Five Secrets to a Good Sales Strategy
Sales strategy is really about finding a solution for others, it’s about solving someone’s problem. Think about it, if you’ve gained their attention in the first place then you have something that they lack or need.
There is this huge stigma behind salespeople nagging or bugging bypassers or knocking door to door trying to get a sale, those days are behind us. There are so many other avenues to explore when it comes to selling, but really it is about retraining the mindset of the seller to convince the customer, to believe that this product will truly solve their problems.
If you keep that mindset when trying to sell a product, you will improve your sales tactic by 50%, as you’ll feel like you’re doing them a favour rather than them doing you a favour by buying the product!
“The most unprofitable item ever manufactured is an excuse.” – John Mason
How are you going to sell? This isn’t an article telling you to get off your backside, swallow your pride and get out there, although I always agree that you should do that anyway, it’s about unlocking new truths and viewing selling in a different light. Here are some tips I’ve put together to improve your selling technique:
1. Have patience and constantly learn
This isn’t something that can be picked up easily, it comes with lots of practice and observation in order for you to find your own style and boundaries. Everyone is different, it’s the same when it comes to selling.
2. Adapt quickly
If you appear desperate then you will lose a lot of potential customers, start a conversation with them first that way you can read their body language and style of communication to see how you can win them over. Learn that some people just aren’t interested, know your boundaries and let go when needed.
3. KNOW the product
This is a lot easier when its a product that you’ve created, but with your sales team it’s so important for them to know the product inside out. Be careful though, you don’t want to seem like you’re just regurgitating information about the product like you’re reading it from a teleprompter, this is boring and just won’t work. This falls back onto my last tip about adapting, getting to know the customer first will help you know how you can adapt the product so that it appeals more to them. What would this person benefit the most from this product?
A good way to make sure you’re prepared in this area is to learn every possible question that can be asked about this product imaginable. Even the stupid ones, because there will be a few of those.
4. KNOW your target market
Always know what problem you are solving and how much pleasure, pain or enjoyment will this give them. How much is this worth to them and how much money will it save them. If you know how much you are helping someone out by, you know who you should be targeting and how to target them. That is your job done!
5. Grow thick skin
Yes, it is scary putting yourself out there, especially if it is your own project and therefore, your baby, but everyone has to start somewhere. I will save you some heartache here, you WILL get rejected, it’s all about the process. Don’t take it to heart and learn to take constructive criticism it will actually benefit you in the future.
Of course, this may not relate to your area specifically, we are living in a digital world so there is much more to it than what’s mentioned in this article.
Book a consultation today so we can talk more about what sales techniques, methods and areas we can try with your business now.
Happy selling!
Brad Channer,
Director, Acceler8me.