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articles Selling Tips - 4 ways to make selling less
frightening! I often hear women say that they don't like selling; in fact many more say that they hate it and they'd rather pay someone to do it for them! I think that this is often down to our beliefs and experience of what sales people are all about, and maybe even because of some sales training we went on many years ago in the times of 'pressure selling' or the 'just sign here' technique. We're also very aware that our customers don't want to be 'sold' to (we know this because as customers we hate being 'sold' to even more than we hate selling…) Most people are more wary and even sceptical about sales people nowadays, and probably rightly so! I thought it would be helpful to put together a few tips to show that selling shouldn't be as frightening or horrible as we might think, and with some thought and planning before meetings with our potential customers, we can feel comfortable and actually enjoy the process ( I can hear some doubts still…..)
The first thing that can make us so uncomfortable that we visibly squirm is how to introduce ourselves. I can hear you thinking, But, what do I say? What if they question me? What if they don't like me? What if they're not interested? What if I make them annoyed at me? And still worse negative thoughts go through our minds. So first of all, ignore those thoughts very firmly and think about the other person. Ask them questions about what they do, why do
they do it, what is it they enjoy most, what does that involve exactly,
what are their aims or objectives, what would they like to get out
of this meeting, who do they work with, what industry do they work
in…….and once they start talking about themselves, as
people generally love to do, suddenly that fear that you had under
control disappears entirely. When someone is truly interested in
talking to us we immediately like them and start to trust them;
these are keys to selling to people. The other key thing is to LISTEN
carefully and ask relevant questions to further the conversation.
(BUT don't spend more time thinking about your next question than
listening to what they're saying- they're likely to notice and think
that you're either 1) bored or 2) completely fake, or 3) both of
the above! Suddenly all that trust and agreement you've worked hard
to build up will be dashed to the floor! 2. Asking the right questions to identify their needs By this time you're actually already in selling mode without even realising! What is essential to remember is that it is easier to help your potential customer come up with solutions to their problems rather than telling them that you sell the product that will solve their problems. Once you've built some rapport with them and found some common interests, you can bring in your product or service; ask, so with regard to ….. does that mean that you use …. type of product/service? What do you use right now? How is that working for you? How does it fulfil your requirements? What would you like …..product/service to achieve for you instead? The more you find out the more you can tailor what you say about your product to their needs. All these questions can be prepared before the meeting so make your list now.
You can see where we're going with these questions - once you uncover the current situation, what they want to achieve and any problems or issues they have along with the consequences of those issues and problems, you can help them find the solutions. 3. Talk in terms of Benefits It's worth recognising that often we talk about
the features of our products or services instead of how they will
benefit the customer. We'll say things like, I can offer you a half
day or full day workshop, you can have online access, our new product
has a new funky green button, this computer has a huge amount of
memory…. and the list goes on. Make a list of all the features
of your products or services and alongside that the benefits of
those features that the customer will understand and be able to
relate to. For example:
The simple rule is always think about what's in it for them, rather than what's it in for you! If it's going to save them money, time or stress then tell them! 4. The Close Another, understandable stumbling block is how to close down the sale or conversation. We've been taught various techniques from telling them how few are left, to 'hurry cos the offer will end soon', to just sign on the dotted line. If we've not been taught these, then I've often seen people just simply stop talking…….the long pause waiting for the potential customer to say something, please say something, anything at all just to stop this awkward silence. And sometimes the customer will say something; something like, I'm not sure, send me some literature, or let me think about it, or something equally dismissive. Don't be afraid to ask them something - it means you're asking for their involvement and consideration instead of asking for the sale (if you don't feel comfortable asking for the sale yet.) Here are some suggestions:
Hopefully you're now more prepared for future interactions with potential customers. Take your prepared lists with you - they don't know and you'll feel so much more confident with notes in front of you. Finally, remember that sales are built on relationships with people - you need to find out about that person, their thoughts, views, feelings and needs to truly understand them and be able to help them find a solution, with the aid, of course, of your product or service. Remember, what's in it for them? If you found this article useful you may like
to find out more about Darrington Training which
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