Selling Is An Art Form

Selling is an art form . Learn how to make your own masterpiece!

Definition of Sales: Selling is listening, not talking Selling is asking, not telling.

Tips from Hal Becker, Author of “Can I have 5 minutes of your time” The Five Habits of a top Salesperson. Effective Listening for Effective Selling. Confidence-You must earn it. The use of Questions in Selling Overcoming Objections Goal Setting & Time Management The Art of Closing

The Five Habits of a Top Salesperson Habit 1 Successful salespeople spend more time asking questions and listening than they spend talking. Successful salespeople begin their presentation by asking questions to gather information and uncover customer needs. This not only helps the salesperson tailor his or her talk to what the customer is really interested in, but also gets the buyer actively involved in the presentation. Equally important, successful salespeople ask questions which cannot be answered simply yes or no; yes –no answers give he customer little opportunity to talk.

The Five Habits of a Top Salesperson Habit 2 Successful salespeople translate features into benefits. Features never sold a thing! A feature is what the product does; features don’t sell a thing. A benefit is what’s in it for the customer; benefits are what sell customers. Successful salespeople talk about how their product or service can satisfy customer needs. This has become the truism of sales! Many salespeople fail to apply this consistantly and some even confuse the two. Don’t let this happen to you! Every time you think of a company or product feature, follow through with the benefit: what’s in it for the customer. That’s all your customer cares about!

The Five Habits of a Top Salesperson Habit 3 Successful salespeople probe for more information instead of jumping to conclusions. You have to find out what the customer wants and if you can give it to them. Then your job is to get the customer to trust you, if he or she likes you that’s a bonus. Probing follow-up questions, often overlooked by mediocre salespeople, provide paydirt! For example: a customer complained that his existing equipment wasn’t fast enough. I asked how important speed really was. Turns out speed was secondary to accuracy. Allowing me to focus on accuracy, allowing me to give the customer exactly what they needed! Selling is an investigative process. And it’s all about dealing with people. Selling is not achieved through slick talking. It is achieved only through a series of questions.

The Five Habits of a Top Salesperson Habit 4 Successful Salespeople address negative customers attitudes-objections, indifference,and skepticism-promptly and directly. Superior salespeople do not ignore any customer statements or body language indicating indifference, skepticism or objections. If a customer isn’t saying anything, you’re not selling ANYTHING! Example: “This is more then I want to spend” What they are really saying is I’m interested but you haven’t found MY price yet.

The Five Habits of a Top Salesperson Habit 5 Successful salespeople identify closing signals and act upon them immediately . True salespeople identify a closing signal-even one as subtle as leaning back in a chair, they act immediately and move to close the sale. They also realize that this can happen anytime during a call, even early on. The most successful closing technique found was this: a summary of benefits accepted by the customer and a plan requiring the customers commitment, such as agreement to specific payment terms.

Effective Listening is Essential for Effective Selling If you listen, really listen, you will be miles ahead of 99% of the rest of the world. And good listening is essential if you want to be good at selling.

Effective Listening for Effective Selling Detect the unstated need; Seldom do prospects identify their needs. Often a prospect is unaware that you can positively affect his or her operation. Only by listening for the unstated clues will you be able to hear a customers needs and so find an opportunity to meet those needs by selling your products or services. It’s important to make ALL your sales presentations in person, do not let a company contact relay a message for you. It takes one bad listener for communication to fail. By listening well, you build trust. Why do most people ask tech support 100 questions and not salespeople? Simply because most people do not trust salespeople. But if you’re a good listener, therefore a good salesperson, people will trust you.

Effective Listening for Effective Selling: How to get customers to trust you Do not ever say, “Let me be honest with you” it implies you have been lying up until that point. Did you ever talk yourself out of a sale? Did you go on and on until it was too late? Did you ever LISTEN yourself out of a sale? IMPOSSIBLE! Again, remember our definition of sales; Selling is listening, not talking. Selling is asking, not telling.

Effective Listening for Effective Selling: Tips to help make you a better listener. Encourage your customer to talk by being a good listener. That’s the only way you’ll learn what the customer wants. Limit your talking, you cannot talk and listen at the same time. If you don’t understand something, ask questions, then ask some more! Don’t interrupt, allow for pauses. Focus on what the customer is saying, shut out distractions. Take notes if possible to remember important thoughts. First of all, you can’t remember everything the customer says. Second off, it makes a very powerful impression on the customer. Occasionally, use interjections such as “yes I see” to show the customer you are listening to him or her. Interjections help encourage the speaker to keep talking. Don’t jump to conclusions. Verify information when necessary. Paraphrase what the customer has said, to ensure the meaning you get is the intended meaning.

Effective Listening for Effective Selling: Tips to help make you a better listener. Ask questions when necessary. For more information. Be willing to accept, without prejudice, the thoughts and opinions of your customer. Put the customer at ease, help the customer feel free to talk. Develop the desire to listen. You have to want to listen before you hear and understand. Listen with a purpose to identify the important elements of what the customer is saying.

Confidence: You must earn it. The benefits of confidence 1. Confident people succeed 2. People like to associate with confident individuals 3. You feel better about yourself. 4. Others respect your knowledge or ability. 5. You grow-you move forward rather then falling back

Hal Becker’s high-impact workout to build self confidence. Strengthen your character through self-reliance. Depend lesson other, your reward will be more self-confidence and more conviction in your actions. Resolve that your prospect will find you friendly. Learn to judge your prospect’s mood. Form and strengthen good habits. Recognize undesirable habits and then weaken and break them. Look at your habits. Do they give you a good start on the selling day? Make it a habit to put your customers welfare before your own. Develop habits of positive thought and action. Be optimistic. Optimism, like enthusiasm, is contagious. Expect your prospect to buy. Practice habits that refresh your spiritually and keep you mentally alert. Make a habit of courtesies. Develop the habit of preparing myself thoroughly before calling on my customers. Finally you must have absolute trust in the company and product you are selling!

