Some aspects of sales are natural and, while they may not be easy to master, they at least make sense from the start. The concept of closing a sale is a perfect example. If you don't require your prospect to make a decision on the spot, they likely won't – makes sense, right? But other concepts are not so easy to wrap your head around. Here are four of the most important ones along with some of the reasons why they work the way they do.
#1 Selling Kills Sales
Everybody hates to be “sold.” The more you come across as the stereotypical smooth salesperson, the more it turns off prospects. Approaching the sale as something else – be it a consultation, a mini-class, or a partnership – makes selling far more pleasant for both sides of the transaction and increases the odds of actually getting a sale made. So instead of focusing on the goal of selling something, turn your goal into one of helping the customer. Depending on the approach you prefer, you can present yourself as a teacher, consultant, resource, partner, etc. Just don't present yourself as a salesperson.
#2 Preparation Makes You Sound Natural
You'd think that writing up a script ahead of time would make you sound stilted and rehearsed. That's the reason why many salespeople prefer to conduct cold calls and even sales presentations off the cuff, doing a minimum of research ahead of time and basing their approach on the prospect's reactions. But improvising comes with the danger that your mind will go blank at just the wrong moment, or the prospect will toss a question at you that you're not prepared to answer. The more work you put in before you speak with a prospect, the more knowledgeable and collected you'll sound. Scripts only sound bad when they're not written in your own voice. When you write a phone script or presentation in your natural, conversational tones, you'll sound fantastic.
#3 Fewer Options Sell Better
Salespeople sometimes put together complex packages with tons of options with the idea that the more choices they give prospects, the better they'll sell. But adding a dozen more choices to a sale only bogs things down. Now not only does the prospect have to decide to buy, he has to make a whole lot of other decisions at the same time. This means you're far more likely to be hit with an objection like, “I need to think about it,” because your prospect gets overwhelmed and wants to slow things down. You're better off assembling a few simple product packages instead, so that your prospects have a fairly simple task identifying the right one. Save the highly customized products for prospects who truly need the extra features.
#4 Selling Slower Speeds Things Up
If you're desperate to make your end-of-month quota, the natural reaction is to push your prospects hard and try to get them closed fast. Unfortunately, pushing too hard will just make prospects dig in their heels. They'll get worried and wonder why you're in such a rush – is there something you're not telling them? But if you take things slowly and give a prospect the time and attention he needs, he'll be much quicker to trust you. It takes a certain level of rapport between you and your prospect before he'll be willing to buy, and the easier you take it, the easier it is to build that rapport. For more details about this particular sales principle, read the excellent book Slow Down, Sell Faster by Kevin Davis.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
#1 Selling Kills Sales
Everybody hates to be “sold.” The more you come across as the stereotypical smooth salesperson, the more it turns off prospects. Approaching the sale as something else – be it a consultation, a mini-class, or a partnership – makes selling far more pleasant for both sides of the transaction and increases the odds of actually getting a sale made. So instead of focusing on the goal of selling something, turn your goal into one of helping the customer. Depending on the approach you prefer, you can present yourself as a teacher, consultant, resource, partner, etc. Just don't present yourself as a salesperson.
#2 Preparation Makes You Sound Natural
You'd think that writing up a script ahead of time would make you sound stilted and rehearsed. That's the reason why many salespeople prefer to conduct cold calls and even sales presentations off the cuff, doing a minimum of research ahead of time and basing their approach on the prospect's reactions. But improvising comes with the danger that your mind will go blank at just the wrong moment, or the prospect will toss a question at you that you're not prepared to answer. The more work you put in before you speak with a prospect, the more knowledgeable and collected you'll sound. Scripts only sound bad when they're not written in your own voice. When you write a phone script or presentation in your natural, conversational tones, you'll sound fantastic.
#3 Fewer Options Sell Better
Salespeople sometimes put together complex packages with tons of options with the idea that the more choices they give prospects, the better they'll sell. But adding a dozen more choices to a sale only bogs things down. Now not only does the prospect have to decide to buy, he has to make a whole lot of other decisions at the same time. This means you're far more likely to be hit with an objection like, “I need to think about it,” because your prospect gets overwhelmed and wants to slow things down. You're better off assembling a few simple product packages instead, so that your prospects have a fairly simple task identifying the right one. Save the highly customized products for prospects who truly need the extra features.
#4 Selling Slower Speeds Things Up
If you're desperate to make your end-of-month quota, the natural reaction is to push your prospects hard and try to get them closed fast. Unfortunately, pushing too hard will just make prospects dig in their heels. They'll get worried and wonder why you're in such a rush – is there something you're not telling them? But if you take things slowly and give a prospect the time and attention he needs, he'll be much quicker to trust you. It takes a certain level of rapport between you and your prospect before he'll be willing to buy, and the easier you take it, the easier it is to build that rapport. For more details about this particular sales principle, read the excellent book Slow Down, Sell Faster by Kevin Davis.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
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