There Are No Tricks Or Gimmicks In Porfessional Selling

We have all seen the advertisements for books offering Ninety-nine Tricks to Making Every Sale, or One Hundred Ways to Close Every Deal. Well, there are no tricks in professional sales! But there is one sure way to make all the sales possible and that way is by simply following the sales process and effectively applying the steps. You can’t ‘short-cut” the process and still be successful. Here are the steps:

1. Build Rapport – Spend time with each prospect to get to know them. People buy from people they believe, like and trust. Always to thinking RELATIONSHIP. A few moments of building relationships at the beginning of a sales meeting is far more effective than hours of time building relationships at the end.

2. Assess Needs – Generally people buy to meet needs. We must know what their needs are so we can present our products and services as a solution to their needs. We should encourage the prospect to be very specific in defining their needs.

3. Offer Solutions – Once we understand specifically the needs wants and desires of the prospect, we should be prepared to offer solutions to their needs. What we can give them a specific solution to a specific need we have a much greater likelihood of making the sale.

4. Remind them of the Benefits – All sales are emotional. We must remind the prospect of those “hot points” and benefits they expressed during the presentation. Focus on WIIFM (what’s in it for me). If the product or service can be directly focused on benefiting the buyer, the sale is more likely to be made.

5. Resolve their Concerns – No one will typically make a purchase if they have objections or concerns about the product. Ask for their concerns. Get them all out on the table. Work to resolve each one of their concerns.

6. Ask for the Sale – If we have successfully implemented the first five steps of the process, the prospect will often ask to buy. If they don’t ask us, then we need to ask them. Never assume if they wanted to buy that they will ask. Always ask. If the answer is no, then go back and clarify each step of the process.

Effectively selling your prospect is much easier than you think. Instead of learning 99 ways to close every sale, follow the six steps process and watch your sales grow.

What To Do When The Prospect Postpones The Buying Decision

Sales is a process not an event. When sales people follow the steps of the sales process they will find greater success. When a prospect postpones the buying decision or uses the terms “maybe” or “not now”, we must go back to basics and re-qualify the buyer. Never shortcut the process and never assume that they will buy. Here are the steps of qualifying a prospective buyer:

1. Are they the decision maker? Ask – “Who besides yourself will be responsible for making the decision to buy?”
   
2. Clarify that they have a budget for, or the ability to pay. They must have money or access to money to buy your products. Window shoppers don’t buy without money!
   
3. Determine their time frame for needing the product or service. Remember, find out when they need it to determine when they will need to buy it.
   
4. Discover their true motivation. What are their needs, wants and desires. Make sure you are offering the right solution for their specific need.
   
5. Clarify the prospects concerns regarding your product. No one will buy if they have unanswered questions or concerns. Get their concerns out on the table and resolve them.

Use these qualifying techniques and watch your sales increase.

Asking For The Sale

Many salespeople have a difficult time with one of the most logical steps in the sales process - asking for the decision. Studies suggest that in 63% of sales presentations the sales person doesn’t ask for the sale. The sales person assumes that the prospect will ask to buy if they are interested. Asking for the sale is the logical conclusion of the prior steps of the sales process.
These prior steps are (1) Build Rapport (2) Assess Needs (3) Present Solutions.

Asking is as simple as saying:

“May we get started?”
Or
“Did you want to order a case or take advantage of our five case discounts?”
Or
“Let’s get the paperwork out of the way now. Shall we?”
Or
“Will you want to include this special package of services as well?”
Or
“What do you think?”

Prospects expect you to ask them for their business. If you are timid or afraid to ask for the sale, they will rarely purchase your products or services. When we fail to ask for the business we lose the buying momentum created in every selling situation. The longer the time period between your presentation and the request for action, the greater the chance of losing the business altogether. Closing is both logical and easy, when you follow the consultative sales process.

A polished attorney never asks, “Do you think this is the correct approach:” or “Should we take this deposition?”
A professional accountant never says, “Do these figures look right to you?”
We expect a professional to say, “Here is what you need to do”. Remember, that you are also a professional. As sales professional, you need to develop the mind set that your prospects have respect for your ability as a “professional” to make a sound presentation on your company’s, products or service and assume that they will act on what you have discussed – just like other professionals.

Always ask for the business and your sales will increase significantly!!