5 Tips to Sell More...Improve your sales skills
Easily Sell More...
Are you striving to be a top tier sales professional? Do you know why 4% of sales people sell 96% of goods and services. They know these 5 basic quick tips and practice them every day. Set yourself apart, come across different that other sales people, stay in control and book the sale. These 5 simple tips will help your form better relationships with your customers and go to the bank more often.
1. Be a Helper
Put yourself in the position of just trying to find out how you can help your potential customer. In many instances sales people are trying to force feed their solution to the customer by spewing out features and benefits. Another bonus is the helper mindset relieves a lot of pressure from both parties as helping is never considered a bad thing.
There is a wonderful moment in the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life" when the angel without his wings Clarence wants to rush off rashly to help George Bailey. The more experienced angel Joseph calmly shares with him - "If you're going to help a man, you want to know something about him, don't you?" ....."You will spend the next hour getting acquainted with George Bailey."
Quite Simply, spend the hour getting acquainted with your customer. See how you can help them with their challenges and issues and set yourself apart from every other sales person they have ever met.
2. Humility
Top Tier sales professionals need to walk a fine line between confidence and arrogance. They need to maintain the right balance of "humble confidence". Whatever the circumstance you find yourself in maintain an even-keel. Be thankful your customers are willing to invite you into their world, focus on serving them and be extremely patient.
3. Listen, Listen, Listen
Ask appropriate questions and listen. Focus on what they are saying with all of your effort. Allow a small gap of silence to ensure they are finished and then follow up with as question similar to this - "is there any more to the situation?" or "is that all?". Give them the opportunity to go on.
Use the 30% Yardstick. If you are talking more than 30% of the time in your sales interviews you are not asking enough questions!
4. Learn
It is not about you...
Don't focus on demonstrating how much you know about your products and/or services. Instead learn all you can about the customer and their business. The opportunities will lie in helping them become a more profitable efficient business. A sales professionals worth is directly related to their ability to make good things happen for other people. Ask probing questions to discover what you can do to help them and why they were willing to talk to you in the first place.
5. Affirm
Do your customers like you?
Make sure to make your prospects feel good about themselves. People are going to buy from people they like.....and people especially like other people who make them feel good about themselves. Use softening affirming statements at the beginning of your responses like - "That is an excellent point, most people don't pick up on it." or "That is a good question." or "You have clearly studied the issue". This will make your clients feel appreciated and in turn that will feel more comfortable opening up to you.