Everyone loves a good secret and here’s ours, people who achieve the highest level of professional success are willing to put in the time to acquire the skills needed to succeed. Read on for more secrets from America’s top dog sales experts
Salesmanship is an art, a science, and a true profession. A "natural talent" for sales is not enough. People who achieve the highest level of professional success are willing to put in the time to acquire the skills needed to succeed.
The savvy sales professional reads books, attends seminars and understands the incredible value of committing to a career-long sales education. I've been working with some of America's top dog sales experts for years and never stop gaining new insights and inspiration.
Here are a few ideas to ponder from Art Sobczak, Will Turner, Patricia Fripp, Ron Karr, and Linda Richardson, excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Time management. Know when and how to say "no." Far too many sales reps feel obligated to jump through hoops for prospects who merely want to pick their brains, or obtain obscure product information. They comply without even knowing if they'll get something in return! Before investing inordinate amounts of time with prospects, be certain there is a potential payoff. Don't be afraid to say, "I'll be happy to do this for you. I assume you want it because this is something you're interested in, and we'll be working together on a purchase?" Selling to the opposite sex. If you're a female salesperson calling on a male prospect, focus your talk on goal-oriented activities, tangible accomplishments, or problem solving. Observe and listen rather than processing out loud, and be succinct and bottom-line focused. Be careful not to offer help before it is asked for, as doing so may indicate a lack of trust in his ability. Above all, never force a man to talk if he is not ready. If you are a male salesperson calling on a female prospect, ask what you can do to help, as she will interpret this as a show of support. Understand that women may process out loud as a way of including others and building relationships. Listen patiently to the stories of your prospect, even when you are anxious to get to the bottom line. Never short-circuit the opportunity to get to know your prospect. Take a lesson from Hollywood. Give your stories interesting characters and dialogue, plus a dramatic lesson your prospects can relate to. Don't say, "Certain companies have used our software." Don't even say, "IBM has used our software." Instead, say, "Joe Smith at IBM told me, 'If we don't increase sales turnover by 20%, we won't make our projections.' We guaranteed him they would, if they used our software. Six months later, Joe called and said, 'You guys saved us.'" Don't get spooked by "No." "No" answers arise early and often in our discussions with potential customers, even in situations where we eventually get the business. Why? Because "no" is the answer of lowest risk. When people are not yet convinced, they will say "no." However, that does not mean they will never buy from us. Too many salespeople respond to a "no" answer either by withdrawing from meaningful discussions with the prospect, or turning up the heat by chattering endlessly about features, functions, and benefits. In reality, all we need to do when we hear "no" is find out what the customer perceives as missing.
Close with confidence. Perhaps the biggest reason salespeople are hesitant to close is that they are anxious about facing rejection, or shutting down communications. This typically happens when they haven't elicited enough feedback or signals from the client to know if it's safe to close. Most often, they haven't received these closing signals because they haven't asked for them during the call.
Checking is the process of asking for feedback throughout the call. For example, after positioning your message, responding to an objection, or answering a question, ask, "How does that sound?" or "How would that work?" or "What do you think about…?" Asking for feedback on what you've just said provides critical information, and increases your confidence either to ask for the business, or proceed to the next step. When you fail to check for feedback, asking at the end of the call becomes an all-or-nothing situation.
