Prepare. If you find yourself stammering or beating
around the bush in your sales pitch then it means you are ill prepared
for your task.
Research. Preparation begins from researching about your prospective client, finding out what they like, the time they are available, the way they like to be approached and what they do not like! Going in blindly into a sales call or approaching a prospect with no clue about who they are is a time-wasting risk which often leads to nothing but embarrassment!
Know your product. Knowledge about your product and the benefits that it gives to the customer will give you full confidence and show that you really know what you are talking about. It will help you handle objections effectively and not let the sale just slip away. Ever felt like you had almost closed the deal and then the prospect just changed his mind at the last minute and the sale was gone? This can easily be avoided by handling objections very well and reassuring the prospect with solid facts but you cannot do this when you are totally clueless about your own services or products.
Set your objectives. Be it cold calling or showing up for a re-arranged meeting or head hunting for new clients outdoors, It is all pointless if you have not set your objectives for that particular activity. If it is a sales call, set the time you would like to spend on the call, who exactly you would like to speak to, why them in particular, what you have to offer and your desired outcome. Your desired outcome could be closing the deal over the phone, arranging for a meeting, getting an email address... whatever it may be, you must write it down and check whether you achieved your objective after the call.
Greet the prospective client in the right way. Greeting the client sounds like a simple task. Many people think that all you need to say is, "Good Morning Ma'am/Sir." Unfortunately, this is not the best way to go about it.
Make a two way conversation not a lecture! Nervous sales people often want to make their sales pitch and just run away as soon as possible. They often get caught in talking for ages and then asking the killer question "Are you interested?"
Close the deal. After pitching and consulting with the customer to find out their needs and interests, the final crucial step is to close the deal. A good way to do this is to run through the benefits of what you are selling and the solution it will provide for the needs the customer said he has.
Research. Preparation begins from researching about your prospective client, finding out what they like, the time they are available, the way they like to be approached and what they do not like! Going in blindly into a sales call or approaching a prospect with no clue about who they are is a time-wasting risk which often leads to nothing but embarrassment!
Know your product. Knowledge about your product and the benefits that it gives to the customer will give you full confidence and show that you really know what you are talking about. It will help you handle objections effectively and not let the sale just slip away. Ever felt like you had almost closed the deal and then the prospect just changed his mind at the last minute and the sale was gone? This can easily be avoided by handling objections very well and reassuring the prospect with solid facts but you cannot do this when you are totally clueless about your own services or products.
Set your objectives. Be it cold calling or showing up for a re-arranged meeting or head hunting for new clients outdoors, It is all pointless if you have not set your objectives for that particular activity. If it is a sales call, set the time you would like to spend on the call, who exactly you would like to speak to, why them in particular, what you have to offer and your desired outcome. Your desired outcome could be closing the deal over the phone, arranging for a meeting, getting an email address... whatever it may be, you must write it down and check whether you achieved your objective after the call.
Greet the prospective client in the right way. Greeting the client sounds like a simple task. Many people think that all you need to say is, "Good Morning Ma'am/Sir." Unfortunately, this is not the best way to go about it.
- Starting with submissive greetings using words like Sir and Ma'am
might initially sound respectful but in actual fact, using such words
puts you under the prospect's feet. It gives the impression that you are
begging and opens up a good platform for the prospect to object like
the Sir and Ma'am that you have made them out to be.
- Rather than this, it is better to greet a prospect by their name and title. Simply "Good-morning Mrs X or Mr X." It makes things so much simpler. Using a greeting like this instead of a more formal or submissive tone will help to avoid getting people's guards up.
Make a two way conversation not a lecture! Nervous sales people often want to make their sales pitch and just run away as soon as possible. They often get caught in talking for ages and then asking the killer question "Are you interested?"
- Looking at it from the customer's point of view, the impression you
give would be that you really don't care about what the customer needs
and all you want is your own selfish gain.
- Consulting with the customer and asking questions about their interests and their past experience with similar products creates a consultative dialogue which will get you the "Yes" you are looking for.
Close the deal. After pitching and consulting with the customer to find out their needs and interests, the final crucial step is to close the deal. A good way to do this is to run through the benefits of what you are selling and the solution it will provide for the needs the customer said he has.
- For example if you are selling advertisement you could end your
pitch with something like, "As you said Mr X, your company is looking
for more brand awareness and new clients. Our marketing solutions will
provide you with the brand awareness you are looking for. If you could
allow me, I can run you through the procedure of advertising through
us..."
- This is a simple, indirect way of asking "Are you interested?"
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