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Don’t hide away from sales!
What are the biggest problems women face in sales?
Feeling that they can’t sell
When you think of a sales person, do you picture someone who is so hungry to close the deal that they’ll say anything to talk you into it? We’ve all experienced the ‘hard sell’ at some point in our lives and don’t want to be perceived like that. Many women say to me “I can’t sell,” but what they really mean is “I can’t sell that way.”
Quite frankly, I’m pleased when I hear this as it means that we feel the same about ‘selling’ and that we’ll be able to work together to develop sales skills that offer you an effective alternative.
Having to rely on old-fashioned sales techniques
Many sales techniques were developed in the days of making sales, rather than providing service. The women, who like SenseSational Selling, don’t want to feel that they have to use old style sales techniques that manipulate people into buying from them. They also don’t want to have to sacrifice their values or ethics and want to find a solution that honours the way they do business today.
Being forced into company imposed sales styles
We all have a sinking feeling when we pick up the phone to a cold call and receive the same patter each time. Many companies ask their staff to use scripts and phrases that feel alien and fake. I encourage the women I work with to find their own words and sales style; so that they are totally comfortable with what they are saying.
Assuming that sales is about pushing people into buying
The women I talk to have invested many years of experience into creating services that offer tried and tested solutions. Once they appreciate that people crave high quality products that deliver the results they promise, they can see that they don’t have to resort to tactics to push people into buying from them.
Viewing selling as a dirty word
When women put a more positive viewpoint on selling, they see that a sale can also be a ‘win-win’ where the expertise they share through their products and services solves people’s problems and enhances their lives. They understand that ‘selling’ is purely about how they communicate this with people.
10 Tips To Make Your Next Sales Meeting Go Smoothly
1. Knowledge is power
Before you meet with anyone, try to find out as much as you can about them. When talking to someone either face to face, or over the telephone find out as much as you can about what results they are looking for and the price they are prepared to pay.
2. Focus on the benefits
Get clear about the benefits (the results that the person will achieve from buying your products or services), as this is what people will buy. This can be a saving (e.g. time, money, effort), an improvement (e.g. more money, quality of life, greater luxury, social status), or well being (e.g. peace of mind, entertainment, fun).
3. Be yourself
People buy you, so give them information about yourself, just as you would in an interview. Open up and tell people about your experience, your successes and your passion for what you do. People like the personal touch and this normally makes them more receptive to you!
4. Be a good listener
If we are really honest, how many of us really listen? Don’t we prefer the friends we have that are good listeners? We feel more valued and that we’ve been ‘heard’. We leave encounters with people who listen to us with a nice feeling.
5. Be a good interviewer
Ask ‘open’ questions that encourage your potential clients to tell you about the issues they are facing and what they are looking for, so that you can tailor the solutions provided by your products or services to meet these needs. These revealing questions encourage more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer and start with ‘Who’, ‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘When’, ‘How’, ‘Why’ and my personal favourite ‘Tell me.’
6. Take people on a journey from A to C
‘A’ is where they are now and ‘C’ is where they want to be. ‘B’ is how you (and your products and services) are going to get them there. You can use a simple gap analysis to help your potential clients to identify their problems. You can then show them how you can bridge the gap by providing the solutions through your products and/or services.
7. Check to see if you are connecting
Use your senses to pick up on whether the other person is getting the meaning of what you are saying. Be aware of any non-verbal communication such as your intuition and the person’s body language. These will tell you if your words are set at the right level and that the person is listening and accepting what you are saying. If not, check for understanding and go over the points you are trying to make from a different angle (it may just be a case of your needing to simplify the language you are using).
8. Get your pricing right
If you have told people when you made contact with them about the price you charge for your products or services, and asked them about their budget, you will overcome any price objection before it happens. Also, be really clear in your mind about the real value of what you do and your monetary value to your business. Don’t let people negotiate you down to a price that you can’t really afford to do the work for.
9. Some people aren’t your clients
If people are interested in what you have to offer, they will let you know that they are. If you find that the person isn’t committing to the sale and you can honestly say that you have done all you can, then offer them something valuable for free and let them go on their way. In my experience, it often comes back to you at a later date as a sale or referral!
10. Maximise the income from each client
It is far easier to make a sale either when you have them sitting in front of you, or when they have bought from you already and have been satisfied with the purchase. Let them know about other products and services that they would benefit from. You want repeat sales and so keep in regular contact with your existing clients. Give them good incentives to return to your website to buy more of your products or services.
About the author
Name: Julie Roman
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: http://www.savvysaleswoman.co.uk
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