Advice for New Sales Reps
ByIf you are completely new to sales or are thinking about a full time job in sales, there are a several suggestions that will help get you up and running. I understand that there are hundreds of training courses, books, gurus, etc. on the market today that will help you realize success in sales. My objective with this article is to provide you with some assistance that will help you avoid common mistakes. As you experience accomplishment and need more advanced assistance, there is plenty available.
1. Listen closely to the prospect. Yes, this seems obvious but it is actually difficult to do while you are in the heat of discussion. Your gut reaction is likely to talk the prospect to a yes. You want to demonstrate how great the product is, read customer testimonials, hand out pamphlets….STOP! Ask questions that make it possible for the potential customer to tell you what they need and listen up. When they respond, they are sharing with you precisely what they want and how to close the deal.
2. Resolve Their Challenges. If you listened well as I described above, you should certainly understand what challenges your potential client is confronting. Your task now develops into problem solver. By generating a remedy to their dilemmas with your products, you offer real value to the potential customer and are no longer an typical salesperson. You are now a respected business partner.
3. Acknowledge The Prospect’s Objections. You do not have to agree with each and every statement a potential customer makes, but by acknowledging their objections you can switch those into reason to buy. For instance, if you require a minimum order total and the prospective client says he is unable to order that much product, find out the key reason why. Try something like “I recognize that order amount is a concern, what is the cause?” If the potential customer explains to you he does not have the space, or doesn’t want to dedicate that much at this time, or whatever reason, you now have even more information and facts to work with. So you can reply with “I see that room is a challenge. What if I can get my distribution department to deliver that order in three shipments over the next couple of weeks. Would that help with your space difficulties?” Do not throw in the towel on a sale based on a preliminary objection. Discover a way to work with your prospective client so you both succeed.
4. Ask for the Sale. I haven’t met a lot of prospective clients that openly throw money at sales representatives. Once you have listened, shown how you solve their issues and have overcome objections, you will have to ask for the sale. My preference is to review the information as well as objections and close with a statement like “Seeing that we agree my products are a good fit, there is not much left to do but finalize the paperwork.” I like to reassure the prospect that we have discussed everything required to work together.
I hope you take these tips to heart, particularly if you’re having difficulties with your first sales job. Keep practicing and learning if you want to be a top performing sales superstar! You might also consider a predictive dialer system that can make automated calls, leaving you more time to close.
