We were all born salespeople. Over the years we have been brainwashed by our family members, our friends and other uninformed people on how NOT to sell, or at least not to sell naturally.
Some of the best salespeople don’t think of themselves as salespeople. They think of themselves as people that “enjoy” other people.
Do you know how to ask questions? Do you know how to listen? Do you know how to carry on a conversation?
These are all natural sales skills that we all possess. These are also skills that can be improved dramatically with proper sales training.
What Makes A Good Salesperson?
Sales is a hot career these days, with many big organisations eager to hire top salespeople.
Partly due to the Internet, salespeople need different skills now than they did in the past. So much information is easily available to people that they can get detailed product descriptions,compare products and services online. Selling now is not about “hawking” a product, describing its features, etc. Instead of communicating value, customers want you to create value.
For example, you might want to arrange with your IT department to design a way for the customer to order your product more easily.
At times, you can also identify a way to build more unique customisation into your product or service so that it suits your customer’s exact need.
These days, people are looking to salespeople who are honest, have integrity, are truthful, and most importantly, care about the needs of their clients and possess a genuine desire to serve them.
Be Astonished by What the Experts Have that You Don’t
In-depth research of outstanding sales professionals has shown that these top performers share two common characteristics – the ability to establish rapport with their customers and the consistent creation of trust in all their sales relationships. These methods are the best way to secure repeat business and ensure that every sale goes well.
Many times, sales executives are confused by the difference between customers simply buying a product and a salesperson actually selling.
Just because a customer has parted with his or her money in exchange for a product or service does not mean that a sale has occurred.
For example, a customer walks into a shop to buy a blouse and the salesperson successfully finds the blouse, determines the occasion for which it is intended and how it will fit in with the customer’s current wardrobe.Then she fills in the order. Despite the fact that this may seem to be an act of selling on the salesperson’s part, it really isn’t. This is merely an example of a salesperson filling a customer’s order.
By contrast, the salesperson, in addition to selecting the correct blouse for her customer, may ask a few questions about the customer’s current wardrobe needs and learns that her client has just landed a new job.
This reveals that the customer’s real need is for professional clothing that will make a positive impression in her new workplace. The salesperson then proceeds to show the customer a new line of high-end designer suits and matching accessories the store recently received – and the customer walks out with not only the intended blouse but also a suit, matching shoes and a handbag.
That is the act of selling.
It is not just filling an order but instead, establishing rapport,determining a need and then meeting that need. A salesperson’s sole purpose is to be of service to the customer.
Only when this quality exists can the salesperson effectively communicate with, deliver for and serve the customer.
By: Richard Tan
Posts Tagged ‘People’
Common Business Myth – You Have to Be a Born Salesperson
March 13th, 2010Starting A Home Base Catering Business – How To Start A Profitable Biz
February 25th, 2010
Starting a home base catering business can be when the most rewarding things you will ever do. When you start a home business, you are directly responsible for your income, and you don’t have to rely on your company to provide your paycheck.
With a home base catering business you can work whenever you want to, wherever. You are not tied down by the limits of your company, your boss, etc.
So what are some things you keep in mind when starting a home base business, whether it be catering or otherwise? First of all, keep no matter what business you are in, remember that you are in the business of marketing.
Even if you are the best caterer in the world, if you are not a good marketer, people will not buy your services. Therefore, you first need to figure out who your target audience will be, and then market to them.
For this, simply decide what crowd you will market to. Whether this be the younger or older crowd, making this decision will decide the course of your business. Now you need to decide which media you want to use to reach them. Whether this be offline marketing, Internet marketing, etc. making this decision is very important.
Remember, no matter which media you use, your offer needs to stand out and be compelling. By this, I mean you can’t simply be another me too out there.
You’ll need a USP (unique selling proposition) in order to get people to buy from your home base catering business. There has to be something about your business that stands out to them. No matter what marketing method you choose, this has to be the case.
Another great tip for your catering business is to not try to sell based on being the cheapest. When this happens you will always be undersold by somebody who comes along and sells their services more cheaply than you. Unless you are Wal Mart and can operate with razor thin profit margins based on pure mass volume of sales, this would not be a good business strategy for your home business.
