Bite-Sized Sales Tips (Part 2)

You can tell a man is clever by his answers.
 
You can tell a man is wise by his questions.
  
The key to learning more about your prospects and customers is asking more open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are one of the most vital tools for those who sell.

They help gather information, qualify sales opportunities, and establish rapport, trust and credibility. With such core value to the sales process, you leave little to chance when it comes to owning a repertoire of powerful open-ended questions... questions that are answered by more than a simple yes or no... questions where the prospect or customer gets directly involved in the sales discussion.

The vital component here…

Ask the question and let the prospect or customer give you their answer.
Then listen - truly listen.

Let them respond.

No leading.  No prompting.  No interruptions (no matter how excited you are about your solution).

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Scottish novelist and poet

Long-term, positive sales results are driven by doing things right each and every sales day.  Throughout the sales process, you should be continually…

• positively expectant
• enthusiastic
• asking questions
• listening
• qualifying the opportunity (for both parties)
• discovering hot buttons (what’s in it for them)
• building rapport
• establishing trust
• developing credibility
• developing a valuable relationship
• addressing objections
• planning next action steps
• confirming understanding
• asking for referrals
• seeking additional opportunities to serve and sell
• evaluating responses & results (positive/ negative)
• affirming decisions (minimising buyer’s remorse)

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving..."

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
German-American physicist

 
When you close the deal and bring in a new customer, keep moving...

Enthusiasm and confidence are generally at their highest after winning new business. Enjoy the moment (but only for a moment), and then let success fuel your next sales contacts immediately. In fact, consider using it to help you through one of your most difficult current sales efforts.

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

Bill Gates (1955 - )
founder of Microsoft

What were the last two complaints you received from a customer?

What can you learn from them and how can you minimize the likelihood of it happening again, and better still, convert them to loyal customers.

Use the opportunity to enhance your company's relationship with these customers and listen to their complaints and learn from them.

You can then consider how to improve the customer experience at each and every point of interaction  and remember, quality customer service is defined by the individual experiencing it-- one size, one solution does not work.

Although customers want to be treated as unique individuals and their complaints handled accordingly, processes can be put in place to improve the customer experience.

"Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness."

Jean Vanier (1928 -  )
Humanitarian

Always seeking certainty before taking action can severely limit productivity.

In fact, in many cases, the evaluation and search for certainty is more costly than a potential failure due to action.

Worst case scenario for a wrong move is generally nothing more than an education.

Consider getting in the game a bit earlier the next time an opportunity arises...and risk the uncertainty.

"Things don't have to change the world to be important"

Steve Jobs (1955 - )
CEO, Apple, Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios

Did you know?

Apple recently sold its 100 millionth iPod, making it the fastest-selling music player in history. Since the first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, Apple has introduced 10 new models.

The iPod sparked a range of new products for Apple – iPod owners can now choose from more than 4,000 accessories (ranging from cases to speaker systems), and seven out of ten 2007-model U.S. cars now offer iPod connectivity.

April 28 marked the fourth anniversary of iTunes, Apple's music store. Since its launch in 2003, iTunes has sold more than 2.5 billion songs, 50 million television shows and 1.3 million movies, making it the world's most popular online TV, movie and music store.

iPod's may not change the world, but who would dispute their importance!

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