Sales Training

[Brulan1]

True story:

I approached the checkout couter at my local Walgreens last Sunday moring. In my hands I had a box of disposable latex gloves, and a funnel.

I know. I realized the same thing when I got to the counter. Looked a bit weird.

The clerk was a 18-year-oldish-looking spikehaired skinny kid, head down, fiddling with something in the cash register. After I set my items down, he turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of them. His head then turned slightly toward me so I could see one eye, eyebrow slightly raised. That's what it looked like to me, anyway.

"They're for cooking," I was compelled to confess.

His expression was frozen.

"I'm catering the end-of-season banquet for the high school softball team. 80 people."

He didn't move.

"I have a barbeque cooking team. Our competitions are done for the year, so we sometimes will do something like this just to stay in shape."

He's like a statue.

"Oh, the gloves. Yeah, those. We used the gloves when preparing the meat and when we're serving. And, the funnel, well, we make our own sauce, and we used the funnel to pour it into bottles."

His expression changes slightly to one that in any language says, "Riiiiight."

After getting my change and walking out the door, I realized that I just volunteered lots of information, and this kid said almost nothing.

This kid executed it to perfection. Not that he cared about the information though.

Your prospects will continue to talk if you let them! Speak less, sell more. If you alloow them, people will go to great lengths to explain why they think, feel, and act the way they do. And that information will help you help them buy!

[Rolexor]

So now I'm curious what were the gloves and funnel REALLY for?

True story:

I approached the checkout couter at my local Walgreens last Sunday moring. In my hands I had a box of disposable latex gloves, and a funnel.

[Guzz]

So let me get this right, if you hand out free rubber gloves and funnels to your customers they are more likely to buy from you?

[Brulan1]

Selling is both a talking and listening art and science. You have to be able to listen to verbal communication as well as detect non-verbal clues. During your sales presentation, there must truly be an absolute balance in communication.

This is critical because you have to be sure to present the correct recommendation of product or service that your prospect has said-either directly or indirectly-they want or need. You accomplish that by getting feedback...by asking your prospect how you're doing or how on target you are with your recommendation.

If you do what we call a "data blast" and talk a whole lot more than you listen, you could be moving in the wrong direction and not even realize it until it's too late. On the other hand, if yo8u listen more than you talk, you're going to lose control and let your prospect dominate the sales situtation.

Now, what are some traits or characteristics of a sales person like guzz who just talks too much???

First of all, they'll present a long list of features. What they'll do is go through a whole litany of features about their product or service, very few of which have any bearing on what their prospect said they wanted or needed.

Another characteristic is going over benefits that are important to the salesperson or that they're most familiar with so that they can have a very fluid, ongoing presentation of those particular benefits. Just like some of the features, those benefits may or may not have any bearing at all on the prospect but the salesperson knows them well and can go on and on about them.

Another example would be a salesperson who, quite frankly, lacks confidence. When people lack confidence, or are nervous, they tend to talk. The more nervous we get, the more we talk. There's another issue here, which is that sometimes the salesperson is afraid that the prospect is going to ask them a question they can't answer.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying, "I don't know the answer, but I'll find out for you," but sometimes because we lac,k the confidence, we don't slow down enough to even give them the oppotunity to ask questions.

At the other extreme we have salesperople who want to show their expertise and demonstrate how much they know abou the product or service. They blast the propect with a data overdose. In any case, each one of these characteristics or traits can cost you sales.

6 RULES:

1. Always present benefits coupled with feedback questions.

2. Involve the customer.

3. Never do more than 50percent of the talking.

4. Let the prospect finish his or her thoughts

5. Always insert one question for every three declarative statements you make.

6. Give them what they tell you is important.

The keys to customer loyalty is:

1. Salesperson must be seen as someone with business expertise and a professional image.

2. Dedication to the customer.

3. Account sensitivity and guidance.

4. Product performance and quality.

The bottom line is that listening is an extremely important skilil to sales success and the better you become at listening, the higher your closing average will be.

Good luck and happy sales.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Now, what are some traits or characteristics of a sales person like guzz who just talks too much???

First of all, they'll present a long list of features....

Do you mean like somone whose post ends up sooooo long that you can't convince yourself to invest the time to read it?

