I hope everyone has settled back into the groove of a new year, for those of you who are still on holiday – I envy you!
This week I look back on my 7 years in sales and recap 5 key skills I’ve picked up which have helped me immensely over the course of my career. These skills I believe are applicable almost across the board from selling homes to selling pencils, from cars and boats to selling advertising.
- BE AN OBJECTION HANDLER/LEARN HOW TO HANDLE OBJECTIONS
One of the most important aspects of sales is the art of negotiation and closing deals. It’s all very well and good to have mastered the art of negotiating a deal with someone once they have said they are interested in purchasing but what about the majority of people who “have to think about it” or aren’t interested at all? Do you know how to potentially turn people in this category into a sale or do you simply thank them for their time and ask them to keep in touch (Which chances are won’t happen)?
A simple question along the lines of “do you mind if I ask what you need to think about?” can result in the customer opening up about their hesitancy to pursue a deal. To really grasp hold of the sale ask this question once they have told you why they need to think about it; “So if XYZ was not an issue would you be prepared to purchase ABC”? If the answer is yes, great! All you need to do now is satisfy their objection – in the case of cars, quite often I found that people did not have the money on them to pay the full amount there and then. All we needed was a small holding deposit and an agreement to pay the rest in 2 weeks upon delivery which they did not know was an option, deal done. Always remember in these situations the customer doesn’t know what you know, this is why it’s so important to ask the right questions.
2. 70% LISTENING 30% TALKING
For anyone who knows me you may laugh and think to yourself “there is no way you could hold yourself to only talk 30% of a conversation”. Truth be told I found I turned into a great listener over my time in sales and I can tell you it paid off big time. There are 2 main reasons, the first is people love to talk about themselves, you do, I do, 99% of people you’ve met and had more than a surface conversation loves to, so let them. Active listening is key here so obviously don’t blank out. Nod, engage and show that you are listening and interested. This is a great way to build rapport and leads onto my second reason.
If you want a customer for life, learn everything you can about them. What are their kids names and age? What do they do for a living? What are their hobbies? What was their mother in laws’ sisters’ husbands’ cousins’ maiden name? Im somewhat being serious, the more you know – the more rapport you build and ultimately when you are keeping in touch you have way more to talk about.
3. THE ART OF THE FOLLOW UP
How many times have you been told to follow up with every customer? Well you’re about to be told again. I really can’t stress how important keeping in touch with ALL customers is. This includes potential sales, people who have bought from you recently and the people who bought with you some time ago.
If you consistently follow up you will become that persons go to salesperson, that comes from building a rapport and trust. You want that person to think of you as a ‘friend in the business’. Follow up needs to be consistent – this doesn’t mean pestering someone every day! You also need to tailor the follow up to the specific customer. Email or text is fine but if you can, a phone call is so much better and a lot more personable!
4. PROVIDE VALUE
What do I mean by this? Well, instead of taking the easy track or in this case sale, take the time and ask the right questions to match the right product to the customer. At the end of the day you are the expert in your field so act like one. So many times I saw customers buying the wrong product for their needs because the salesperson did not take the time to understand their situation. This only ever leads to the customer resenting you when they eventually figure out that the product isn’t doing the job they require.
Another case of providing value can be not pushing the customer to buy the more expensive product, in some cases actually offering the cheaper alternative as you think it will work better for them. People remember this and I can guarantee you will earn their trust. Think of the long term, rather than this one sale. How can you provide that extra value which will see that customer telling all their friends about the excellent service they had and when it comes time for them to replace or purchase additional of said product they don’t even shop around?
5. KNOW YOUR STUFF
I know it sounds really cliche and pretty straightforward but you would be amazed how many salespeople do not know the basics about what they are selling. I don’t just mean knowing everything there is to know about your product either (although this helps). Learn how to sell particular features. Create stories that you can add to your pitch to help this customer visualise themselves using or enjoying the product you are selling.
Have your sales pitch down to a tee, ensure it sounds sincere and genuine (not robotic). Having a great product knowledge will not only help you to sell the product but It will also boost your credibility and allow you to feel much more confident.