It is extremely difficult to sell a product you do not believe in. You are a salesperson, not a con artist. Do not confuse confidence with aggressiveness. Do not steamroller the prospect! Think positively! Remember that the key to self-confidence must come from within yourself.

The use of questions in selling.

The use of questions in selling. Questions put you in control of the conversation. They allow your prospect to following down you path of thinking. Questions and probing allow you to tune in to your customer’s style and needs. Never Forget “The Trial Close”: the question that establishes commitment. A top-flight salesperson can carry through an entire sale from beginning to end by making no statements and by only asking questions. You will really know how to ask questions if you can do the same!

Overcoming Objections An objection is a form of disapproval. Do not view objections with fear; do view them as opportunities. This is so important I’ll repeat it: An objection is an opportunity! By voicing objections, your customer tells you his or her needs and concerns. Stay relaxed while dealing with an objection. There happens to be a problem somewhere, your job is to find out what it is. Being relaxed allows you to focus on the real issue and address it more effectively. Determine the real objections by listening carefully. Clarify that you understand the objection by paraphrasing it. Probe he objection by asking key questions. Allow the customer to talk without interrupting. Sometimes people talk themselves out of an objection. If the objection is vague, translate it into understandable issues. NEVER allow an objection to develop into an argument. NEVER ignore a customers objection!

Overcoming Objections The best way to handle an objection is to listen politely and to show empathy. Problems do not go away by themselves. Of all sales, 63% are made after the FIFTH rejection. You need to hear 5 no’s before you hear a yes. But 75% of all salespeople give up after the first rejection. That explains why 25% of the sales force often produces 95% of the results. Do not object to objections, they are a good sign the customer is listening and thinking about what you’re saying!

Goal Setting & Time Management

Goal Setting & Time Management A goal without a plan is only a wish. The plan sets you apart from the competition, from the rest of the world. Without goals you have no direction for your time management. First consider what your own needs and wants are. Then consider what your companies needs and wants are, what does your boss consider important. Every goal must meet four criteria. 1. It has a specific time frame (days, weeks or months) 2. It is measurable (so you know when you’ve achieved it). 3. It is realistic (so you don’t get frustrated and give up) 4. It is challenging (so you have a sense of accomplishment).

Goal Setting & Time Management How to plan your day (ask yourself these questions when making your plan): How can I best make my plan work today? Who do I need to consult? Do I need quiet time to concentrate? How can I get it? When? Is my schedule so busy today I need to say no more often today? You have to make time for both the things you want to do and the ones you do not! The idea is 10%, The implementation is 90%.

The Art of Closing You should close, any and all the time, Top salespeople close a minimum of 5 times during a conversation. After you ask the closing question, you SHUT UP! Wait for them to answer. Do not be the first one to speak…just wait. It may seem like an hour, but really it’s 15-30 seconds. In the next slide you’ll see several traits of a good closer. Think hard about these as we go over them…do they apply to you, if not how do you learn these traits. They will make you successful!

Traits of a Successful Closer! Knows when to close Skilled in variety of closing techniques. Closes often, whenever there is an opening. Displays a high degree of enthusiasm. Displays overt sense of confidence. Is knowledgeable about products and competition. Is perceptive and has good people skills; can read the customer. Aware of buying signals. Is skilled in minimizing objections Continually checks customer’s level of understanding. Continually seeks agreement on key issues. Brings customer to logical business decision. Does not go past the sale. Listens effectively. Is creative Can sell incentives effectively. Makes a smooth transition from conversation to selling.

Closing Techniques The order blank close The most fundamental of closes. You ask a question, and you fill in the answer on your blank order form or contract. You don’t ask, shall we go ahead, or what’s the correct name. You just fill it in, if the prospect doesn’t stop you. He or she has bought. Do not say will you sign this… that phrase has been ingrained in us to raise a red flag. Simply ask, will you look over this and OK it for me? Alternative Choice close This is simply: “which do you prefer? Cash or Credit? 13 inch screen or 19 inch screen. It’s an either or close.

Closing Techniques The call back close If a customer were interested, he would have called you. So if you want to follow up, you have to think of a relevant but new benefit. You present that, then go back over the other benefits that were important to that customer, and close again. “ I’ll think it over” close You’ve made the presentation, the customer wants to think it over. You ask, just to clarify my thinking, exactly what phase or part of this do you want to think over? Is it this, is it that? The customer will say No to everyone. If you continue to ask this or that you’ll get down to the real objection, overcome it and then seal the deal.

Closing Techniques The Question Close When the customer asks you a question such as? Do you install next day? You respond , Do you want next day installation? Ok, we have a 10:00am tomorrow available. The person who says yes just bought. Similar Situation Close A good salesperson, once they’ve sold one business or home they move to the next, stating I’ve just set KiKi’s doughnuts up with a security system so they don’t fall victim to the growing neighborhood crime rates, can I come in and tell you a little more about how we can help you stay protected too?

Last Thoughts from Hal Becker: Make Selling Fun. Give it your best and most enthusiastic effort every day. If you do that, you can be the best!

Selling Is An Art Form

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