I fell asleep about 1/4 of the way through that post Brulan!

[Brulan1]

Do you mean like somone whose post ends up sooooo long that you can't convince yourself to invest the time to read it?

I fell asleep about 1/4 of the way through that post Brulan!

Stick it out fella

[Amanda]

I must be waaay off then. I thought feature benefits and getting the customer to buy, learning info about them to turn it into my benefit... was um, kinda old-school.

Maybe I'm a freak in the sales industry but I was under the impression that if I chat with people as if they are members of my own family (or a close friend) like when sitting on the couch in my livingroom, make sure they are comfortable and enjoying themselves while being educated about what is available- everything just falls in place.

It must be a fluke that I'm one of the top producers. Was I supposed to be thinking about all that stuff? Oops.

A balance. Yes. This I agree with, but if a person is simply compassionate and aware of someones desires... I don't think it has to be so complicated, difficult, and dull.

[grahamtasia]

I use more of a personal approach myself.

[Amanda]

I use more of a personal approach myself.

I think personal is the way to go. Don't get me wrong though... professionalism is VERY important to me.

[Brulan1]

I must be waaay off then. I thought feature benefits and getting the customer to buy, learning info about them to turn it into my benefit... was um, kinda old-school.

Maybe I'm a freak in the sales industry but I was under the impression that if I chat with people as if they are members of my own family (or a close friend) like when sitting on the couch in my livingroom, make sure they are comfortable and enjoying themselves while being educated about what is available- everything just falls in place.

It must be a fluke that I'm one of the top producers. Was I supposed to be thinking about all that stuff? Oops.

A balance. Yes. This I agree with, but if a person is simply compassionate and aware of someones desires... I don't think it has to be so complicated, difficult, and dull.

It is all in the head. How you apply it is up to you.

It is all in the head. How you apply it is up to you.

What are the keys to customer loyalty you ask?

The salesman must be seen as someone with business expertise and proffesionalism. 29%

Dedication 25%

Account sensitivity and guidance 23%

Product performance and quality 10%

77% of customer loyalty is related to things like image, solving problems, sensititivity, and guidance.

Each of those components are things that salespeople have to be able to control and they control those aspects through balanced communication! As for the other 33% perhaps personal.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

What are the keys to customer loyalty you ask?

The salesman must be seen as someone with business expertise and proffesionalism. 29%

Dedication 25%

Account sensitivity and guidance 23%

Product performance and quality 10%

77% of customer loyalty is related to things like image, solving problems, sensititivity, and guidance.

Each of those components are things that salespeople have to be able to control and they control those aspects through balanced communication! As for the other 33% perhaps personal.

I saw a study that said 42% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

[Amanda]

I saw a study that said 42% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Statistics showing what people want- are made up of how the person felt at that moment on that day. The truth be told... I pay attention to what someone shares with me directly for the limited time that I have with them. No matter what someone is looking for... I believe one statistic remains 100% all of the time. Respect. And I mean respect in ALL areas. I am far from perfect, and certainly am not trying to "soap box"... it just seems that when this one thing is satisfied 100% and I exceed expectations in giving this... success and long standing good relationships are something I can have every day. Customer/ friend/ family (all the same to me) loyalty is directly related to my personal loyalty to them.

[East TX Spa]

My boss at my first job selling injection molded plastics, sheet metal, die castings, and circuit boards gave me the best sales advice I've ever received:

"The customer has to like you. If they don't like you, they won't do business with you. If the receptionist doesn't like you, you won't get past the lobby. Be a likeable person."

Does everybody that walks in my store like me? No, not at first and sometimes not at the end either. I don't like some of them very much either and it's probably best for all that we don't end up doing business together. Not everyone that likes me buys my product, it sometimes is just not the right time or fit. That's OK.

Selling in the 21st century has to be made into an EXPERIENCE for the customer. It is theater (not theatrics). The customer is constantly bombarded with technical information, sales pitches, jet counts, horsepower, etc. It eventually all sounds the same blah, blah, blah. A salesperson has to adjust his or her presentation to accomodate the personality type of the consumer. A technically oriented shopper doesn't want to hear about lights, waterfalls, quality time....they want to know what makes the spa work, thoroughly and concisely.

