Selling is one of the most crucial aspects of a business and the art of selling is a sought-after trait. In fact, as competitive individuals, humans go through a continuous process of selling. From selling delegated products to selling our unique skills and personalities to our superiors in the office, we regularly experience the sales process in our daily lives. It is therefore important that we become acutely aware of the best ways to boost sales.
SummaryTune in to your prospect's frequencyPredict objections and prepare responsesUnleash your emotional chameleonTake note of feedbackAttend a face-to-face meetingSummary“No matter how small (CEO) or small (salesperson) position, sales experience is a must,” said Naeem Zafar, former CEO of several unicorns including Bitzer Mobiles and the founder of Telesense, in an interview.
Now, to make sure you're successful in the process, here's a list of 5 lesser-known ways to boost sales.
Getting your prospect's attention is the most important thing in the sales industry. More than talking about the product, you have to "listen" to the customer and suggest the right product.
This usually requires establishing some trust with the prospect. The best way to do this is to adjust to the potential customer.
Mirroring the customer's actions is how you can relate to their frequency. If he speaks slowly, slow down your speech. If it's a conservative and serious person, take your dad's jokes and be serious too.
Understanding the customer's psychology and showing familiar ground between you and them is key to moving the sales process forward. After all, like attracts like, right?
Anticipation is key and preparing accordingly is your best bet.
The most embarrassing part of selling is when your prospect throws an objection or problem at you and you don't have an answer to it.
To prepare, you must start by thoroughly researching the product you are selling. Keep track of the competitive landscape and know the pros and cons of your product so you can demonstrate its unique offering against competing products in the market.
To learn how to handle leads, make a list of hurdles that previous leads or clients have thrown at you and offer them timeframes. After doing this, you will automatically feel more comfortable talking to customers. It can make you appear more confident and approachable, putting you on the path to faster business success.
As mentioned above, you need to let the customer do the talking and have patience when it comes to sales. In fact, you have to take the backseat and let the prospect drive if you want a successful transaction.
Start by letting the customer tell their problems. Throw emotional darts at her and pinch her sore spots. Then slowly pick up the leash and guide him to the solution – your product! And voila, you've signed your agreement!
The key is to be sophisticated and subtle while doing this. Really try to understand the pain points of the client.
Customers tend to share their feedback creatively. From Facebook posts to venomous words spitting in person, customers tend to be brutally honest when it comes to sharing their comments and reviews.
Understandably, this can be a blow to the seller's ego, causing them to take offense and disconnect from the conversation. However, ignoring the problem can only lead to dissatisfied customers leaving your product/service subscription and unnecessarily high churn.
To counter this, view these unpleasant customer interactions as a golden chance to understand current issues. Use them to find things you need to improve or work on.
Phone calls and emails work well, but if you want to catch the big fish, schedule a face-to-face meeting.
Again, you need to be creative here and not appear to be imposing on the client. A light and cheerful:"I'm in town next week, do you want to meet? or "I'm free tomorrow, can I come in?" will work much better than outright telling your customer why they should buy your product/service.
Once you get the chance, you can showcase your product in a much more relaxed setting than the four-wall sales setting of your office. This can increase the likelihood of signing a deal sooner than you thought possible. To maintain professionalism, bring a prototype. If you can get the product itself, there is nothing better.
These are just a few ways to increase sales. The key lies in understanding that your customers and prospects need to see the value in your product/service. Criticizing your product is the first step towards understanding the crowd. Once you understand the mindset of the person buying your product or subscribing to your services, you'll be in a much better position to sell.
The phrase “How can I help?” should be your signature and a smile on your face should reflect your empathy, understanding and conviction. After all, persuasion is the key to successful sales.
Happy selling!
