Get Smart About Sales

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If you’re trying to sell your car, you wouldn’t go into detail about how thousands of the same models had been recalled. You’d try to think of all the reasons why the prospective buyer would want to buy the car. Depending on how desperate you are, you may make the mistake of saying too much and blowing the sale. 

Going the other direction can be just as disastrous. Not telling a prospective customer that your car was parked at the beach in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy or has the habit of stopping dead without notice is a bad decision as well. Honesty is definitely the best (and legal) path. If you want to have a successful career in sales, you have to have some foolproof sales tactics to get a yes from your customers.

If you want to come across to prospects as confident and knowledgeable, Inc. Magazine suggests you avoid some dumb sales tactics. Instead of winning over your customers, these sales techniques can send them running for the door.

Explaining away a negative feature before the customer makes an objection is like shining a light on the very thing you want to downplay. If you’re not sold on the value of the product or service, neither will the customers be sold. Be enthusiastic and excited, and they’ll catch the fever. They will catch whatever you’ve got. 

There’s no point in putting forth your best sales effort and then leave the customer at the point of buying without a commitment. Get a signature. Set up the next meeting with the person who can sign a check. Putting a proposal in writing before you’ve listened to the customer could be deadly. There is a delicate balance to closing the sale and letting the customer feel like they are controlling the pace. 

Business relationships have become more casual over the years. Gone are the days when you could tell the salesman in the crowd because he had on a slick suit and carried a sample case. Dress is more casual, and so is the way people communicate. Just because you get a text message from a prospect it doesn’t mean they now want to “Friend” you on Facebook or connect on LinkedIn. Keep business as business. Err on the side of formality and let the customer invite you to form a closer relationship.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible, says a lack of love—of your product and what you do—are two huge mistakes sales people make. If you don’t love your product, why should the customer? There’s no faking it. Blaming everything and everyone else for your poor salesmanship or your company’s poor customer service record is also a red flag to a customer. Save the excuses. Even though your reasoning is sound and it’s not your fault, all the customer will come away with is negative vibes. Keep it positive.

If you don’t love your product or service but love sales, shop around for another opportunity. Nothing is worse than spending long hours and days trying to sell something you don’t believe in yourself. You may end up apologizing to customers who respond to your pitch and actually place an order. Taking these tips can help you get smart about sales. 

 

Photo Source: Freedigitalphotos.net, Grant Cochrane

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