[Calibre Designs]

Would you consider yourself as a good sales person?

Whether or not you are a small or large company, you need to have some good sales techniques to help the business. Employing people or do it yourself style, do you have a good sales force?

[UKSMF]

I believe I am a good sales/marketing person. I am yet to continue self development though time is such an important factor.

Being honest with people is the best route to becoming good in the sales arena and I believe that is why I have been successful.

Hope this helps

Regards

Dave

[Calibre Designs]

Sorry, silly me. I would like to add "If you do think that you are good at sales or have a good sales team, in what respect do you think so..."

[Indizine]

ok a quick one from me for now, might come back later with some more thoughts, but for now, I think that face-to-face I am better with than on the phone; dont know why but it is just so.

I suppose I dont sell, I educate. I dont use any techniques but I am usually aware of the body language going off. However, I am just my normal self, no pretending, no fancy sales chat, just understanding what the customer wants, know when to intervene and know when to keep your distance.

Only wanting to talk about cost is off-putting, so I ask customers what they want, say I will price that, and if its over their budget (which I dont ask) we will look at ways we can reduce the cost by removing some things they asked for which are not neceesary right now; bells and whistles if you like. If they know you want their custom not their money, so to speak, I feel this has a better effect. I suppose a case of "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" kind of analogy.

I hate the pushy sales people, and I will give them a tough time if they give me a tough time. Usually they are worn out when im finished! Take yesterday, I had to sort out home contents insurance on the phone. Didnt have time to get too many quotes so went for one I knew to be good. I did a request call back but meantime rang their sheffield office and got a lad who was fair to crap; his voice wasnt clear nor engaging and he was unhelful as I had queries, so I said I would go away and consider. I just wanted to get off the phone.

5 mins later, the call centre calls me back. This guy gives me his name, tells me hes in a call centre, and when I said I didnt get far with my queries to the sheff branch, he asked me how he could help instead, agreeing the othe guy didnt help me very well. Note I said he agreed with me. Most people try to defend their company and colleagues which automatically and psychologically puts you in a negative frame of mind and you are now annoyed! Why is that when they cant even know what errors they made? Clearly if youre not happy then thats not the customers fault? I asked a simple question and wasnt given a simple answer despite repeating myself. The thing is, I knew they also had usually very good staff when i've rang before, so because of that, allowed them some grace to win me over! Which they did.

So to sum it up; a clear, engaging voice, showing empathy and even sympathy, remember to smile, laugh, even joke if its appropriate to slip in, be it on the phone or in person. Understand what they need, dont be after their money from the off, and find out if they are ready to order yet, because this may just be the start of their enquiries, not the start of your sales process!

I keep in touch if it goes quiet. Dont pester, just say hello and how's business - dont ask about the order unless you're actually at that point. They know you are interested by keeping in touch - they will update you. Also, forward them useful info or add them to your newsletter because a repeat call or email too often, sounds cheesy and repetitive, especially when some conversions can take a few months.

If its local, go for a coffee or even lunch if you can. Get them out the office if you can, as everyone loves a break out the office even if just for an hour. They like it even more if you're paying!! However for most people - paying is obliging them to return a favour

[Fuzzy]

Nope, I am not. I can chat face to face, but not sell something on the phone - no Fuzzy charm whatsoever I admire Dave for what he does.

[admagic]

Originally Posted by Indizine

ok a quick one from me for now, might come back later with some more thoughts, but for now, I think that face-to-face I am better with than on the phone; dont know why but it is just so.

I suppose I dont sell, I educate. I dont use any techniques but I am usually aware of the body language going off. However, I am just my normal self, no pretending, no fancy sales chat, just understanding what the customer wants, know when to intervene and know when to keep your distance.

Only wanting to talk about cost is off-putting, so I ask customers what they want, say I will price that, and if its over their budget (which I dont ask) we will look at ways we can reduce the cost by removing some things they asked for which are not neceesary right now; bells and whistles if you like. If they know you want their custom not their money, so to speak, I feel this has a better effect. I suppose a case of "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" kind of analogy.

I hate the pushy sales people, and I will give them a tough time if they give me a tough time. Usually they are worn out when im finished! Take yesterday, I had to sort out home contents insurance on the phone. Didnt have time to get too many quotes so went for one I knew to be good. I did a request call back but meantime rang their sheffield office and got a lad who was fair to crap; his voice wasnt clear nor engaging and he was unhelful as I had queries, so I said I would go away and consider. I just wanted to get off the phone.

