Sales Course Secrets 101
I have been asked to start a training course for how to sell. You may be headed to an engineering job or a career not related to sales or marketing, but at some point in your career you will have to present your idea or plan that someone else has to approve. This is selling.
When you are new at sales it is hard to watch the sales process and figure out what is going on. All you can see is other people making it big and you are struggling. This guide will help you because the truth is that there is no big hidden secret to selling. It is a process that a person with above average intelligence can study and learn. It has been studied and dissected by many scholars and thinkers, and there are many good books about how to sell, but this course will get you the street knowledge you need and show you how to find other hidden secrets and techniques that will help you be the best you can be at your profession. I am going to tell you the first big secret.
The first secret to learn is there is no such thing as a born salesman.
Did that brand new baby jump out of the womb and shake the Docs hand and say how are you doc ain’t it a great day?
That so called born salesman you know may have had an influence in their life that helped them to learn how to sell, but they were not born with it. The second big secret I am going to help you with is that no product can ever be sold to anyone that believes in their heart it is not worth the price that they paid. It is always less than the value they believe it is, or it equals the value, but it is never more than their perceived value or they will not buy it.
Think of the last time you were in a hardware store. You were there to find a product that would solve or fix a problem you had at home. It could have been a leaky faucet or a loose board. The product you purchased gained you an end result. The price was not that important compared to the price of the alternative. You didn’t purchase a washer, you really purchased the peace and pleasure of having a faucet that didn’t leak. A safe way to walk on your deck now that the loose board was fixed. No lawsuit from the old neighbor.
There are great and noble ways to sell any product if you study why the widget was invented in the first place. I do not want you to fall for the anti sales hype out there that is there because unqualified people have ruined the reputation of all professional sales people.
Our profession is the only profession that doesn’t require you to have a related degree or pass a qualification test. Even though a psychology degree would be a big help, most sales motivated folks would be bored with that.
Why our profession has a bad name is because there are so many people in sales that do not practice the “Art of Sales” There is an art to doing it well just like any profession. The 80 20 rule applies to sales just like any job. 20% of your sales people produce 80 percent of your sales.
Let’s get started with lesson 1.
The Real Eye Opener is your First Impression
You have to make a sale but before you can do that, you must get your prospects devoted attention to you and what you are saying. To do this knowing something about your prospect ahead of time is well worth the research. Google or Bing is your friend to find out about your prospect. Names and places that are common can help. Something unique about you can help. Do you have an eye patch, a limp, have an unique wardrobe, famous background, or a distinguishing birthmark. Now I am not making fun of you or anyone with a disability, but if you look like the typical Sally Sales Rep, or if you do not make yourself unique then you are starting out the wrong way. Your polished nails clean hands and personal appearance goes a long way to help you with the first step of selling. Sex sells but sluts lose. You don’t have to be a rock star but you have to have rock star qualities. There are good books to help you and I recommend “Dress for Success”. Your first impression is the one that will follow you every where you go.
There is a process that can get your prospect listening to you and liking you. Knowing this process and repeating it will gain you more success than you know. Now that you have the selling suit on you can start the next step which is using a broad based statement about the prospect that would appeal to their needs or hot buttons. A statement that includes a sincere compliment about your prospect and a few benefits that will appeal to his or her needs is how you get started.
Be careful about shaking hands, or touching someone you just met. Do so as a response from the prospect. Do not make it an automatic decision by you. Here is a good example to use, but you must have your own version:
Hello Mr. Jones, I have been looking forward to meeting you. I read your article in the law review and found it to be very interesting. Your profession is one that is noble and it has to be very satisfying to have the opportunity to help people that need your service. What are some of the biggest challenges that you face on a day to day basis?
This is an ice breaking statement that starts a conversation. It was designed for an imaginary prospect, but you must discover everything you can about a prospect before you meet. You can make all the cold calls in the world, but if you don’t gather information as you go you are wasting your time. As the conversation evolves you must listen to what the prospect is saying. If he or she starts asking you questions about where you are from or your background, then it is working. They are trying to find a peer to peer link to you so they feel that you may be worthy of sharing their time. Buyers always want to buy from someone they feel comfortable with. If they are looking at their watch or seem preoccupied you are not getting through and just wasting your time. Don’t waste your time. You were not prepared enough or it is a bad time for the prospect.
You can end your conversation with making an appointment to return when the prospect has a better time or end the meeting until you can regroup and find out more information. Sometimes a prospect is not qualified to buy your product. You are better off not wasting your time going down a rabbit hold. Move on You will never run out of prospects. You will run out of time. Remember your ice breaking statement has to intrigue your prospect, complement him/her, or provide a true gift of knowledge or gadget that they would want. Some successful reps I know find a picture of the prospect or company logo and have it mounted like an award or put in a matted frame. Inexpensive ice breaker. Find one of those who’s who’s of business books for information. You can create a business community award for that person. I have seen such items in offices mounted on a wall. It always makes me chuckle and proud to know a professional sales rep did that. One of the best awards I have seen is B to B award. This is a business to business award that is printed on parchment and given to a new prospect to create a conversation about how ethical they are with other companies. Do these things sound like a sneaky trick? Sound unethical? Are you too lazy to investigate the good qualities of a company that you are trying to sell a product to? If you find something good about that company I will guarantee you they would appreciate the complement because they don’t get enough pats on the back. If you plan to be a professional sales representative you should make sure you are professional first last and in the middle.
Ask yourself a question. Would you sell your product to a prospect that you know can’t afford it? Even if you have the ability to sell that prospect, you should always answer no. If you answered yes, read the third paragraph from the top of this article again.
Next I will cover the second step of selling course 102. Interest and curiosity.
Keep selling with a little Salesvittles every day.