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Here are dozens of sales training, selling tips and bits of marketing advice.
Use these bright ideas to punch up your own selling style. |
Enjoy these great sales tips. Then click on the response link
at the left and give us your own sales solutions that we can share here with others. If we include your tip on this page, you will receive a complementary mention and a personal gift award.
[Many more very new and helpful sales tips from people just like you]
[Dozens of tips and lessons, bound and printed]
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Donald Joy, Ethex Corporation, St. Louis, MO, writes:
Not Much.... If a customer states they do not use much of something I sell, I always ask, and I now make sure the reps in my department ask, "How much is not much". This is relative to what other products they use. Your product, or alternative product, could be considered a slow mover to this company overall, but could result in a sizable sale to you. In other words, get specific usage per month, quarter or year.
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Thomas Pegg, Olympia Sales Club for Kids, Ajo, AZ, writes:
Use these three things when interviewing:
- One very good word to use is Why? Why is a very powerful word one can use in order to start a sale or finalize a sale.
- Another powerful phrase is: In Addition to that? It is a very good phrase to use when you feel you have a good chance at selling.
- The third and final is: If I were your own brother, I would say to you what I'm going to say now. The prospect would usually answer with What's that. This final phrase is a good phrase to use when you have competition, or if you think the prospect needs a powerful confidence booster.
Also, find out what he wants. Then SHOW him what he wants. He will then move heaven and earth to get it, making the sale.
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William Zella,
Horizon Mental Health Management, Hull, MA, writes:
People do not want to be "sold" anything; however, most people like to "buy". Buying is an active process. When people are talking they feel a sense of control; they are actively making decisions and controlling their own future. This feeling is especially stong when the listener appears sincerely interested. In any selling process it is essential that the salesperson knows how to "actively" listen. This "active" listening involves three steps:
- Provide good eye contact with the person talking. Eye contact is very powerful as a form of attention. Think how you would feel if someone you were talking to began looking away or at someone else while you are still talking. Even looking down at your notes may be distracting and thus not a good idea.
- Repeat the main message you are hearing at selected times to be sure you are picking up the accurate meaning.
- Lastly it is important to repeat what you think the person talking is feeling as well. "It sure sounds like you angry" or "confused", "frightened" or whatever. This often results in the quietest person talking nonstop and of course feeling great about the experience.
This process has several benefits:
- If you do it sincerely people will like you and remember prospects have to "buy" you first.
- You find out what is actually important to this prospect so that when you begin talking about your product, you will focus on only the benefits to that individual buyer.
- People will usually talk alot and by asking more specific questions you will be able to gain more knowledge about that prospect than you have ever done before which further prepares you for any future objections.
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Stan says: Here's how to keep prospects interested, and awake. Create a new sales story :
For as long as there have been sales people, those who sell most, rely least on artificial closing techniques and more on creating a strong emotional bond with prospects through the sales story. Want to get more sales to close? Do this:
- Create a complete story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Tell who your company is, how it got started, how it developed your product, etc.
- Include all your sales facts, benefits and talk points in a narrative.
- Build and keep a varied and rehearsed library of compelling openings.
People love to hear stories. They stay interested longer and they are less likely to cut the interview short. To learn more about this lesson, go to More.
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Thomas Duffy
EFS, Dana Point, CA, writes:
Cold calling is simply a numbers game. The more calls you make
the more meetings you will set. Increase you current calls by making 3-5
calls from your car on your way into work and on your way home. The
prospect will be impressed to hear from you before and after normal
business hours. This is also a good way to get past the "gatekeeper"
because they generally are not there before 8 or after 5.
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Stan says: Prospecting is really just a matter of mental
discipline.
What if we showed you a big bowl of multi-colored jelly beans and we threw in one $50,000 diamond. Then we blindfolded you and said you could scoop handfuls of the mix as long as you wished, before giving the next guy a shot. When do you think you would stop "prospecting"? Before you got that diamond? Of course not. Would you keep on "prospecting" after you did find it? No, again.
