5 Tips In Sales Basics

Most people take the fundamentals of sales for granted - thinking that since they do not really sell to people, they therefore do not need to know the basics. But what many people don't realise is, in almost everything we do, we need to sell something.

We need to sell ourselves to our parents, and make them believe that we are worthy of their trust. We need to sell ourselves to our friends, convincing them that we are great to be with. We need to sell ourselves at a job interview - to make a company official believe that it's YOU they need - not anyone else, for a position. We need to sell our self to an attractive potential partner - making he or she realize that you two need to be together forever.

In short, selling is the art of convincing someone to believe in something - be it a trait, a skill, a service or a product. We are always in the middle of some kind of sales pitch - persuading someone to rely on what we have to say.

It is safe to say, therefore, that we need to know the basics of proper selling. If you do not apply some rules, it may mean the loss of a successful transaction. Here are a few guidelines that will help ensure that you are doing the right thing.

Customise every sale. Not every selling system works for everyone - each person has a different need, a unique foresight, and the correct budget. Sure, every customer wants to be treated special - so give her the special treatment she needs. Customize your sales pitches, fashion it in such a way that fits her personality and character. Don't be super chummy, when she wants a formal, straight-to-the-point transaction. If she's the animated type, then go out of your way by appearing as animated as possible. The more fitted a sale is to the potential buyer, the higher the possibility of a positive outcome.

Listen carefully to your potential customer. Remember that the point of making a sale is to answer a client's need - so allow her to speak 80% of the time. Don't make the mistake made by most eager-beaver sellers - making endless sales pitches, and not allowing the customer to speak. Worse- they don't even listen well enough to the questions of the customer! The best formula is to listen first to the customer, then ask all your important questions pertinent to the transaction. Listen to everything the client has to say, and pretend that what she says is all that matters.

Ask questions before making your pitch. Related to #2, you have to ask the customer what they expect, what they need and how they feel about your product before you make your pitches. Doing so will give you a proper guide as to how to customize your sales pitch. If you failed to do this, and go on and blabbing with your scripted sales pitch, it is very likely that you will go home empty-handed.

Build rapport with your potential client, but don't overdo it. Most salespeople try too hard to be a "friend" to their clients, rather than act like a reliable authority, worthy of the trust and confidence given by their potential client. As a good salesperson, you must be considered an expert, go-to authority, and must command respect also. You are not to be the movie or bar-hopping buddy of your clients. No one will really respect you if you always aim to be a friend to business associates. If you want to go paint the town red with your clients, you might as well just be better off making sales pitches to your college fraternity buddies. If you want to be respected, stick with impressing tactics rather than relying on your personality.

Impress the decision-maker. Most salespeople make the mistake of setting up a meeting - sadly, with the wrong people in the business. They go to the company manager, rather than the treasurer, or the CEO, rather than the person in charge of deciding what supplies and equipment to buy. Sure, it's still a meeting with a big shot - but with the wrong big shot in the hierarchy of the business! Instead of presenting to the wrong people, find out who holds the key to the decision-maker's office in order to make a sale, and to conserve your precious time and effort. And while presenting to the correct person, why not ask what their budget is? Because no matter how great your product or service is, if their budget is not in congruence with the requirements of your product, then you also end up wasting efforts also.


----------------------------------------------------
Connecting Women In Business helps women business owners generate more leads, clients and increase profits with more networking, business insights, tips and tricks on marketing, growth, business and accountability strategies. We invite you to get your free social media tactics ebook when you visit http://www.connectingwomeninbusiness.com.au


EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=266732