too long then you may not be able to bring them back. You quickly need to become an expert in interpreting body language.
Might be a good time to dust off that 80’s Body Language book my Allan Pearce.
Somethings that you can do to test your customer is to periodically ask them a question – do this to validate that the information that you just delivered has registered and been understood.
Encourage the taking of notes. Lecturers promote this not to immortalise their words on a10 pt faint ruled lecture pad, but to ensure that the information can be recalled at a later time.
If your customer has no understanding of what you are trying to sell then you will not sell it. You might has well speaking to them in a different language. See below for an Italian translation of this text.
Se il tuo cliente non ha alcuna comprensione di ciò che stai cercando di vendere, allora non lo venderai. Si potrebbe avere ben parlando con loro in una lingua diversa. Vedi sotto per una traduzione italiana di questo testo.
