May 14, 2014
5 Sales Tips to Go from Good to Great
BY John Paul Narowski IN Sales and Marketing 0 Comment
Outside of the sales industry, there are many jobs that require some type of sales – whether you’re a doctor who wants new patients or you own a pool cleaning service that needs more customers. Many people are capable of basic sales skills, but what really pushes business forward is taking your sales abilities from good to great. So how exactly do you go about doing that without being pushy?
Believe in What You’re Selling
If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, how do you expect anyone else to? The energy coming from you will automatically turn many off just based on your genuine lack of enthusiasm. Even if you’re selling something as seemingly simple as a pen, find a reason to convince yourself that it’s the best one ever until you believe it so much that others will as well.
Read Your Customer
Being able to read people is an asset in the sales industry, so that you know when it’s time to back off a bit and when you should be applying a little more pressure. The more you mix up the two, the fewer sales you’ll make. Start paying attention to your sales prospects’ body language, tone of voice, and their facial expressions – and before long, you’ll be an expert at your approach for each person.
Get to the Point
Do you like your time being wasted? Neither does anyone else. No one wants to sit through an hour-long presentation for you to finally make your point in the last five minutes. Have an opening line if you need to get your foot in the door, and if you have some time, come up with a brief presentation about why your business and product are fantastic; give people reasons to want your product, then answer some questions (if necessary) and wrap it up.
Consider Your Presentation
If you walked into a doctor’s office and there were wires hanging from the ceiling, the doctor had blood stains on his coat, and the chairs in the waiting room had ripped leather, you’d probably hightail it out of there before even making it to the sign-in sheet. In sales, it’s not only all about how you look, but also about what’s around you. Look presentable, wear a smile, dress neatly, and in conjunction with that, showcase the product beautifully – whether it’s a conference room or a high-end dinner entree.
Know Your Product
Did you ever go into a restaurant and the server was absolutely clueless about the menu? There’s a big difference between not knowing if a particular item is cooked in peanut oil and having no idea what sides are available to come with an entrée. It’s an absolute must to know the product you’re selling. The more you know about your product, the more likely your audience is going to be convinced to purchase it based on all of the reasons you’re giving them for why they should.
When you’re in sales, you already know you have to be nice, smile often, and be well-organized, but the aforementioned tips can help you go from good to great much sooner than you may think. Before long, sub-par sales figures can be a thing of the past!
