Becoming an effective sales person takes time, patience and practice. Many people in sales take years to perfect their trade and their progress is often hampered by a misunderstanding and misapplication of certain sales strategies. Below you’ll read two do’s and two don’ts that if you apply to your sales strategies will improve your ability to manage your clients, provide them with what they want and to close the sale. Remember as a sales person you should be constantly looking to change and improve your sales strategies or else you risk being overtaken by the competition within your own organization and that from competing organizations.
No matter how good your pitch is or how great your product is it means nothing if you don’t land the sale. You’d be surprised how many sales pitches end with a client that wants to make a purchase but doesn’t because the sales person fails to close. All your sales strategies should lead up to closing the sale and you shouldn’t ever be afraid to ask someone if they’re willing to make a purchase. If they do say no you can then ask them why and find out what objections they have and how you can improve your sales strategies and break down their objections better in future.
Don’t ever assume that just because a client has bought your product before or because they are being nice and friendly to you that they will buy from you again. No matter how much they like you a client will make a purchase from the person and the company that understands their strategic pain and how best to relieve it.
If you want to make the sale you need more than just a good relationship and conversation – you’ve got to understand the problems they are having and understand how your product can relieve this pain better than any competitor. You also have to understand their culture and their decision making process and plan your sales strategies appropriately.
As a sales person, your credibility is incredibly valuable. Whatever tactics and methods you make use of as part of your sales strategies you must be careful never to do anything that will compromise your credibility. If you’ve said that you’ll call or drop in make sure you keep your appointment and if you promise something make sure you can deliver or you’ll lose credibility. This loss in credibility can not only damage your chances of making a sale with that client but may also be communicated to other clients and prospective clients, causing significant damage to your reputation and your chances of making more sales in future.
A common mistake in many people’s sales strategies is to try to sell to someone who is too low in the decision-making process. It’s true that the person you’re talking to might be enthusiastic and saying all the right things but have you taken the time to find out who actually makes the decision. Find out who you actually need to talk to and arrange a meeting any way you can. The longer you spend talking to the wrong people the more time you waste and the more likely a competitor will get to the read decision makers first.
Each of these do’s and don’ts should become a key part of your sales strategies; failure in any one of these points could waste an opportunity or destroy a sale. Your sales strategies should be constantly growing and evolving to meet with the expectations and cultures of the different prospective clients that you meet. Over time as you become a great sales person and your repertoire of sales strategies grows, you’ll experience ever-greater success.
Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.