The hard work of selling does not happen during the face to face encounter with the customer. For almost all types of selling jobs, the determining factor for success is most often the preparation and planning stage of the sales process.
Ben Franklin spoke of the hard work of thinking, an activity that few take the time to do. Success in selling begins with taking time to think through every aspect of the marketing process for one’s chosen field of work. The most important aspect of preparation is to get your thinking right and clear. In reality, you are what you think. Thought patterns develop attitudes which influence desire and resolve. Things that need a thorough thinking through are time management, goals, dreams, and priorities. As quality time is spent on the hard work of thinking, desire will increase which gives birth to creativity and innovation.
Next, you are ready to plan. Planning would include structuring your weekly schedule. Scheduling you appointments too tightly will put you under unnecessary pressure which will rush the sales process and ultimately cost you commissions. Be sure to schedule meals into your day. Mealtime can be a great stress reliever as well as being healthy. If you are relaxed, your customer will relax. Selling is a transfer of feelings. It is important to have fun with your job. When you stop having fun, you are on your way out of the sales business.
The next stage is research on your customer’s needs. This gives you confidence and effectiveness in approaching the prospect. I’ve found that giving the customer specifics about their account and reasons for the call will quickly open the door for securing an appointment. You have a very few precious seconds to create interest and a sense of need when approaching a prospect by phone. Always research opportunities with existing or past clients first before engaging in cold calling. An existing or past customer gets you legally around the do-not-call laws for telephone marketers. This also becomes a warm lead with a higher percentage of successful closes. Your sales manager can be a great resource for identifying sales opportunities with existing customers.
Now you are ready to make phone calls and set up appointments. First, identify yourself, your company, and why you are calling in one breath. If you reach an answering machine, do the same and give a short description of why you are calling with a sense of urgency to call you back. Don’t try to make the sale on the phone. Sell the appointment. For some products, you can prime the buyer to look favorably at your product before you arrive without giving away the whole presentation. Leaking out additional research information may be necessary to create more desire to secure the appointment. This is where the preparation and research becomes the fuel for the sale.
Once you arrive at your appointment, greet your customer, thank them for their time, and ask if you can be seated at the dining room table. This facilitates laptops and illustrations and makes an easy transition to closing signatures if necessary. Keep small talk to a minimum. You can talk yourself into a sale and back out again. Don’t over-sell. The prospect doesn’t care about your life story, they care about their needs and desires. Keep the conversation focused and get to the point. You never know when your interview could be interrupted by a family crisis, impatience, or other situations. You have a limited window of time to get done what you came to do, so use it wisely. Respect the time of the prospect. You are a guest in their home. When you respect a person’s time, you respect them. Giving respect will get you respect in return and hopefully more sales.
If you try to close unsuccessfully, go back and build value. Sell the sizzle, not the steak. In other words, point out the benefits of the product. Answer the question, “What will it do for me?” Also, build up the value of the company behind the product. This is especially important in the service industry. If you know your product well, you will excel in this area. If you don’t know your product, it will cost you sales.
Once your appointment reaches its conclusion either by making a sale or not, ask for referrals then politely say your goodbyes and leave. If you are with another salesperson, don’t make any comments about the appointment positively or negatively until your car is around the corner. An otherwise satisfied customer could mistakenly think they hear you say something offensive and cancel the sale. Loose lips sink ships.
If the product sold requires follow-up, do so with class and style. Use the Golden Rule in all of your sales endeavors. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Don’t procrastinate.
Stay on top of your business and ahead of company expectations. This will give you freedoms that other employees don’t have and a longer leash. Every company fears losing top salespeople. Exceeding the company model will put you in a special class of salespeople with a higher standard of living with special privileges enjoyed by a few. It will also make you a candidate for advancement and management. May you have much success as you pursue a career in selling.
