All too often sales advice is presented in a complicated way with formulas for success and matrices. And while that type of training can be beneficial, sometimes it is helpful to have a few simple tips and tricks to rely on.
Brent Hamachek, founder of Segueway Solutions, provider of business and financial advice, shared these seven suggestions for improving your sales success at the recent NationaLease Sales Meeting.
- Don't lose control of the sales call or sales process. The sales process will spin out of control without your direction. Take charge of the calls. Remember that asking questions can be a process. In fact, questions asked in an organized manner can lead the customer right into a sale.
- Don’t use your time in front of the customer to teach; have a conversation instead.
- Manage your time. It is imperative that you manage the time you have with the customer in order to get the most value from it and to ensure he or she has all the information they need to make a favorable buying decision.
- Don't try to close too soon. Make sure you’ve surfaced and addressed all the customer’s objections before asking for the order.
- Tell the truth. Present facts about the product or service you are selling and avoid embellishments or false promises.
- Qualify your leads. Make sure you are chasing the right businesses and the right people within those businesses. If your customer or prospect is in the C-suite, don’t be intimidated. Remember they are just people.
- Manage the process in the short- and long-term. Remember repeat business is profitable so make sure the sales cycle is smooth and steady.
