Selling is perhaps the greatest skill of all time. The ability
to persuade, communicate and influence has been the basis of
personal and financial success throughout the ages. Learning to
sell well, therefore, will open doors for you and your sales team,
and will make it possible for your business to succeed.
Steps to Sales
Success
Thousands of articles and books have been written on selling, and
almost every one of them contains one or more nuggets of wisdom.
Some are classics that convey ideas, techniques and strategies that
salespeople can use in almost any market. Nonetheless, there are
three steps to sales success that have stood the test of time:
prospecting, presenting and closing. They form the three points of
the "iron triangle" of selling.
There are three
steps to sales success that have stood the test of time:
prospecting, presenting and closing.
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To prospect effectively, you and your sales team must first
clearly determine what it is your company is selling. Most people
only define their product or service in terms of its qualities,
characteristics, features and the way it is produced, distributed
and delivered to the customer.
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However, the most important part of your product description is
what the product does for your customer. People don't buy
products or services; they buy the results (or
"benefits") they expect to experience by using your
product or service. You must therefore determine what your product
or service really does for your customers. Find out what makes your
product superior to other products or services. Only then are you
ready to tackle the three key steps to sales success:
1. Prospecting: Of all the prospects in your market,
which can benefit most from what your product does better than the
competition? The rule is that although there are many prospects,
they aren't all your prospects. You must be specific about
which prospects you can sell your most important benefits to the
most effectively.
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2. Presenting: The ability to design and give a good
sales presentation will determine your success as much as any other
factor. Based on more than 30 years of experience, I can say every
sales presentation could use some improvement.
A good presentation shows prospects that your product or service
is the best choice for them. After highlighting a feature of your
product or service that's relevant to the customer, ask a
question to invite feedback, such as "Is this something you
would use in your situation?"
If you've given a good presentation, the prospect should
fully understand the offering and be ready to make a buying
decision. If you don't get this reaction at the end of your
presentation, rework your presentation until it is so
overwhelmingly conclusive that the sale almost falls into your hand
at the end.
3. Closing: It is absolutely amazing how many sales are
lost because the salesperson fails to follow up and ask for the
order at the end of the sales conversation. The best way to close a
sale is to set up the closing question with the words "Do you
have any questions or concerns that I haven't covered so
far?"
If the prospect says no, you can then ask for the sale:
"Well, then, why don't you give it a try?" If the
prospect is unsure, say "I really think this would be ideal
for you, based on what you've told me. Why don't you give
it a try?" You will be amazed at how many people are on the
verge of buying and simply need an invitation.
The iron triangle of selling has always been the same:
prospecting, presenting and closing. Rate yourself on a scale of 1
to 10 in each of these areas, with 10 being highest. If you score
below a 7 in any area, that is what's holding you back more
than any other factor.
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