Sales success comes from implementing proven strategies. These three things can help you right now and they won’t cost you a penny.
- A winning mindset,
- A well-planned sales approach, and
- Trust-building communication.
- Winning Mindset: Change the way you think about sales.
It’s hard to sell with confidence if you view someone saying “no” as personal rejection. People buy things for their reasons. And they also choose to say no for their reasons.
What if you looked at “no” as a prompt to get the buyer to teach you a lesson instead of feeling rejected? Ask them to share where your solution fell short for them. Show genuine interest in their candid feedback. These lessons-oriented conversations can open the door to the prospect reconsidering your offering. But even if not, you’ve gained valuable insight AND you’ve kept your emotions in check.
Reject rejection. Say yes to learning – from every situation.
- Well-planned Sales Approach: Make sure you’re selling to the right audience.
If you aren’t crystal clear on who your ideal customers are, you’re wasting both time and money.
If you are clear, but it’s been a while since you did the analysis, look again. Life circumstances and consumer buying habits change over time, especially now. When you revisit and realign your target audience criteria periodically, you stay relevant to your core audience and address new market segments as they arise.
Make a list of the characteristics of your favorite customers. Imagine your best customer as a character. Consider what drives them, motivates them, and frustrates them. Create as many profiles as needed depending on your offerings. (I have 3 different customer profiles; one each for business owners, salespeople, and sales managers). Then analyze your strategies to reach each target group. Make adjustments that help you connect with more of your ideal prospects.
If you’re not clear on what the target looks like it will be hard to hit the mark.
- Trust-Building Communication Strategies: Call customers to ask for feedback.
Make a list of your current and/or past customers. Call a generous sampling of them to ask for them to provide you with some feedback on your products/services.
Start the conversation by thanking them for their business. Then ask if they would be willing to help you out by answering two questions for you. Most people will say, “Sure.” Then ask the two questions below. Be ready to take notes because their answers will help you improve your business.
- What is one thing we’ve done well for you? Something that you really liked or appreciated? (Knowing this will help us do it more often or more consistently.)
- What could we do better? Or, what could we do more of that would be helpful to you? (Knowing this enables you to find ways to close gaps and improve customers’ experience.)
Everyone wants to be heard, so ask your customers to share their experiences. You will get a clearer picture of your performance from the customers’ perspective. Honest feedback is a gift. It can help you improve the way you interact with customers going forward.
There you have it: Three ways to make selling easier. Pick one and start today. It will give you a new perspective on sales.
Interested in having a no-cost, no-selling, strategy call to talk about your unique selling environment? Just email me at [email protected].
