Generating Sales - How difficult do you find it to be
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Beating the "I can't sell" syndrome
Generating new sales should be fun but I have found that it's often the case
that business owners are absolutely terrible at selling. They do have great
skills and passion for the product or service that they provide. However, they
are not comfortable in selling with passion!
This mental hurdle has to be overcome as success depends on the business
owner being a great sales person.
If you look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs, they have become
successful sales people. This does not involve them being pushy or even having
great communication skills. What they have in common is that they recognise that
selling is important to their success and they have developed the right mindset:
- As an entrepreneur, you are now a professional salesperson by default.
- It's worth remembering that if you truly have a great product or service, then
you owe it to your customers to sell it to them.
(If your product or service will add value then you need to communicate that
with confidence and in a strong and passionate way. That way they will gain the
direct benefits and will thank you for them!).
Sell Added Value - ALWAYS!.
Too many businesses in competitive markets get completely hung up on the price
they sell their products or services at. They fear that they will be undercut on
price by their competitors and will lose business unless they react.
These fears play into the hands of really bad sales people who close deals at
the price the client has severely negotiated down...even if it is below cost!
Clients will always try to give the impression that price is what they make
their decision on. But the truth is far more complex than this. Good buyers will
recognise the value in:
*Quality and reliability of product and service
*Continuity and scalability of supply
*The range of products and services offered
*Flexibility and responsiveness
*Trustworthiness and honesty
A good salesperson will listen to what the client is telling them in order to
find out what is really important to a client ... and then sell the added value
that can be provided to them through the solutions offered.
Relationship building
We all believe that extraverts are good sales people because they are naturally
outgoing and able to quickly interact with people. We also tend to believe that
introverts can't communicate and must therefore be poor sales people.
Not true!!
Extraverts can also be insincere and appear untrustworthy whilst introverts
build trust through their sincerity.
Equally not true!!
And that is the danger of preconceived ideas. I have found that good
salespeople use their personal characteristics to establish a relationship with
a client. This will occur by different routes and maybe over a different
timeframe. But we are all capable of building and maintaining positive
relationships and if we can do this ... we can all SELL!
It is not a disaster if a sale is not completed on the first face to face
meeting. In fact, there are probably at least 7 stages to be followed in
converting a client from initial contact, telephone calls, emails, face to face
meeting, follow up correspondence, further face to face meeting and so on. On
most occasions you should expect a sale will happen after two or three
meetings...in fact as soon as a relationship has been established. (The process
can be speeded up by your ability to spot and close the deal).
Over time the relationship has to be nurtured and that means keeping in touch
with clients on a regular basis. This will ensure that future sales are secured
and that you can offer other services or products by identifying client needs.
Closing the deal
Okay, you have the client on tenterhooks wanting to buy from you and...fear sets
in, your palms start to sweat and your mouth dries up as you worry whether they
will say no...and you wait and you wait and...suddenly the opportunity is lost.
This is not unusual and particularly so for new businesses where their anxiety
about a sale can become too obvious.
Rejection is part of the selling process - it happens to everyone. The key is
to accept it and move on to the next opportunity (and try again on another
occasion!).
However, there is no doubt that the high of completing a deal is amazing. It
is also remarkably easy to achieve, if you have followed a simple process with
the client:
1.Identify the client's need for your product or service.
2.Agree the need with client.
3.Ensure that you openly identify any objections the client may have, and
then...
4.Agree with the client the solutions that you will put in place to resolve the
objections.
5.This easily rolls onto closing the sale.
The final point, it makes no sense to believe you cannot sell. All
entrepreneurs need to embrace selling as a route to success. Don't build
barriers blocking off your future...embrace the challenge and discover what is
possible!! You will not regret it!
About the Author
I have more than 20 years experience working in corporate life. The
operational and commercial roles that I performed centred on business
transformations within the food, chemicals and print industries across Europe.
Having discovered and used the secrets of how the top global companies
achieve success, I now translate this advice for small and medium sized
businesses. Helping them to achieve the success that they want and deserve.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2007-11-13 21:13:15 in Marketing Articles
