Marketing Praktikum

Close Up and Close the Deal!

People have been trying to sell their goods, services and advice for centuries, but most salespeople fail. A main issue is ineffective sales techniques or a lack of sales training altogether.

The best sales tip we give at effective sales techniques salt lake city revolve around listening. If you are always going on and on, how can you win your potential client over? If you just talk about why you and your product are perfect without knowing whether the customer even needs them, of course you will run into push back and low sales.

Here are a few ideas on effective sales training for you to try in your own selling and pass on to make your whole company more profitable.

Before we begin, however, let's think about what you ought to do first, before you start talking to prospects. You need to know your customers and what they think about products like yours. What if they don't know they need them? Do they have a problem you can solve uniquely?

Next, you need to start listening. Think about the following:

  • Close your mouth!! Most would-be sellers go on and on, not realizing that they have lost their customer, who is now just trying to hang up or get away. You can discuss the benefits of your product and briefly discuss how you can offer solutions to their problems, but not unless you know what they expect.
  • You and your product are not as fabuous as you think you are, at least not to people who don't know you. Let go of your ego and remember that you can rarely know how anyone else feels or what they need without asking them. Ask questions often, and remember that selling isn't about anything more than fostering relationships. If you really want to sell, try getting out of the way more often.
  • Don't boss people around. No one likes to be ordered around, but a lot of would-be sellers essentially do this when they repeat and repeat their presentations without listening properly. Rather, discuss the benefits of your product or service and listen closely while the customer speaks aloud, coming to believe that, in the process, your service is the best one. You can guide the conversation along, but stop there or you could lose it all.
  • Selling is about emotions, in the end. Product details have their purpose, but closing deals is ultimately about whether your customer has trust in you and what you're selling. This is the truth even if they don't know it. Listen for feelings about stress, worry and fatigue, as these are negatives you could help solve. It's also smart to listen for good emotions such as happiness, because this can get you closer to realizing your client's motivations.
  • Learn what your prospects really need. If they are happy with their fixes to the problem you think you see, learn more. If not, find out what else they need. If they want parts of what you're offering, you need to be aware of this too. In reality, making any sale is about convincing one person at a time. If your prospects don't feel heard, will probably not continue working with you.
  • Use your own language to rephrase what they say. Called reflective listening, this technique lets the prospect know you are truly hearing what they say, that you care about it and are thinking about it, and that you are understanding accurately. Furthermore, this method clarifies their expectations.
  • Know what gets to them Besides learning what the prospect says he or she needs, find out what the real underlying motivations are. Often, this means boosting the bottom line but it can also mean something like improving speed, reducing work for them and more.

    These sales strategies might not be intuitive, but if you just give them a chance you will see that they work. Realize that most would-be sellers just rush through with their pre-written pitches, not considering their prospects' ideas at all. These salespeople fail. Realize sales victory by quieting your mouth and proving that you really care.