"I can sell anything that I totally believe in, but I'm a horrible salesman of something I don't believe in."
Nick Woodman, founder and CEO of GoPro.
Current employment trends in sales and similar roles
Recent economic trends have led to a huge increase in the number of sales people. Currently 1 in 8, or 13% of full time jobs in the US, are sales positions. This is continuing to grow and there is an ever increasing number of these that are solely, or heavily, commission based. The downturn in the economy fed right into the hands of employers who now have more candidates for their jobs and can structure their compensation packages to their advantage. More and more people have to make sales to earn money, and this means they are typically more aggressive in the field than they have been previously where a guaranteed salary (with commission bonus) was more prevalent. Here we take a look at key factors to remember when making sales, in order to grow your business.
15 Mind-Blowing Sales Statistics
We have all been in that awkward situation where we wished the ground would just swallow us up. We found ourselves in a position with a pushy salesman who was more annoying than anything else you have ever experienced, but there was just no way to get away from them. No matter how you told them you weren't interested, they totally ignored you in hope of bullying you into a sale. Let's take a look at some things to avoid if you don't want to be this sales person.
Not being truthful - in this day and age the internet and mobile devices allow everyone to have the world at their fingertips, whether it be through social media, review sites like Yelp, Google +, Twitter, or local forums. Telling people things that aren't true about your business are likely to end in disaster after a quick Google search shows that your information was not correct. This will lead to an immediate loss of trust and the chance of making a sale will be around the 0.0% mark.
Over confidence - acting as though you know more about the client's business than they do, is not a good way to start a conversation. You need to listen and not just hear, and be cognizant of the uniqueness of your client's business.
Boxing/ stereotyping - Each potential customer is unique and prior experiences and connections should not be used to box someone into a corner.
Forced speech/ recital - When speaking to a potential client the conversation needs to be as natural as possible. Going in with a rehearsed script that is forced is not going to win over any new clients. Have a brief blurb about what your company does ready to go, and then sit back and let the client speak. You can then gear your direction according to the items that are important to your audience, instead of just regurgitating generic facts.
Proclaiming perfection - we all have flaws, deficiencies, and areas where we struggle. There's nothing wrong with telling the truth and letting people know what you can and can't do. This will help you to earn the customer's trust and will start the relationship out on the front foot.
Accepting every opportunity - If a customer asks you for a service that you do not offer, how do you respond? Do you tell them that it is something that just doesn't fit with your business model and is not something that you offer? Do you tell them that it's not something you normally do, but will look into it? Or do you tell them what you think they want to hear and claim that this is something that you are very capable of doing? If you answered 1 or 2, well done, you are well on the way to earning your potential client's trust. However, if you answered 3, you are setting yourself up for disaster and a damaged reputation.
Acting desperate - The conversation needs to be relaxed and comfortable. If you go into the meeting expecting nothing but success, you are setting yourself up for failure. The majority of sales require several interactions to develop the relationship before anything can be closed. Be relaxed and let the conversation flow naturally. High pressure on the client typically turns them off and there is no chance of coming back after that.
Applying too much pressure - No one in this world likes a high pressure setting and being forced to make a decision on the spot. There is so much information available to us, that nowadays, consumers like to take their time and conduct some research prior to making a decision. Telling someone that they need to decide there and then typically will not work out well for you, so take a more relaxed approach and allow them to take their time.
Negatively discussing a competitor - Focus on the positives of what you do, instead of knocking down your competitors. If you don't have enough good points about your business to discuss, you probably need to go back to the drawing board instead of scrapping with others in your realm. Focusing on the negatives of another company shows weakness and fear that customers will immediately pick up on.
Talking too much - Too often people in a sales situation will go ahead and talk, talk, talk, and don't spend enough time listening to the customer. Introduce the idea, and then bite your tongue and let the client speak. You can then gear the conversation around things that are relevant to them, and be in a position to answer there questions, instead of revealing all of your cards immediately and losing any benefits you possess.
Lack of flexibility or customization - each organization and individual is unique, and this needs to be taken into consideration when proposing your idea to the client. What is unique about your business, and how can it be tweaked to meet your audience's needs?
Trying too hard - We have all been there. It might have been a job interview, asking someone on a date, or meeting someone for the first time. There is a fine line between trying too hard, and acting naturally. Relax, be confident, and let the conversation flow.
Generic answers - If you want to earn the trust of your potential client you need to be honest with them and give them the details that they are looking for. We have all been in situations where we have been frustrated when a sales person refuses to give us the information that we are looking for. The same applies with your website content. So many companies take a very generic approach, where they beat around the bush and avoid answering the tough questions, especially those based around cost.
Not discussing why you are in business - Too often people focus on the end rather than the start. They go into a sales meeting and focus on what they can do to get extra revenue, rather than what they can do to help the client, and telling the story of why they got into this business in the first place.
Not mentioning differentiators - there are so many companies in the world today, and so many that are separated by just a handful of minuscule differences. These are the details that you need to focus on, if you are going to separate yourself from the rest of the pack.
The ball's now in your court - What are you going to do?
So there you have it, guaranteed sales 101! You wish! If it were that simple everyone would be in sales. This is a hard profession to work in, especially due to current consumer habits and the technology that is available to them. These points can't guarantee you an increase in revenue, but by implementing a few of them, you will be able to earn your client's trust and begin developing the relationship. If you focus on honesty, transparency, integrity, and customer service, you won't go wrong.
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