When you hear the word “sales” what comes to mind?
Do you see a Used Car Salesman the dealership? Do you see someone wearing a headset selling insurance over the phone?
Did you know that there is more to sales than just pitching a product? And, it doesn’t take a particular ‘type’ of person to be successful in the world of sales.
It starts off with having the right attitude. Some people have a natural ability to talk to people so that always helps, but selling is a skill that can be learned.
Do you often wonder how to increase sales? Well, anyone can become a Master at sales. It’s about having a system. We’re going to use the analogy of a Step Ladder to illustrate how to increase sales.
Perhaps the word “sales” is wrong. Perhaps the more appropriate term would be “influence”; you are presenting someone with the facts about something and using that to influence someone to facilitate a decision about buying something from you.
This is the art of how to increase sales; use influence.
The analogy of a Step Ladder works so well because you are moving that person toward a sale one step at a time.
When it comes to making a sale, there is a clearly defined 5 step process.
1. Appointment setting:
The purpose of making an appointment is to make an appointment. You do not want to sell anything else except the appointment. The aim is to facilitate a face-to-face meeting to see if the two of you can work together.
2. Building rapport:
The appointment is made and now the potential Client is in your office sitting right across from you. Before anything else can happen you have to be able to connect with that person.
The best way to do that is to just sit back and let the person talk. You have to be able to listen, have empathy and understanding about how that person sees the world. You have to be able to put yourself in the shoes of that other person.
Remember, it’s not about you.
3. The Conversation:
What is it that your potential Client needs? What do they want? Your job is to show them just how bad their current situation is and how good it can be. Stretch the gap from where they are now to where they want to be and show how you can fill that gap.
You ARE the solution.
4. The Close:
This is the point where all your training on how to increase sales finally pays off! You have come to the top of the ladder and all you need to do now is step up.
The Close is the natural progression of your sale. It’s also the top step of your ladder.
The best and most natural way to close a sale is to ask what the potential buyer wants to do now or if they’re ready to move forward. If you’ve done everything right in the preceding steps, then this will come easily.
The trick is though, that once you ask this important question, you have to sit there in absolute silence. Just keep in mind that any objection is just an invitation to negotiate and part of the process.
5. The Follow Up:
If your prospect didn’t buy then you may feel a little upset. Again, this is another natural reaction, but it’s imperative that you follow up with the potential buyer. Why?
The answer is simple; you learn from your mistakes. If your prospect says “no” then you’ve missed a step somewhere.
The word “no” doesn’t always mean “No. Never”. It could mean “No, not right now” or “No, I don’t quite trust you yet”.
Following up with potential buyers and checking with them consistently can lead to a “yes” further down the track.
Learning how to increase sales is an ongoing process and requires practice to master, but the principles and process remain the same. Just remember to have confidence, have an open mind and in no time, you will be closing more deals than ever before.
