Even if you’re not a sales professional, your job may have some sales aspects to it. From interacting with customers and clients to getting upper management’s buy-in on a strategy or course of action you’d like to take, sales is part of many people’s jobs. The following are 10 sales tips for non-sales people:
- Be sincere. Your sincere belief in the value of your company’s product or service, or the ideas you’re selling to others in your organization, often mean more than any fancy sales techniques. When your passion is genuine and palpable, others will feel it too.
- Support your position. Sales professionals are typically experts in the product or service they are selling. They know the ins and outs of what they are offering and how exactly it will fulfill a need. Make sure you have supporting documentation to back up why the product, service or idea you’re selling is the best.
- Be persistent. Sometimes you will hear “no” a lot before you get that final “yes.” If you’re not getting the response you want, fine-tune your proposal and try again, or try someone else within the organization.
- Understand the value of middle management. Although middle management may not have the final purchasing say, often they are the gatekeepers you need to go through to make a sale. Get their support, and you are one step closer to making the sale!
- Listen more than you talk. By listening carefully to a customer’s needs and pain points, you’ll make sure to hit the hot points for your customer when describing your product or service.
- Follow up with your contact. Selling often isn’t a one-shot deal. Put it on your calendar to follow up with your contact if you haven’t heard from him or her.
- Slow it down. People are often nervous when giving presentations of their products, services or ideas. This can result in speeding through the material. Take a deep breath, remember to pause, and slow down.
- Remember, it’s about the relationship. Sales is about building a mutually rewarding relationship between you and your customer. Instead of just selling your product or service, build this relationship.
- It’s not about the features. Customers rarely buy something because of the features of a product or service. Instead, they buy by virtue of how a product solves a problem or fulfills a need. Focus on these aspects—not the features.
- Put yourself in their shoes. Before making your presentation, consider what your customers may be thinking about. Try to anticipate what benefits they’ll appreciate but also try to anticipate what pain points they may have regarding the proposal, and prepare to address them.
Randall Davidson’s company, AudioTranscription.Org, supports new and experienced salespeople through it’s market research transcription services. Randall’s company also offers focus group transcription services, in order to provide salespeople and marketers with a better understanding of their potential clients’ needs and desires.