41 sales tips you can use right now

8/8/2019 41 Sales Tips You Can Use Right Now

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/41-sales-tips-you-can-use-right-now 1/41

41 SALES TIPS YOU

CAN USE RIGHT NOW

Pre-Call Planning

Before Reaching the Decision Maker

Beginning Statements

Questioning

Listening

Proposing a Solution

Asking for Action (Closing)

Working with Objections

Summarizing

Redefine Rejection



Pre-Call Planning

1. Begin by doing your homework and collectingbackground information about the prospect'scompany and industry.

The main objectives are to understand where

they are now, where do they want to be and howdo they currently plan to get there.

This includes:

The job descriptions for available jobs related to your solutions.

The press releases and the SEC files for the keywords related to your solutions.

A list of customers that are in the same industryas the prospect.



Pre-Call Planning2. Before you pick up the phone know the purpose of your

call.

Objective 1 - Locate WHO has the authority to evaluate

and buy or the decision-maker(s).Objective 2 - Determine if a need, challenge or problem

exists.

Objective 3 - Find out what the prospect values inthemselves and their business.

Objective 4 - Set up a time and date specific action stepor plan.

. Remember that people don't like to be sold, they like tobuy. Our job is to help them buy the way they want to buywhich may not be the way that we want to sell.



-

Pre-Call Planning

3 Prepare questions for your call using your call objective.

You need to understand who is doing what andwhy.

Then you need to determine what theyprospect is trying to achieve and how theyplan to go about doing it.

The idea is to understand how a companydoes business before trying to sell something.

You do this by staying in information modeand staying out of sales mode until you find aneed exists and then your goal becomes topersuade them to take this action.



4. Remember that people don't like to be sold,

they like to buy.

Our job is to help them buy the way they

want to buy which may not be the way that

we want to sell.

Pre-Call Planning



Before Reaching the Decision

Maker

5. When speaking with a gatekeeper

[a.k.a. secretary, assistant,

receptionist, screener or blocker] use

the utmost respect and courtesy.

After all, they usually determine who

gets to speak with their boss and whodoes not.




6. As you make your way around an

organization over the phone,collect asmuch information as possible about

who works for whom and how business

situations are handled.




7. Always ask for help by saying, "Maybe youcan help me." Follow this statement with adirect question

such as "How do you currently...? Or "Who isresponsible for ...initiatives?" This enables youto be

prepared before you speak with high-level

decision- makers about what they want to gainor avoid rather

than waste their time asking questions aboutinformation they already know.



8. Avoid using the word "information." It raises

people's defenses.

For example, "I'm just trying to get some

information.

What is your driver's license number ?

" People are more helpful when they are

not and hand deliver it to their boss, be sure

you clearly explain a few of the potential

benefits without getting into the specifics

about how your products/services actually

work




.


9. When leaving a voice mail, sending a fax or

email or asking a gatekeeper to take a written

message and hand deliver it to their boss, besure you clearly explain a few of the potential

benefits without getting into the specifics about

how your products/services actually work




10. Always ask for permission to speakby asking,

"Is this a good time to speak?"

If someone is busy they won't belistening to what you have to say.

So don't speak with people who don't

want to speak with you,as they won't bylistening to what you have to say.

Either get off the phone or schedule a

brief phone appointment.




11. The most effective beginning statements addresswhatµ called WHIIFMAMC.

This stands for "What's In It for Me and My Company?

" The idea is to create curiosity about what you can do for them

so they ask you more questions about what you offer andit enables you to move into the fact finding/questioningstage.




12. Always confirm you are in fact speaking with thecorrect person who has the authority to make the

decisions.

Use the question "Who is responsible for ...?³

To confirm you are speaking with the right person.

If for some reason you are not, the answer to thatquestion will lead you in the direction of the right person.

13. Use "What if ...occurs?"

(or)"What do you do when...happens?" to uncover potentialproblems and areas of improvements.



Questioning

14. Understanding comes before selling.How can I sell you anything unless I knowthere is a need to sell something?

You need to ask questions to determinewhether a need exists before explainingwhat you have to offer.

By staying in information mode and askingquestions while staying out of sales modeby presenting everything you have to offer,you'll know what to present and the closewill become a natural conclusion.



Questioning

15. Use questions to determine which

benefits are important to the prospect.

What you may think is a benefit mayactually be a drawback



Questioning

16 If you ask more than one

question at a time, people often

become confused and irritated whichare two things you want to avoid at

all costs.

Ask one question at a time



Questioning

17.After asking a question

.

STOP!

Wait for a complete answer .

If you speak too soon you'll never know what

they would have said that might have been a

crucial piece of information you needed to know

later

Question and then remain silent until they

complete their answer .



18. After they've finished answering your

question feedback what you heard in your own

words to be sure you have understood them

correctly.

This will prevent costly misunderstandings

further on in the sales process.

Questioning



Questioning

19. Ask direct questions. Avoid "I was justtrying to find out if you could tell me someinformation"

(or)

"Could you possibly please tell me what you aredoing in the area of ...?" These types of statements demonstrate a lack of self-confidence and will often cause decision-makers to cut a conversation short.

Use direct and concise questions that getdirectly to the point of what you need to know.



Questioning

.

