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The TOP 5 Sales Skills
You know, here at MTD we receive a lot of questions from salespeople who ask anything from how to close more sales and how to find better qualified prospects through to how to create effortless rapport and topics such as how to get more self-confidence.
The
list is endless!
Well,
I was recently delivering a sales course when I was
asked what my top 5 sales tip would be
What a great question I thought!
You see, there are so many areas that you can improve upon to increase your sales that to boil it down to a “top 5 list” is pretty difficult.
It made me really think I can tell you!
Are you interested to know what they are?
Well,
here goes...
Tip
number one BUILD RAPPORT WITH YOUR PROSPECTS
The
sooner you can build rapport with your prospect the
sooner their buying barriers will come down.
Now, that does not mean being cheesy with opening remarks like “Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to see me today” Yuk – It’s those sort of lines that give us salespeople a bad name!
So what do I mean?
Well, if you are meeting them for the first time comment on their offices, how their business is doing, what your trip was like, the accurate directions they or their PA gave you – anything to generate a casual and natural chat.
Notice how I said NATURAL CHAT here. If it is false then the prospect will see right through you.
So, you will no doubt be well prepared with your benefits and sales pitch but make sure that you know how to generate small talk and rapport – it will be one of the most valuable things you will ever do.
Tip
number two SOLVE YOUR PROSPECTS PROBLEMS
Many salespeople think that it is their job to convince the prospect to buy their product when in reality a sale is made only when the prospect has convinced themselves that it is the right thing to do and that they actually want it.
How do you do this?
Well, it’s simple really – help them to solve their problems.
Do this by asking questions and focusing the session completely on them.
Unearth the challenges and problems that they are currently facing, what it actually means to them, what will happen if it continues the way it is.
Remember it is your job to help them to convince themselves.
After you have learned all of their problems and woes you use your own knowledge about your products, services the clients you have helped and tie them in with what they have just said.
For example “Mr prospect, you mentioned to me that your managers need to manage their time better and you are looking for an on-line diary management system. Well, we recently implemented a similar system for XYZ company and the results that they achieved through it were similar to what you want. The system reduced the time it takes for their managers to make appointments by 55 minutes per day and that benefit alone more than paid for the software. Mr prospect, how much time per day is currently wasted with the system you currently have in place?”
Okay, with the example I just mentioned I dropped a short case study into the melting pot, I also mentioned the results they got and then I asked the prospect to think about how much time was being wasted in their company to get them to think about this.
In summary – focus your sales sessions on solving your prospects problems and they will love you for it.
Tip
number three – GET MORE PROSPECTS TO RETURN
YOUR CALLS
It’s
frustrating isn’t it?
You
follow up, you follow up, your follow up some more
and the prospect or whoever you are trying to get
through to STILL does not return your calls.
You
feel as though if you hear another voicemail message
you going to throw your phone through the window!
I
recently read that between 60-70% of the calls that
you will ever make will go through to a voice mail
message!
It
obviously depends on your industry and the person
you are trying to get through to but that is a staggering
statistic.
So,
if you find this to be true and you wonder why people
never return your calls when you leave a message on
their phone just take a step back for a moment and
think about the quality of the actual message that
you are leaving them!
Does it compel the prospect to call you back? What's
in it for them?
If you are prospecting, think about leaving a message with the key benefits of your services or products. Each time you call them use a different message and benefit.
This requires a little prep in advance so make sure that you have some sales scripts in-front of you until it becomes second nature.
Tip
number four MAKE BETTER PRESENTATIONS
Put yourself in your prospects shoes and think about what they are thinking...
There they are waiting for your presentation which is the fifth they have seen this week for the product or service that you are offering.
They are just waiting for you to just throw up all over them just like the previous four salespeople have done by talking about how great your product is, how great your company is yawn yawn yawn.
I recommend that you make your presentations different to the rest.
Think about solving your prospects problems once more – how can your present this information in a way that your prospects will really relate to?
Think about any case studies that you can use to demonstrate that what you are selling works and the benefits your clients have got from it.
Stand out from the rest and be creative.
It’s better to be looked upon than over-looked!
And finally tip number 5 – IMPROVE YOUR OWN OVERALL PRESENTATION
It’s
an overused saying but a very true one – "You
never get a second chance to make a first impression"
Think about the first time that your prospect hears you over the telephone or meets you in person because they have most likely made their mind up about you within the first 20 seconds of that encounter!
Manage that time wisely.
I remember waiting to deliver a sales presentation for some training services for a company that was very conservative and formal.
There
I was sitting in the reception along with the other
salespeople with everyone giving everyone else the
once over.
Salesperson
number 1 had on the loudest tie in the world. He was
around 25 years of age.
Salesperson
number 2 had the old “blue shirt, red tie”
look. You could tell from the way he held himself
that he thought he was the dogs danglies!
Salesperson
number 3 had the largest knot in his tie that I thought
it was a waistcoat.
And
there was little old me with a plain navy suit, with
white shirt and matching tie (plain windsor knot)
So
where am I going with this?
Well,
each of sales people were dressed as they wanted with
no thought behind the company they were visiting.
I had done my research and we were each meeting with the founder of the company who was 60 years of age and his son, who was in his forties.
Their company strapline was “We do not sell fast food, we sell quality food fast – XYZ Company Traditional, Home Made Food Since 1961”
I thought about what the prospect would like to see and hear from a salesman and I tailored my approach accordingly with how I looked and how I would talk to them.
You see, it’s the small details that count.
The very next day I was meeting the CEO of a high tech internet company and I dressed and acted in a completely different way!
We got both contracts by the way!
So, I hope you enjoyed my top 5 sales tips?
 | About Sean Sean McPheat founded MTD Sales Training and has built the company up from scratch to over 20 trainers today. Sean a is a much sought after sales trainer and consultant himself and he is well regarded as the authority in improving bottom line sales performance. Sean is regularly featured in the media which has included interviews and documentaries on CNN International, BBC, ITV and Arena Magazine. Interesting Links |
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