7 Sales Tips That Will Increase Your Closing Percentage
…and How to Make an Unabrasive Sales Pitch:
Sales tips are open to modification, and I would love to hear your feedback. In addition, it would be helpful if you posted your own sales tip on the comments section.
Some of my selling tips below are obvious, but I believe in being as thorough as possible, but if you think it’s too obvious let me know.
Lets begin…
One of the most difficult skills for a new salesperson to learn is how to make an effective sales pitch. Once you’ve gotten the formalities of a greeting and some small talk out of the way, you’ll find it time to transition into the sales pitch itself. That transition, however, is one of the most awkward parts of the pitch - when a salesperson isn’t 100% sure that the person he is speaking to really wants to hear what he has to say. So what can you do to make things a little easier?
Sales Tip #1: Understand your prospect. Do a little bit of research on the company, and even the specific person, you are meeting with. Understanding what they do will make it easier for you to ask educated questions in order to determine what their actual business needs might be. "How has business been this year? Has your business felt the impact of the economic crunch or
do you feel as though you’re holding strong?"
Sales Tip #2: Prepare your sales pitch in advance. Know your product inside and out and practice your standard sales pitch until you both know it by heart and it no longer sounds rehearsed. Your sales pitch should fit nicely within the context of the conversation you are having with your prospect.
Sales Tip #3: Know your competition. In order to present yourself as better than the competition, you’ll need to understand exactly what your competition has to offer. Your client may have already spoken to someone representing one of your competitors and you’ll need to be able to effectively compare and contrast your services and customer service abilities. "Let me give you an example…XYZ copy center has a very reasonable printing rate, but MyCopy can not only give
you a great rate but will deliver your completed products to your door."
Sales Tip #4: Be a good listener. Don’t spend your entire meeting talking. Ask questions and show a genuine interest in the answers you receive. Your prospect may want to tell you about his family, his history as a business owner, and his plans for the future; they would prefer to give their business (and money) to someone who acts like he cares about their success, not just about making
a sale.
Sales Tip #5: Don’t pressure your prospect. Politely explain what you have to offer, speaking calmly and in an even tone that can be clearly understood. Allow your prospect time to think and ask questions. Be respectful and, if your client still seems hesitant, offer to review his business and give him a free proposal and estimate with a plan outlining exactly how your services will support
his plan for success. "What if I could show you a way to (reiterate their goals)…would you be interested in something like that? If you’d be willing to give me some additional information I’d be happy to do a little research and find a way to best position you in this marketplace."
Sales Tip #6: Ask for the sale. If your client is genuinely interested in your product or service, ask for the sale outright. You don’t have to settle on all of the little details during this meeting, but an agreement to do business is an excellent first step. Do NOT ask for the sale if your client seems confused or hesitant. Take a softer approach such as the follow-up proposal mentioned
above. "We’ve covered a lot of ground today… (reiterate your ideas and proposals)…I am sure we will work well together and you’ll find the results to be profitable to your business…I’d like to get started on x-date."
Sales Tip #7: End the conversation. There’s nothing worse than a business meeting that just won’t end. Even if you’re at a dinner meeting, the business portion should end when it’s over. If you’ve already discussed the details and have decided upon a plan of action (or a plan for follow-up) move back on to lighter subjects and enjoy getting to know your new client. Don’t forget to thank him for his time before you depart!
The ability to flow from the introduction to the close without acting in an awkward, nervous, or abrasive manner is a skill that has to be learned and practiced. Practice your presentation with family members and friends until you are comfortable giving a natural presentation. In the end, you’ll find that the sales will become easier and easier with each subsequent meeting.
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Posted on December 23rd, 2008 by admin and filed under selling |