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The Perfect Seller posted by Peter J. Patsula

14 strategies to help you become a better salesperson. Also features a five-step seller's action plan.

INTRODUCTION

To become a great salesperson demands insight. Insight results when you talk less, listen more, and carefully observe people when their guards are down. You must be able to tune into non-verbal processes. As a seller, the better you can do this, the more information you can gather about a person or group of people and the more effectively you can sell to them. In other words, the more you can get beneath peoples' facades, the more accurately you can predict how they will react or respond in certain business situations. In fact, as long as you don't abuse your insights - i.e., you are discreet and sensitive - people will more than likely appreciate your intuitive and insightful behavior.

14 HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SELLING STRATEGIES
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STRATEGY 1
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Aim for the people who make the buying decisions.

The people who make buying decisions are not necessarily the ones who place the orders or hand you a check. The decision to try your product or buy your service may involve several people at different levels. Find out through your information gathering and marketing research who really makes the decisions. The bottom line: don't send a special offer to a business unless you send it to the decision-maker.

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STRATEGY 2
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Avoid the use of the word "but".

Using the word "but" negates everything previous that has been said and comes across as being self-righteous: "That's a great idea Mr. Carson, but . . ." Use the word 'and' instead.

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STRATEGY 3
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Back up your sales pitches with printed documents.

Feelings and narrative are best presented orally. However, facts, data, numbers, trends and direct comparisons are most effective and memorable when presented using charts and graphs. Keep in mind that people are conditioned to regard information in print as more legitimate.

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STRATEGY 4
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Be especially courteous to customers who have to wait for you.

A courteous, creative initial contact with a customer can go a long way to promote a sale. If a customer has to wait for you say, "I'll be with you in a moment." Such actions will reduce the number of customers who leave without being served. When your are free to help the waiting customer, your initial comment should be, "Thank you for waiting."

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STRATEGY 5
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Believe in what you are selling.

In general, people are far more persuaded by the depths of your beliefs and emotions than any amount of logic or knowledge you possess. Super sales people are true believers in what they sell.

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STRATEGY 6
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Do your research before contacting prospective clients.

After you have looked up your prospect in the "Who's Who" of your industry, researched their company, and done some inquiries with their present suppliers, then you are ready to call them up and make a good impression.

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STRATEGY 7
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Don't take "no" for an answer until you've tried at least three or four other approaches.

"No" is sometimes a replacement for: I can't be bothered to think about it right now; Actually, I'm busy today; or Why should I help you? To combat this problem, you need to approach a negative response from different angles before giving up.

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STRATEGY 8
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Figure out ALL the needs of your buyer before beginning final negotiations.

In all negotiation and selling situations two things are being bargained for: the specific issues and demands, which are stated openly; and the real needs of the other side, which are rarely verbalized. The better you can clue in to these hidden needs, the more you can influence the outcome.

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STRATEGY 9
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Never tell customers your problems.

Customers need to see you as a solution to their problems not as a shoulder to cry on.

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STRATEGY 10
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Observe body language.

Researchers believe that up to 90% of communication is non-verbal.
Experts have found that 38% of communication is tone of voice, 55% body language, and only 7% words. Over the phone, 86% of communication is tone of voice and 14% words. People for example reveal themselves by the way they move their eyes. The next time you're in a meeting with more than one person from outside your company, notice their eye contact with each other. It will help you determine what they are really thinking and who among them is the most influential.

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STRATEGY 11
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Observe people in formal and informal situations.

A person's true nature or true self cannot change depending on the situation. People tend to be very consistent. However, even to the trained eye, it can remain hidden especially during formal business situations. Therefore, to find out more about individuals, you have to learn to watch and wait for them to let their guard down. People tend to reveal more of their true nature during informal situations. Knowing how impatient an individual can become when dealing with an airline flight attendant, or how upset they get over a minor error made by a check-out cashier, can give you an important glimpse as to who they really are. Watch people during coffee breaks, when they are driving, playing sport games, talking to a spouse, or having a drink at the local pub.

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STRATEGY 12
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Study how people dress.

People reveal themselves by the way they dress. People who wear conservative clothing are generally perceived to be more intelligent, mature, generous, sincere, trustful, understanding and dependable than those wearing more daring styles. Studies show that conservative dress codes yield more sales per person.

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STRATEGY 13
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Practice being a good listener.

If every conversation you begin ends with you hearing your own voice, than you can be sure that you have violated the fundamental rule of effective selling: if you don't tune into the needs of your customer first, how can you know what to sell them?

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STRATEGY 14
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Understand that customers love to buy, but hate to be sold to.

There's a big difference between selling a TV to a customer and helping a customer buy a TV. Customers would rather perceive that you helped them make a purchase, rather than fasttalk them into a nice tidy commission for yourself.

FIVE STEP ACTION PLAN
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The advice contained in the above 14 strategies can be simplified into a five-step seller's action plan:

ACTION 1:
Target what you have to offer specifically to the people you think are most interested in buying or wanting your product or service.

ACTION 2:
Show potential buyers specifically what you have to sell. Describe what you have to offer with great economy of words. Don't waste their time.

ACTION 3:
Create value by showing all the benefits of your product or service.

ACTION 4:
Create the impression that you are a winner by showing your customers that your belief in your product or service is sincere.

ACTION 5:
Keep asking, showing and repackaging your offer until potential buyers buy your product or service.

To sum up, the key actions needed to become "The Perfect Seller" are to target potential buyers, spread the word, believe in what you sell, strive to add value to peoples lives, and never give up.

FEATURE GUIDEBOOK
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Guidebook #6:
Sharpening Selling and Negotiating Skills"
Provides over 100 strategies on how to become a better seller and negotiator.

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