Sounds evil, doesn't it? Well it's not meant to be. The buying and selling
process are seldom a 50/50 proposition. If there is an edge, I believe it
belongs to the seller. Saying it and achieving it are two different things.
If you want a mutually successful outcome with your potential customers try
to gain the upper-hand in these three critical areas.
Knowledge - Find out all you can about your potential customer's
business, problems, industry, their customers and even something about their
personal interests. The internet makes this quite easy. Also check on-line
magazines for what they're saying about your competitors and customers.
Become a student of selling. Invest 30 minutes each day acquiring new
selling skills and ideas that can be applied to your sales career. Create a file
for these and related topics: time management, attitude, goal setting,
negotiation, handling objections, closing, presentation skills, probing skills,
change, telephone selling, sales force automation, internet selling, networking
etc. Read and save all you can about these subjects and you'll see dramatic
changes in your personal performance.
Communication/language - The words you use to ask questions, make
presentations, and submit proposals paint a picture of you. When you speak, what
do we see? If all your words are improvised on the spur-of-the-moment, you
become the great improviser. Choose your words carefully. Learn to play with
words, whenever you want to make a better impression. Create a list of power
words and attempt to weave them into your sales presentations. Your words say
more about you than the Georgio Armani suit you're wearing. The suit creates an
impression and your words confirm it - maybe.
Proper language is the real key to your success today. In addition to
the above, you rely on language to converse with people. You use language on the
telephone, to leave voice-mail messages and e-mail messages. The letters, memos
and hand-written notes consist of well chosen or randomly chosen words.
It's amazing to think, that all words are derived from the 26 letters of the
alphabet. There is nothing more powerful and eloquent than a well chosen word.
Choose yours carefully. Think before you speak.
Relatability - The role of today's sales representative is changing
dramatically. Lone ranger selling is definitely out and team selling is in.
Getting to know and being able to relate to large groups of internal and
external customers is a prerequisite to achieving selling success today. There's
more psychology in selling than features and benefits. Pay attention to people.
Discover what makes them similar and what makes them different. Relatability
follows understanding. You can't hope to relate to different people with
attempting to find out what makes them tick.
There are three keys steps to being able to relate to a variety of
people.
- Real achievers know themselves.
- Real achievers know their customers.
- Real achievers adapt to their customers style.
When you combine knowledge, communication skills and the ability to relate to
others you step to the head of the class. Don't be too busy to acquire new
knowledge daily. Don't be too busy to prepare and practice your language skills.
Don't be too busy to attempt to relate to all people, especially those who are
different from you. Don't ever be too busy to make your personal growth and
development your number one priority.
Don't play the lower-hand if you want the upper-hand.
Let's go sell something . . .
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