Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The Basics of Sales

If you want to be a successful business owner you need to control cost and bring in the revenue. Sales will support the life of the business, and its importance is the same in the for profit and non-profit businesses.

This section will touch the basic of sales, we'll later expand more in the art of selling.

Things to Consider Before You Start Selling

Your image is YOUR business's image. These things influence that image:
  1. First Impressions
  2. Dress
  3. Language
  4. Being On Time
  5. Business Meeting Etiquette

Some of the Traits of Successful Sellers

  1. High energy
  2. Self motivation
  3. Persistence and perseverance
  4. Good listening skills
  5. Technical knowledge
  6. Ability to use the product
  7. Ability to explain the product
  8. Good communication skills
  9. Ability to overcome objections
  10. Knowing how to close the sale

Six Steps to Sales Success

  1. Prospect and Prioritize Accounts
  2. Plan and Prepare for Sales Calls
  3. Make the First Contact Count
  4. Present your Product
  5. Handle Objections
  6. Close the Sale

Closing Techniques

  1. Basic close
  2. Offer Alternative Choice
  3. Compare Pros and Cons of Buying the Product
  4. Ask Closing questions and Summarize
  5. Cite Examples of Others Who have purchased
  6. Isolate the Customer's Potential Objection and Clarify
  7. Use a Secondary Question to Close

REMEMBER: WHEN WE COMMUNICATE:

7% OF OUR MESSAGE IS DELIVERED BY WORDS

93% OF OUR MESSAGE IS NONVERBAL!

Four Customer Service Basics

  1. Positive Talk
  2. Recognizing Customer Needs
  3. Finding Common Ground
  4. Building Trust

Learn What Your Customer Needs

  1. To be Understood
  2. To Feel Welcome
  3. To Feel Important
  4. To Feel Comfortable

Why We Lose Customers?

  • 1% Die
  • 3% Move away
  • 4% drift to another business
  • 5% change on a friend's recommendation
  • 9% buy it cheaper somewhere else
  • 10% have a service problem that is not resolved
  • 68% leave because they feel they're not getting good service!

What Customers Expect from Your Business:

  • Clean, comfortable, attractive surroundings
  • To be welcomed pleasantly
  • Well-groomed, professional sales personnel
  • Immediate, focused attention
  • Eye contact
  • To be addressed by name
  • To be assisted by someone with excellent product knowledge
  • Confidentiality
  • To be treated with courtesy and respect

Dealing with a Complaint

  • LISTEN!!!
  • Recognize the customer's feelings
  • Apologize when it's the right thing to do
  • Clearly explain what you're going to do about the situation
  • Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention
  • Take action to make things right
  • Follow up with the client

Customer Service Essentials

  • Welcome customers to your business
  • Thank customers for coming to you
  • Educate customers about your product
  • Answer questions
  • Follow up promptly
  • Thank customers for choosing you
  • Follow up with the customer, to make sure that your product and service were satisfactory
  • Use Follow up responses to improve your product or service

These are the basics of sales. Learn the basics well. There will be more posting about sales and will cover more specific topics.

Good Luck in your sales activity

Posted by at