When you sell based on good marketing, you won’t have worry about other people being cheaper than you, because you will simply out market them. Follow these tips to starting a home base catering business and you will find the process easier than you ever thought possible.
By: Shawn Mitchell
How To Start A T-Shirt Business
February 19th, 2010
Many entrepreneurs have discovered the opportunities that abound within the T-Shirt Industry, and therefore the market is becoming increasingly saturated. These days, in order to differentiate yourself from the masses, it has become extremely important to find out what will make your t-shirt business unique. Before you even think about starting on production, take a look at the list below and think very seriously about each of these points. If you are aware of these things before you start your plans, you will already have a head start and a competitive edge over the sea of t-shirt businesses within the market today.
1) WILL YOUR DESIGNS EVEN SELL?
So you’ve thought up a great design and you’re busting to get it onto some t-shirts and to start bringing in the cash? But how do you know if people are going to be as excited about your designs as you are? It’s easy to get caught up in your own little world, thinking that your tee shirts are going to sell like hot cakes. This may be true, but it’s extremely important to know for sure before you start spending your hard earned dollars on production.
One of the methods I suggest to aspiring t-shirt entrepreneurs is to do a little bit of market research. There are plenty of websites that accept designs and allow users to comment and vote on their favorites. By visiting such sites, you are able to see which designs are the most popular and can get a very good idea of whether your own designs will have appeal or not. Another method is to visit sites that sell t-shirts and find out which are the best sellers. Of course you don’t want to copy them, but you will begin to see the types of designs that people are willing to fork out money for. Remember, that if your designs don’t sell, it will be extremely hard to continue doing what you love – so do a little bit of homework first!
2) FINDING A NICHE OR TARGET MARKET
Because of the quantity of t-shirt designs available and business competition these days, it’s imperative that you find your own little subculture or niche to market to. By going after a specific target market, you can increase your chances of success dramatically. Some questions to ask yourself:
What does your target look like? What are some of the places that they like to hang out? How old are they?
By knowing the answers to these types of questions, you are limiting your target market down to a specific group of people. You will now have the advantage of being able to think like them. What are the types of designs that would appeal to these people? You can now tailor your designs specifically for you potential customers. It’s a great truth that to be successful all you have to do is find out what a certain group of people want, and give it to them!
3) ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGY
This world has not seen a greater opportunity than that which exists today with the marketing power of the Internet. Without a strong Online Marketing plan, you will definitely not be working you t-shirt business to it’s fullest potential. The Internet has made the sale of t-shirts extremely easy, so target your customers Online and lead them to your store. There are hundreds of creative ways to draw targeted traffic to your website, many of which are free. Start by looking into such things as:
- Blogging
- Forums
- Social Bookmarking
- eBay
- MySpace – Facebook
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Search Engine Optimization
- Email Marketing
The list goes on and on!
4) OUTSOURCING
If you don’t absolutely love a particular job within your business, then find someone who does! If you love graphic designing, then find someone to print for you! If you’re a printer, then find someone who loves to design! Maybe you have no interest in Online Marketing – then leave it to an expert!
Granted, this will cost you a little bit more, but you can’t always do everything yourself! Besides if you don’t absolutely love what you are doing, you will eventually want to give up. If you hate your day-to-day activities – then you won’t last long in this business.
5) CUSTOMER SERVICE
Your customers are the most valuable asset of your business. Treat them well and they might buy from you again, treat them like royalty and not only will they be your customer for life – they’ll become a raging fan and do most of your advertising for you, by referring their friends and colleagues! Even if it means losing a little bit of money to keep your customer delighted – it will be well worth it in the long run. I’ve had instances where a t-shirt order was late, so I organized an employee to jump on a plane and fly the package out to the customer. Yes, it cost more than the profit I made – but I made my customer’s day! This one truth has the power to turn your business into a thriving multi-million dollar company. A customer focused company.
By: Heath Sanchez
