Successful Sales Techniques

If the ‘s’ word strikes fear in your heart, learning some successful sales techniques can help.

Being in a role that involves selling can be a real challenge in the modern work environment, not least because of the reputation that certain sales industries have attracted in recent years.

The very mention of the word ‘sales’ can conjure up all sorts of negative images, for both the customer and sales person alike!  These negative perceptions are unfortunate, as a rather good definition of selling is simply “the offering of goods or services.” It is how that offering is made that often makes the difference between success and failure:

Successful Sales Essentials…

•  Be yourself!     Many people adopt a manner of speaking which fits their image of how a sales person should sound and behave. This ‘sales speak’ is both transparent and off-putting to most customers. Being natural and recognising your own unique selling style is vital.

•  Listen     One of the most common mistakes made in sales is to talk too much, and particularly not to listen properly to what is being said. Once understood, the art of ‘total listening’ will put any sales person at an advantage.

•  Everyone’s favourite subject….Is themselves. Often not due to arrogance, but simply because it is the subject that most people know the most about. A successful sales person will ask questions that allow the customer to talk about themselves, building rapport as a result.

•  Benefit Selling     We are often so proud and excited by our offering, that it can be a tough lesson to learn that the customer has no interest in your product or service whatsoever! They want to know what it can do for them. This is achieved by talking about the benefits, not always about the product or service.

•  Intelligent questions     Asking the correct question, at the right time is so important. Inevitably we are all told ‘no’ at times. If this keeps happening however, did you ask the correct question?

•  Objection!     What is the difference between an objection and a rejection? Answer – none. It is all down to the perception of the individual. It is possible however to be tenacious in sales and not take no for an answer, without being too pushy.

•  Close the sale     This term alone sounds rather ‘salesy’ doesn’t it? We all close the sale however, and it is of great value to understand the different ways this can be done according to the individual situation.

 The above are examples of some the skills, understandings and techniques that are needed if you are to survive and thrive in your sales role.  Selling can be a little like amateur psychology at times, as the need to understand your customer, their motivations and their key drivers is paramount.  Once a sales person has embraced this, they can start to understand and enjoy their role, and feel more confident and comfortable in one of the oldest professions in the world.

If you would like to learn more about successful sales techniques, consider our one-day course; An Introduction to Sales. This is highly recommended for those new to their role, and for those looking to re-focus their sales efforts.

The benefits are:

• Better understanding of  the role of a sales person for greater results
• Being comfortable with honest and ethical selling
• Learning how to create powerful sales messages that inspire
• Discovering how to ask the right questions, at the right time
• Overcoming objections to close the deal

For more details, contact us and we will be happy to answer your queries.

Our thanks goes to Jason Routley, Aquarius Learning, for this guest article and agreeing to be the trainer for this course.