Selling is an art form that some people are very good at and others do not have a clue – that is what was thought for many years, but things have changed. There is a whole new world out there with writers, consultants, entrepreneurs and researchers who have never sold anything, telling us all how it should be done. Guidance comes from many areas of the Internet, and some people have taken notice and become very successful. For some, it is because they are not selling face-to-face, and if they were they would possibly not do quite so well.
There are something’s anyone considering being a salesperson needs to know before they take that step, and here are a few of the things you should and should not do.
Know Your Product
No one should try to sell a product they do not know inside out. You should be able to answer any questions you are asked with confidence. Most companies will have a website, such as the one at https://www.justfans.co.uk/, that will tell the salespeople all that they need to know about selling to everyone from other businesses to home consumers. There is no excuse for not understanding the product or service you are trying to sell, and as soon as you cannot answer a question you might as well give up on that sale as the customer will lose all trust in you.
Remember It Can Take Time
Selling is a process that can take some time, and the bigger the deal you are trying to close the longer it is likely to take. It can be a hard road to travel along with many challenges on the way, but this can give you the time to build a relationship with the customer that could last a long time. It seems to pay not to be too pushy at the start of negotiations, as when they are making their final decision, you could be the only salesperson left they are dealing with.
Selling is a skill and once you have mastered it, you will be able to make the customer feel that the best answer for them is ‘yes’. This is helped even more when you have had the time to build a relationship with them, and any future transactions with the same people will be much easier.
A Salesperson Is Always Selling
Many salespeople are not aware of it, but often they are selling all the time. It could be a pitch about a new product, trying to find investors or a partner, or even trying to get the board to allow a risky strategy. They will always be doing their best towards success and that results in them trying to sell something to someone most of the time.
Know Your Customers
Do some research about any prospective customers you will be talking to so that you know something about them before any meetings start. You should also find out what position the person you are talking with holds, and if they have the authority to buy from you.
If you can learn what sort of things this person appreciates, what motivates them and how they should be approached, you will come across as a much more knowledgeable person, with confidence that you might not be feeling. Knowing this information will let you devise a strategy that makes sense to them and to you, and although you may have to alter it slightly, that will give you the best chance of making a sale.
Don’t Invade Their Space
A common error for people new to selling is to try too hard. Trying to push a customer into a business relationship too soon can work against you and you could lose that customer forever more. This is because you can appear to be too eager, to be invading their space perhaps, and nothing will put potential buyers off quicker than this. Always be friendly and polite, but react to their cues and body language so that the business relationship builds at the speed they want it to.
It is not unusual for a business to win a sale because the customer likes the salesperson. They could possibly buy the same product elsewhere, but if you have shown them you can be trusted and will not try to push them into anything they do not want, they could easily become a long-term client.
Never Be A Know-It-All
All customers’ want is for you to have a solution to their problem. They do not want to be chatting with someone who acts as though they know everything, as know-it-all’s are never popular characters. When they are speaking with you about something that is perhaps unrelated to your sale, show an interest but only impart any knowledge you have in a way that is not condescending. If you do not do this, you will give the impression that you think you are cleverer than they are, and that is not a good position for any salesperson to be in.
Don’t Practice
Don’t practice what you are intending to say as that will make it harder for you to think quickly if you need to. The lines that you have practiced will be stuck in your mind and will stop the flexibility you may need coming through. Know your product, know your customer and know the person you are trying to sell to. Then when questions arise the answers will be more straightforward, and you will deal with them in a much better manner.
Learn The Art Of Negotiation
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