In this article, I’m going give you some tips to help you prepare and feel more confident during the sales process. I spent over twenty years in sales in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors so this is an area of expertise.
My first sales job was as a telemarketer one summer during college; I hated it and quit within weeks. It was everything you can imagine. A canned phone pitch that resulted in everyone hanging up on me and a boss who screamed and yelled about hitting the numbers. Ironically, two years later I was selling personal computers into corporate accounts at the rate of $100,000 a month. That’s about $247,000 in today’s dollars. If I can go from dreading sales to being really good at it, you can too!
Did you have a lemonade stand when you were a kid? Have you ever interviewed for a job? Well, guess what? You’ve sold something. Whether it was a cup of lemonade or your professional abilities, you have been involved in sales your whole life. Think of sales as that moment when the consumer hears a message and takes action. They take action because they have a problem, a desire or a need and they have found the thing that satisfies them.
Building your sales ability and comfort with selling begins with thinking about your products or service and anticipating what your customer needs to know in order to hear a clear message.
Same as in many things, it will take some education and practice to become comfortable and more confident. You may even find that you are naturally good at it. For others, it’s going to take skill building and practice. Trust me. You are going to make mistakes. You may have to admit you’re wrong at times, and be humble. Sales will teach you a lot about yourself and you will question if you are cut out for this sort of thing. Because there will be rejection. People will say no. But on good days, you will make sales and every time, you will feel elated that someone liked and valued your product. And if you have a product that is really well liked, you will begin to build a tribe of followers who will talk up your company and the products you offer.
But, back to rejection. Your first lesson is that not everyone will buy your product. No matter how great or unique! This is why it is absolutely critical that you know your ideal customer. The better you know your customer the more likely they are to buy and the less likely you are to hear rejection. Create a profile of your ideal customer. Draw your customer and pin her in a place of honor in your lunch room.
Next, now that you have a good idea of your ideal customer, put yourself in their shoes, get in their head and start forming questions that relate to buying your product or service. Here are prompts to help you begin forming questions around your sales process.
Anticipate what questions the customer will ask
Write down all the questions you can think of that the customer may ask or you expect your customer to ask, about the product, your service or your company, even your competition. Questions about material, sizing, availability, ingredients, optional features or add-ons, distribution, etc., whatever is relevant to your product or service.
Anticipate the possible objections the customer will make
Write down objections or things the customer may question or think is wrong with your product. This is particularly true if your product has unique features, sets a new trend or opens up a whole new way of approaching the problem. Objections may be about the product features, your competition, quantity discount, quality etc.
Be prepared to tell the customer all about your company
What are the things the customer will want to know? This will include the background and story of your company. It may also include short bios on the members of your team if that’s important to the sale. Have detailed written customer service policies such as payment methods, discount codes, sales policies, refunds, exchanges and returns.
Know the value proposition and the features and benefits of your product or service
What are the features and benefits to your product? Be sure you are able to articulate the feature and benefit of every product you sell. If you sell locally sourced products, explain why this is important to the customer and why their purchase today buying locally grown food keeps jobs local, reduces packing etc. Don’t assume the customer knows all this. Read their cues to know if they are responding to the information or if they just don’t care. When customers are willing to be educated and receive the message, think of this as the information they will take with them and pitch to their friends and family.
Know your pricing model
What is the price or pricing model for your product? Play some what if games in your mind in anticipation of what the customer may ask for. What if the customer says, “great, how much for a dozen?” Do you have a quantity discount? If you are retail, how to you reply is a customer asks for a discount on a coat similar to one she say at another store but 10% cheaper?”
Taking time to follow these prompts and write out the questions and answer. This exercise will make you more prepared and give you more confidence with selling. It puts lots of tools in your toolbox that you will use to help the customer reach a buying decision.
If all members of your staff have interaction with customers, take some time quizzing and prompting members on your team who will be selling. There is nothing more frustrating than as a customer, watching a retail store sales associate scramble to figure out a price or a markdown. Your sales team will have more confidence, less anxiety and deliver a better customer experience.
Making sense of it all
Success and confidence in sales starts with you. You need to be an expert on your product or service. Use these tips to prepare your toolbox of information.
Anticipate what questions the customer will ask
Anticipate the possible objections the customer will make
Be prepared to tell the customer all about your company
Know the value proposition and the features and benefits of your product or service
If you have already done this work but it’s been a while, make it a habit of reviewing your answers, particularly as it relates to customer service and company policies. This may seem very fundamental but it is very important to building a strong sales effort.
Watch for additional blog articles on the science, psychology and skill of selling in the weeks to come.
When you aren’t hitting your sales numbers and revenue is flat, other areas of your business begin to be affected. Plans get delayed or products are put on hold. Barb Weber Coaching can help you refine your sales skills and have you making big gains in your sales numbers. Contact me if you want to have happy customers and hit those sales numbers!