Effortless Sales Tips
Every salesperson would like to excel at sales. What does it take to go from good to great in sales? I could mention dozens of different closing techniques to help increase your closing ratio, but I want to focus on some basics today that help salespeople excel in closing sales. As part of Two Degrees Marketing business consulting services we train teams in sales techniques. We also train receptionists and assistants in lawyers, doctors, dentist, and other professional service businesses the art of soft closing techniques.
Many of these techniques will seem simple or self evident, but personalizing and customizing these techniques and using them consistently, can increase your sales while having you enjoying the process more. Sales is an art when done professionally. Most of these techniques or skills are simple, but not always easy to remember when in a sales meeting or sales call. Using them consistently, practicing these techniques, and incorporating them into your sales process can help take your sales from good to great. Go easy take on one technique at a time until it feels natural and then add in other techniques as your closing techniques improve.
Sales-Start with the End in Mind
Wanting to close the sale is one of the most important factors in closing a sale. You probably think, who wouldn’t want to close a sale-but every sales starts with focus, intention, and preparation. It is important to prepare for a sale with understanding your potential client, by doing a full background research about your prospective client. Review current news, social media, press releases, their company website, be sure to do Internet research about the company and the CEO or president, to help prepare for your sales meeting or sales call. The better you understand the company and their current needs, the more confident you will be in your sales presentation. People also appreciate when you can engage on a more informed level about their company and they appreciate that you have taken the time to become educated about their company.
Talk Less and Ask More Questions
Once you have done your background research on a prospective client, you are equipped with information that helps you generate engaging questions that will help guide your sales presentation or sales call. Prepare a series of engaging questions, all of which are open-ended, not questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. When preparing your questions keep in mind your objectives and create questions that will gently lead your potential client to the desired decision. If you understand a company’s objectives you can then understand how your product or service will be a solution to their needs. Be sure to remember-He who talks least controls the conversation the most. A sure sign of a rookie salesperson is someone that needs to dominate the conversation.
Don’t Tell Me What I Need- Ask Me what I Want
People don’t like to be told what to do. They don’t like to be indoctrinated, they like to be educated. When asking questions be sure to ask a prospective client what they would like or what they want. A prospective client properly queried will give you the closing information you need to close the sale. Be sure to focus on benefits versus features and facts. The easiest way to get a sales call off track is to focus on the features, that’s about your company. When you tell about the benefits, the conversation is focused on the potential client. Most sales call end with a prospective client making a decision from being moved by emotions, not from an intellectual fact filled presentation. Base your discussions on results and benefits to the prospective client.
Know Your Competition
Knowing your competition that your client may be evaluating in relationship to the services or products you company provides gives you a competitive edge. Being knowledgeable about your competition’s strengths, limitations, where they conduct business, how their product or service are rated, customer service, and company profile will help you be better informed about how your potential client would size up your product or service compared to your competitor. One of the basic tenants in sales is to know your competition better than you know your own company; your strength in a sales meeting or sales call will come from a thorough understanding of how your company’s product or service stacks up to your competitors. Market research and competitive analysis is the foundation for delivering quality to your client and closing sales.
Be Solution Oriented
Master the art of seeing the solution rather than focusing on the problem. Be caring, but don’t take things personally. A “no” is not a “no” to you, it’s a “no” for now to the product or service. Many times in sales trainings I have explained to salespeople to visualize a sales call or sales presentation as a tennis game, board game, or poker hand; always care about the outcome, be invested in creating a solution, but realize most successful sales people hear a lot of “no’s getting getting to a “yes”. An attitude I appreciate, if you can answer yes to a client and then figure a way to deliver on the “yes”, it is better than double thinking yourself so you don’t get to the “yes”.
Be sure to reward yourself when you make a sale or a sales quota; giving yourself an experience or small gift to reward yourself for a job well done is a carrot than can help you focus on your goals and outcomes. Enjoying the sales process will help you take you from good to great in sales. People enjoy working with people who enjoy what they do. At Two Degrees Marketing we consistently exceed our clients expectations. We love what we do and it shows! Share with us on Facebook what has worked best for you in closing sales.