“People don’t buy because what you do is awesome. People buy because it makes them feel awesome.” – Tara Gentile
The fortunes of any enterprise primarily rests on the effectiveness of its sales team. If people are not buying a product, then the very existence of the business is in jeopardy. It can be quite intimidating when you think about the tremendous pressure to perform that rests on your shoulders as a sales representative.
Nevertheless, if you succeed, your sales expertise can be a skill that makes you a much sought after talent. Your skill will also serve you well if you ever decide to launch your own business in future. The following are some of the ways you can turbocharge your sales career.
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Follow-up All Sales Calls
As a salesperson, you must learn to deal with disappointment. The majority of your conversations with prospective customers will end with a “No.” But whether your pitch leads to acceptance or rejection, the one thing you must not do is leave it at that. At the end of each day (or at the start of the next day depending on the ideal Kanban lead time), go through the sales calls you made and send a follow-up email.
A standard message where you simply change the name and email address of the recipient will do. That one action of thanking a prospect for their time demonstrates a professionalism that leaves a positive impression on the prospect. This alone can cause the disinterested to change their mind. It also makes customers who did buy consider purchasing something else or referring their friends and family to you.
Overall, follow-ups create a virtuous cycle that can only propel your sales to higher heights.
Avoid Uncertainty
The impact of word choice in everyday conversation is often underestimated. Two different words or phrases that largely relay the same message can trigger completely different results from the same listener.
Think about phrases like “To the best of my knowledge” or “As far as I recollect”; they all carry a deep connotation of uncertainty. They may communicate the true position but they do so in a way that breeds distrust in your audience and leaves the prospect wondering whether they can truly rely on what you say. Uncertainty insinuates a lack of confidence.
No one has a limitless amount of cash at their disposal to spend on every product they come across. They have to prioritize their expenditure and only buy things that deliver value. People will be reluctant to give you their money if they are not sure the product will do exactly what you say it will.
It may take plenty of time and practice to get your phrasing right but this is one skill that every successful salesperson must master early in their career.
Refer to Prospects by Name
All human beings have an innate need for significance and recognition. We all want to feel that our presence is valued. Ergo, if you want to really capture a prospect’s attention, refer to them by name in your conversations. It builds rapport and trust. It lets the customer know that they are not just a random entry on your long list of people to call. It’s a sign that you have taken the time to understand who you are talking to and won’t just rush blindly into a scripted discussion.
Thanks to global migration and growing multiculturalism, there’s a chance that the person you reach out to has a name that you aren’t used to and have difficulty pronouncing. In this case, do not hesitate to seek clarification on what is the right way to say their name. Under no circumstances should you show reluctance to say the name or suggest a contracted form of it. That may be viewed as a lack of respect and will doom your conversation from the get go.
The above tips will get your sales career moving in the right direction. However, always keep an open mind and be ready to incorporate your everyday experience to future tactics.