5 mins later, the call centre calls me back. This guy gives me his name, tells me hes in a call centre, and when I said I didnt get far with my queries to the sheff branch, he asked me how he could help instead, agreeing the othe guy didnt help me very well. Note I said he agreed with me. Most people try to defend their company and colleagues which automatically and psychologically puts you in a negative frame of mind and you are now annoyed! Why is that when they cant even know what errors they made? Clearly if youre not happy then thats not the customers fault? I asked a simple question and wasnt given a simple answer despite repeating myself. The thing is, I knew they also had usually very good staff when i've rang before, so because of that, allowed them some grace to win me over! Which they did.

So to sum it up; a clear, engaging voice, showing empathy and even sympathy, remember to smile, laugh, even joke if its appropriate to slip in, be it on the phone or in person. Understand what they need, dont be after their money from the off, and find out if they are ready to order yet, because this may just be the start of their enquiries, not the start of your sales process!

I keep in touch if it goes quiet. Dont pester, just say hello and how's business - dont ask about the order unless you're actually at that point. They know you are interested by keeping in touch - they will update you. Also, forward them useful info or add them to your newsletter because a repeat call or email too often, sounds cheesy and repetitive, especially when some conversions can take a few months.

If its local, go for a coffee or even lunch if you can. Get them out the office if you can, as everyone loves a break out the office even if just for an hour. They like it even more if you're paying!! However for most people - paying is obliging them to return a favour

Did anyone see the post that cjd made on another forum - about an addition to voipfone.

He has created a message that anyone can use to put a telemarketer on hold....

"we are sorry, all of our employees are presently answering calls from other telemarketers, so please wait, and when all of those other telemarketers have finished upsetting our staff, then we will try to reconnect you...."


re the original post.

You shouldnt start a business unless you can sell at some level.

- you dont just have to sell to customers

- you have to sell ideas and ways of working to your staff

- you have to sell your plans to the bank

- you have to sell your ideas to your partner(s)

- if you have a board and other shareholders, you have to sell your ideas to them

Most small business owners make that fatal mistake in businessplans

they dont realise a business plan is a sales letter targetted to an audience

and needs to be treated like that..

And everything not directly involved in that message should be in appendixes

Which also means you should have several plans for several audiences.

eg a plan for a bank is different from a plan for a VC - not the numbers - but the sales argument


I think the most underrated skill in business is copywriting.

A lot of communication is done in writing, and so the ability to sell in writing

So I think everyone should read the old masters of copywriting

such as hopkins, collier, caples and more recently kennedy,abraham, sugarman etc

It is also worth reading such things as

"influence" robert cialdini - a fascinating view of persuasion.


All sales messages must answer a few basic questions...

why this
why you
why me
why now

and part of the answer is
proving value,proving credibility, the power of an offer

Answering the objections
- i dont have time
- i cant afford it
- i dont trust you and so on.

and most of all a call to action...
and why it has to be now

But in the end...the best model for even a writtensales mesage

Is write what you would say to your prospect
sat next to them in starbucks!!!

[deviltronics]

Originally Posted by Indizine

I think that face-to-face I am better with than on the phone; dont know why but it is just so.

I am the completly the opposite, on the phone I can talk, email is fine, but face to face can be a toughy.

Thats why I sell on the net and not in a corner shop.

[Maxine]

Admagic, think you are right in that people have to have certain selling skills to run their own business ie; selling ideas etc, but even though you can break those skills down into skills such as influencing, persuading, listening, negotiating etc some people just panic at the thought of them actually "selling".

I do telemarketing and face to face selling for small businesses where for some clients the owners couldn't do it for toffee and not because they dont have the skills - they just hate the thought of selling... amazing really. But, there are a lot of people out there who are excellent at what they do but just cant/wont sell

[admagic]

Originally Posted by Maxine

Admagic, think you are right in that people have to have certain selling skills to run their own business ie; selling ideas etc, but even though you can break those skills down into skills such as influencing, persuading, listening, negotiating etc some people just panic at the thought of them actually "selling".

I do telemarketing and face to face selling for small businesses where for some clients the owners couldn't do it for toffee and not because they dont have the skills - they just hate the thought of selling... amazing really. But, there are a lot of people out there who are excellent at what they do but just cant/wont sell

Point I was making is that everyone that starts a business at some level can sell, or they would not have managed to do it..!!

Even if they thinkg they cant, they already have!

they have had to sell the idea, to a partner, a bank., staff etc...and the core skills are the same.

but the moment you call it selling, some people go into a jelly -

[Maxine]

oh, and forgot to answer the questions in this thread. My tips would be to LISTEN... def understand the customers requirements, then match their requirements with an offer that you would buy if you were them simple eh?

I would ask people what stage they were at with either budget/business case/order fairly early only because you could get an understanding of where they are currently at so you can help if need be and if it is appropriate and also wheedle out the tyre-kickers without wasting too much time but still being professional & polite.

I also think another key thing is to get back to people quickly, show them that you have understood their requirements and make quotes/proposals personal in some way and not something that has come off the back of a mailmerge or price list