You would work only until you met your payday goal and, since there would be nothing more to gain, you would then quit.
Think of that bowl of jelly beans as you set your sales goal each day and go for that diamond. Then,
when you get it, go home, enjoy your success and get stoked for a great day tomorrow.
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Loni Lee,
Liz Claiborne, Rocklin, CA, writes:
NEVER ask a customer a question like "Would you like to try a sample" they always have a power to say no...suggest it, they will try it!
[More on why people buy or don't buy]
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Marci Rogers
Hilton Tucson East, Tucson, AZ, writes:
I never begin selling until I have done a complete job qualifying. I always know who makes the buying decision, how the decision will be made and how I can make the transaction a success before I have told the prospect any pricing or benefits. Knowing these makes my sales presentation shorter and targeted--saving my prospect time. Clients always appreciate it.
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Joe Catal,
American On-Hold Marketing, Hollywood, FL, writes:
When asking for referals, ask for a specific one. Example: If I do business with a mortgage company, I know they do business with a Title company. I ask them for that SPECIFIC
referral. 80% of the people will give it to you. It's a lot better than "who do you know?" You could also ask for a "generic" referral. Who does you cleaning, security, etc. If you sell to consumers, ask if they have any brothers or sisters, daughters or sons. This is a powerful technique.
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Larry Duca, Carlsbad, CA, writes:
Clean out your prospect funnel. Put your current prospects through a sieve. The biggest mistake sales people make is they call on the same useless prospects over and over. If you have not been able to get anywhere with a specific group of prospects move on and find new prospects. Being persistent is good. However, if you are spending too much time on fruitless leads you will just burn out. "After a shepherd's herd has eaten all the grass in a specific pasture he knows its time to move on to a new pasture. If he does not move on his sheep will starve. Move on if you are not getting anywhere with old prospects and come back at a later date.
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Karen Talley, Carolina Phone Wireless, Greenville, SC, writes:
I make the suggestion to my sales staff to get the customer to
fill out their warranty card while in the store. This way the customer
doesn't have to worry about mailing it and won't have to hang on to his
receipt for dear life. We also use this information to update our marketing
data base.
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Aaron Lee,Go Wireless Communications, North Ogden, UT, writes:
You need to be excited about all of your current promotions, even something that seems obvious to you the customer might not realize (for example the length of the warranty). Many times the customer will buy from you if you point all these little things out.
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David Beacham, Davindi Pty Ltd, Perth, Western Australia, writes:
One of the keys needed to sell is entertainment, the more you entertain your prospect the greater your chance of creating a personal contact. This does not mean going to the pub or girly bars. This means during your presentation, being interesting and animated.
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Terry Hoyle, Marrero, LA, writes:
To target, qualify, establish and maintain productive prospects, one must create trust and a personal relationship and understand the prospects needs, budget and expectations.
-Website is great.
-Been in sales part time for 5+ years now and currently I sell two services
(finacial aid services and safety services)
-This was my first visit to this website and I was impressed.
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Patricia Soltis writes:
I am a trainer with Telemarketing Vendors. My simple sale tool is to tell
the TSR's to sell themselves and consider and be empathetic to the customer.
It always works. Make the customer a friend. The they have your trust and
faith to purchase your product.
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Todd Benadum, Electric Service Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, writes:
If you're making telemarketing calls and having trouble getting past the receptionist, then the next time you call that company go up or down 1 number on the last digit of the general phone number to reach someone else who might be more helpful. Usually, every time I've tried it people other than the receptionist have been more than helpful.
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Matthew Aldridge, all the way from Northhampton, UK, writes:
If you can't get through
to the right person in the prospect company,
for example the stubborn receptionist won't put you through,
ask for the accounts department (or accounts receivables,
as we call it here in the states, Matthew) and they will put you straight through.
