If you want to make a success of your business then you
must be able to sell your products. That makes sense
doesn’t it? And in most businesses that means getting out
and selling to your customers. Yet many sales interviews
are guaranteed to be fruitless before they even begin. Why?
Well, because too many business people simply fail to do
the right preparation before embarking on their sales calls.
Selling requires certain skills but the number one factor
in determining your success is spending time on thorough
preparation. Rushing around from meeting to meeting,
visiting as many customers as you can fit in the day, is a
worthless exercise unless you have spent time on the
pre-call process. You must adopt a professional approach.
There is much planning you need to do before you arrange
those sales meetings and applying your mind to these seven
key points will ensure that you are heading in the right
direction:
1. How well do you know your customer? You need to know
what will motivate them to buy from you. How big is their
business? In what market or sector do they operate? How
much of their business do you currently get and who else do
they buy your type of product from? How much business can
you realistically expect to get? Some customers may be part
of a larger organization so would your time be better spent
trying to secure a group deal?
2. You must understand the market place in which you are
trading. How big is the total market for your type of
product and how many potential customers are there? How
many of those customers can you realistically expect to be
able to contact and make your pitch to? Who are the big
players in the market? Also be aware of who the small-time
players are and decide if your time is going to be better
spent elsewhere. So make sure you research your market and
get details of the real potential customer base.
3. Do you know who your competitors are? That may sound a
silly question but whilst many sales people spend hours
learning about their own company and products, they fail to
do the same for the competition. In some markets you may
only have three or four competitors, whilst in others it
could be dozens. Do they operate nationally or just within
one state or region, maybe even in just the one town or
city? Do you know their strengths and weaknesses? Get to
know all about their product lines and how they compare
with yours. You may think you know your unique selling
proposition but what is theirs?
4. As you prepare for your sales interview you need to
consider what “tools” are available to you. This may
include brochures and technical data about your product.
You may also have product samples or demonstration kits.
Actual case studies of when and where your products have
been used are always useful, along with customer
testimonials if you have them. If appropriate photographs
of your product in use are a helpful sales aid too.
Whatever resources are available, you must decide
beforehand what you are going to need for the interview.
Don’t overload yourself, only take what you really need and
what you can comfortably handle. In fact it may be a good
idea to hold something back. That way you have a good
reason to arrange a follow-up meeting if you think you need
one.
5. It is vital that you manage your time effectively. Time
management is a massive subject in itself which you should
educate yourself about. However in planning your sales call
there are two crucial areas. Firstly ensure that you arrive
on time, preferably between two and five minutes early.
Secondly you must plan the call so that you have enough
time to achieve your objective. So don’t rush the meeting,
you are likely to miss something important. What’s more, if
you are too hasty, your customer is likely to think that
you don’t value his business. However always remember the
old saying , “time is money” and make sure that you do not
waste either your customer’s time or your own.
6. Always know what the objective of your call is. Many
sales people fail to do this simple thing and then wonder
why they don’t get the sale. Remember that some calls may
be about prospecting and gathering information so have a
clear idea of what you need to find out. But the ultimate
objective must always be to get the order. It may take two
or three calls, which is fine, as long as you know what you
want to achieve at each stage.
7. No matter what you know about customers, the market, and
your competitors. Regardless of how well you have planned
your time and resources. There is one element that is
crucial to your sales success – you! You must present
yourself in the right way, be polite and courteous, and act
professionally at all times. How you appear to your
customer is vital – it is you they will, or will not, buy
from. And always smile!
Following these seven tips will boost your sales success
and will set you apart from many of your competitors. Your
customers will recognize you as a true business
professional and will be glad to deal with you.
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Tony Hall has vast experience in business and personal
development. He runs his own business providing advice to
business owners and individuals. To learn more about
building your own successful business visit the website at
http://www.howtobuildasuccessfulbusiness.com
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