Someone once said, “Nothing happens until a sale is made!” They were right! Production doesn’t happen, a financial forecast is meaningless, and you can’t make money, or hire someone if there are no sales. Or have low sales volume.
I have coached so many entrepreneurs about being able to sell…those that don’t listen to that advice, rarely make it in business past the first year.
You must sell…it is that simple. Learn it, embrace it…it is a challenge, but remember if you come from your heart, you are then ultimately helping someone get the results they want.
Sales isn’t about tricking someone or putting one over on someone. It is about learning about where your customers are at, what matters to them, how your goods or services can help your client achieve something or reach a goal with what it is you do.
Learn about your client, learn about their industry, their job function, their goals, budgets and the challenges that your clients face. Be sure to ask good questions, listen, offer ideas, teach your clients…and watch the success happen if you adopt this kind of selling approach.
Your one goal in business is to make money, but to do so in a way that adds value to those you sell too!
This weeks post will help you do that.
Let’s dive in!
When you are selling, you need to get ready to sell and put yourself, ideas, value, products, and services out there…one of the preliminary steps you need to take is to Research:
- Research is King!
You must understand the client’s needs in advance and do your homework. Research the market; research the client; research the needs and issues in the market as it pertains to your clients…
Can you imagine getting a cold call like this? “Hey Joe, this is Mike Adams here with People Training Services. With the layoffs, your company has been going through we can imagine that morale must be a bit low. What we do is help to build morale, regenerate team spirit, creativity and passion at work. We work with our clients to bridge gaps and to recommit to a new future filled with possibility. We’d love to meet to share some success stories and see how we can impact positively on your bottom line. How is next Tuesday at 2:00 for us to meet?”
What happened here is that Mike got some inside information about his prospect’s recent layoffs and the impact that it might have on the company and could position his services to be of help to that client and ease the pain.
Researching the market is the key to prospecting success.
Here is another case in point: a homestager is selling her services and the message is about making a house look nice so that it sells faster. That’s all well and good…but I want results!
Well, did you know that houses that are staged get over 9% more on the asking price than houses that aren’t staged? They also sell faster as well. This is incredibly compelling research to share when having a conversation with a client who’s in the market and is thinking of selling a house.
Who doesn’t want results like that? My house sells faster and makes more money…this kind of pitch is sweet. It shows you’ve done some homework and you’re talking about what matters to those you’re calling. Find me a real estate agent who doesn’t want to make more money? Anyone? Show of hands?
When you know in advance what issues and challenges your clients have and you call with an idea or solution to those problems, how do you think someone on the other end of the phone is going to respond? They are going to want your help pronto!
The other key area to research is to know your customers inside out, get clear as to who they are first! Who makes up your ideal client, why did you choose this segment? What do you know about them? What are their characteristics? What is their age, sex, income, status? What are their likes/dislikes? What are the issues they face? How do you solve them?
Before you even begin to sell, know your industry, the benefits of what you do, how you help people get results and how your products or services get customers to rave about you!
Then know your customer…when you know these 2 things then you have set the stage for “Sales Success” to happen.
Next week, we look at Prospecting!
Cheers/David