Your product or service won't sell itself – no matter how good it is. But whatever your core skills, there are things you can do to improve your chances of making a sale.
- Before making contact with a potential customer, be clear what you want to achieve. For example, do you want to make a sale straight away or set up a future meeting to pursue the sales lead?
- When approaching a potential customer, make sure you have perfected the first 30 seconds of your sales pitch. If you fail to prepare your opening carefully, people could switch off straight away.
- If you are cold-calling another business, aim to get on the right side of whoever picks up the phone. It is part of a secretary's job to protect employees from unwanted sales calls, so be polite and explain how the potential customer will benefit from taking your call. Note down the secretary's name and use it next time you ring.
- Try to speak to the person with the authority to make a purchase. You might have to talk to someone more junior first. If this is the case, aim to enthuse them about your product or service so they pass the message up the ranks.
- Prepare thoroughly for face-to-face meetings. Demonstrate an interest in your contacts by remembering personal information such as their interests outside work. Keep your presentation punchy and focused and invite questions at the end.
- Sell the benefits of your offering, rather than the features. For example, rather than outlining a product's technical specifications, describe how it can specifically help a potential customer. You should also aim to match the benefits you highlight to the customer's needs.
- Don't be put off by objections. Think about these beforehand and prepare convincing answers. The most common objection is price, so aim to demonstrate the savings your offering might make or its benefits.
- Be aware of buying signals, such as questions like "When can you deliver?" or "What other colours do you have?"
- Take responsibility for closing the sale. This might be as simple as saying, "Shall I take your order now?" or "Is this the product you would like to buy?" Once you have asked for the sale, stop talking. This will encourage the customer to respond.
- Agree actions and confirm these in writing, including deadlines. Make sure you give good after-sales service to encourage the buyer to purchase from you again or recommend your business to others.
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