20. Control the direction of the call usingquestions.

Let's say I ask you a question about Televisions

and you respond with an answer about Radios.

I would say I understand what you are sayingabout Radios.

Let me ask you another question. How do you

currently purchase Televisions?

This way you can redirect the conversation inthe direction you want it to go regardless of

what the other person answers.



Questioning21

Get people to think in terms of numbers.

Ask questions such as

"What do you think...is costing you?"(or)

"How much time have you allotted for this?"

(or)

"When does that happen?"



Listening

22. Clear All Distractions by setting aside a specific

amount of phone time each day

(such as two hours per day) for making cold, warm, and

client calls.

Clear your desk of other work or projects.

Close your office door

and

post a "Do Not Disturb" sign.



Listening

23. Concentrate by giving 100% attention to everythingthe prospect says.

Listen for facts or statements and

record your impressions of what is being said.

Skipping the clarifying and feedback step can cause

costly misunderstandings



Listening

24. Take thorough notes and do not forget important

details.

Notes come in handy a few days later when you are

developing your proposal.

Taking notes engages your auditory, visual, and

kinesthetic senses and forces your concentration on

listening in order to take notes.



Listening

25. Paraphrase what the speaker is

saying in your mind.

Repeat your understanding of what you

heard and ask if you understand

correctly.



Listening

26. Listen for clues revealing specific

challenges an account is facing, rather than

focusing all of your

energy on how one solution will fit the account's

needs.

Discover what the prospect needs, rather than

what you want to sell.



Listening

27. While keeping track of what was said during

the conversation, circle any important phrases

or words that were repeated.

These phrases and words provide clues as to

what the prospect values or thinks are

important.

These words can become useful if you weave

them into future conversations



Listening

28. Encourage the speaker to completely

answer each question you ask and

remain silent until they finish speaking.

Pauses enable people to take time to

assimilate information and time to think.



Listening

29. You will receive more information by

listening, rather than by trying to fill in

the gaps of silence.

If you need to, rest your chin on your

hand and place your finger over your lips

to keep yourself from speaking while the

other person is talking.



30. Before proposing a solution it is importantthat you establish trust.

Trust is the assured reliance on character,strength, or truth of someone.

When you work over the telephone, the onlyfeedback you receive is the sound of theperson's voice.

People feel comfortable speaking and buyingfrom people they know, like (like means similar)

and trust.

Think about the qualities of those you trust and

develop ways of communicating those qualities

Proposinga Solution



Proposinga Solution

31. If you have done a good job of questioning

and understanding how an account does

business in your area of expertise, you will

know what to present (and what to avoid).

Concentrate on presenting ideas that are of

value or importance to the prospect.



Proposing a Solution

32. As a rule of thumb, people valuesecurity, adaptability, cost of ownership,ease of use, efficiency and effectivenessand dependability.

Use questions to discover which one(s)your prospects value the most and thentailor your presentation to address thosevalues in term of positive monetarybenefits.




33. Closing should be the natural conclusion to

a sales call if you have done your homework,

asked the right questions and presented a

solution that is of value to the prospect.

However you must ask for specific action steps

to be taken. For example, this could be faxing

over a signed Agreement, agreeing on terms of

payment or setting up dates for an event to takeplace in the future.




34. Within reason, ask for more thanwhat you want.

People can always move down but it is

much harder to get them to move up.Make your suggestion within the reach of the customer without overselling themand possibly placing you and your

company in a bad light for futurebusiness.




35. Objections are simply a request for moreinformation.

What the person is saying to you is in a

manner of speaking

"I don't understand what you mean.

Would you please go over that again as it

applies to my situation?³




36. Often objections are indicators of what the

real problem is so do not gloss over them.

Feedback your understanding of what was said

to be sure you have it correctly and explain how

your product or service would apply to that

situation.

There is no need to get defensive



Setting Up a Sales M.A.P.

(Mutually Agreed upon Process)

37. At the end of every call, there needs tobe a time and date specific action step.

Ask them to pull out their calendar andwrite your name and phone number next to

the day you have both agreed upon to

speak next.

Clarify what steps or actions or milestones

will need to take place to bring the sale to a

successful conclusion



Summarizing

38. Towards the end of your conversation,

summarize what was said and agreed uponand then follow up your call with a letter,

email or faxed summary.

This summary should include the Current

situation,

Needs or Challenges or Problems, Time

frames, Decision maker(s), Evaluator(s) or

Influencers, Evaluation process, Budgetingprocess, Decision making process and the

next action step(s) agreed upon.



Redefine Rejection

39. You can redefine rejection by turning your calls into puzzles.

If you get one more piece of information than

you knew before you've gotten a result.

If you've gotten a result than you haven't been

rejection.



Redefine Rejection

40. Remember people are not rejecting you, they arerejecting what you have to offer .

Learn not to define yourself as what you offer .

You are not what you offer .

You are an individual who is constantly developing more

and more talent and skill to present ideas and gain

people's agreement to take actions.

Even if that action is not to take action now, that does not

preclude a prospect needing to take action in the future.



Redefine Rejection

41. It is always better to receive a yes or a no rather than a

maybe. May be waste your time.

So be confident and ask for a yes or a no.

You'll save both your time and the prospect's time too.

Take it a great day and a successful week!

41 sales tips you can use right now

Documents