Once there, say, "Is that John Smith?" They will say no. Then ask to be
put through to John Smith. It's never failed me.
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Tip 8. When should you keep fighting for sales and when should you move on and make better use of your time elsewhere? To help you make that decision, here are the
five biggest reasons prospects don't buy from you and what you can do about it: Sales Lesson Summary:
- You don't know
your prospect's budget.
- They truly don't need what you
sell.
- They don't trust you.
- They don't like you or your
company.
- You don't understand the
internal politics of the prospect firm and can't create rapport with
all of the forces for change.
Read this lesson and you'll double your sales...
and it's FREE - click here for the whole lesson
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Insect Sales and Marketing?
Are you nuts?
Seriously,
you can learn a lot about sales and marketing from studying insects. The two insects I like to watch most, marketing-wise that is, are bumble bees and spiders. A
bumblebee flies as much as 50 miles from home to pollinate a really choice
flower "prospect". Here comes that big bee. There goes that big bee. He really,
really racks up the frequent flier miles... know what we mean?
The spider,
on the other hand, puts less emphasis on "direct sales" and relies more on
studying the best principles of sales and marketing. He does marketing research and determines that if he locates his web in an area of high traffic flow, he will
snare more than his share of "customers" without having to pack as little as a
toothbrush for those tiresome road trips. Strategic marketing beats road selling every time. Who says you can't make a living
sitting in one place? Couch potatoes, rejoice... but tend to your "netting."
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Tip 4. Sure, you're as good as
you say. But who else says so?
You may be really good at what you
do, but how can you convince your prospects of that. A reference letter serves
three purposes:
- It gets your client to thinking
proactively about you, great for additional work.
- It uncovers hidden problems in
the job while there's still time to do something about it. Reluctance to
provide a written reference brings this out.
- It produces a reference letter
that can be used in your selling efforts. A great, low-cost marketing
tool.
Never pass up the opportunity to ask
for written reference letters. Keep an updated file and never pass up the
opportunity to use them. Watch your closing rate increase.
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Tip 3. Stop fighting the
customer... Meet him half way. You'll both prosper.
Many an intelligent sales person
has wasted his or her entire career stubbornly telling customers what he thinks is best, instead of
giving them what they really want. Is this you?
Selling, and life, really isn't so hard if you listen to your prospects and
meet them half way.
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Tip 2. Improving Telephone
Techniques.
Never stop
including telemarketing in your prospecting mix, even though you hate it.
- It's the fastest way to qualify
prospects.
- It lets them know what you do.
It's targeted.
- It's the best way to learn who
the decision maker is.
- It creates a personal
relationship with the buyer.
- It keeps you productive when
leads are scarce.
- It reaches prospects you miss in
other selling activities.
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Tip 1. Are you talkin' to
me?
In face to face selling,
everybody knows to qualify the buyer. You always try to get to the key decision
maker. Of course, you know this. Everybody knows this.
But when we phone a
strange new number, unfortunately, we don't practice the basics and fail to
face our fear of being rejected by a faceless voice, so, too often, we end up
presenting to the person who cannot buy.
Successful telemarketers always
ask for senior executives at the VP level (CIO, CFO, CTO, etc.). If the prospect
company doesn't have one, that means it's small enough for you to ask for the
President/Owner. |
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Stan
Rosenzweig, creator of this site, has written six books, over one hundred and fifty magazine columns
and has led seminars on selling and marketing throughout the U.S. His
current books include "Smart
Selling- How You Can Turn Ordinary
Selling Into Extraordinary Income. Twenty lessons that have helped
thousands to earn millions," "Smart Marketing- What Big Companies Practice
and You Should Learn About Marketing, Branding and Business Development"
and "Smart Telemarketing- How To
Turn Ordinary Telemarketing Into Extraordinary Income". Some of
his best field-proven methods are shared here, and are free for you to
try. But, remember, all material on this website is copyrighted, so you have permission to use it only for your own individual training.
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