Set the customer at ease. Ask open ended questions. Let them narrow down the playing field. Reinforce their statements to show that you are listening. Let them feel the spa, the water, the jets. If they want to talk about pig wrestling, let them talk (you might learn something).

Do not be a phony baloney sales hack that gives this and every industry a bad reputation. Be genuine, be considerate, be knowledgeable, and be consistent. If you do, and you're not selling cheaply assembled or rebranded crap, you'll be successful.

Terminator

[Brulan1]

My boss at my first job selling injection molded plastics, sheet metal, die castings, and circuit boards gave me the best sales advice I've ever received:

"The customer has to like you. If they don't like you, they won't do business with you. If the receptionist doesn't like you, you won't get past the lobby. Be a likeable person."

Does everybody that walks in my store like me? No, not at first and sometimes not at the end either. I don't like some of them very much either and it's probably best for all that we don't end up doing business together. Not everyone that likes me buys my product, it sometimes is just not the right time or fit. That's OK.

Selling in the 21st century has to be made into an EXPERIENCE for the customer. It is theater (not theatrics). The customer is constantly bombarded with technical information, sales pitches, jet counts, horsepower, etc. It eventually all sounds the same blah, blah, blah. A salesperson has to adjust his or her presentation to accomodate the personality type of the consumer. A technically oriented shopper doesn't want to hear about lights, waterfalls, quality time....they want to know what makes the spa work, thoroughly and concisely.

Set the customer at ease. Ask open ended questions. Let them narrow down the playing field. Reinforce their statements to show that you are listening. Let them feel the spa, the water, the jets. If they want to talk about pig wrestling, let them talk (you might learn something).

Do not be a phony baloney sales hack that gives this and every industry a bad reputation. Be genuine, be considerate, be knowledgeable, and be consistent. If you do, and you're not selling cheaply assembled or rebranded crap, you'll be successful.

Terminator

You hit the nail right on the button!

[Brulan1]

You hit the nail right on the button!

There are surprisingly few people in selling today who are truly adept at knowing how and when to ask their prospects for the order. It is not hard for me to imagine that a mere 20% of those currently employed in sales make 80% of all sales.

While many in sales regard this portion of the sales process as a mystical fine art left only to the most talented "closers", in reality, achievement of the sale is simply the logical conclusion to a well given presentation. It doesn't involve magic, luck or even prodigious talent it is simply the use of an effective sales procedure that leads to the point where, logically, it's time to ask for the order.

If you believe in the product or service you're selling and if you have established during your presentation that it not only fits your prospect's needs but will help solve the problems they are experiencing, is there any reason why you wouldn't want to give your prospects the opportunity to acquire it?

While one would think that would be a given, many salespeople overcomplicate this crucial part of the sales process.

Being fundamentally untrained and unprepared, they allow their emotions to get the better of them.

In truth, none of us relishes hearing the word "no". Some salespeople treat this reaction as if it were a personal attack. Considering it's unlikely your prospects have known you any longer than the course of the presentation, they probably don't have enough information to make a truly accurate judgment of your character. Odds are, when you hear "no," it's more likely because your product does not fit their needs or the price is not in their budget- facts you probably overlooked earlier in your presentation.

Leaving the close of the order to the volition of the prospect opens the door for almost certain failure. After all, in the mind of your prospect, if you really wanted to sell something, woulnd't you just ask for an order? If you work on commission, you probably already realize that you can't afford to spend all the time laying the groundwork and then not ask for the order. Through the course of your presentation, it's likely you've completely sold your prospect. However, if you don't ask them to buy, you might as well have never opened your mouth.

If selling is the way you intend to make your living, you'd better start asking people to buy.

Consider these two ethical questions:

1. How ethical is it to try to sell someone something neither want or need? You probably think it's dishonest to push a product on someone who can't use or afford it.

2. Consider the ethics of not showing your prospects how they can acquire a product or service that is affordable, would meet their needs and would make their life easier! I think withholding a product from your prospects then, by not asking for the order, is just as unethical as pushing an unwanted item on them.

Learning an effective sales procedure and developing your skilils as a sales pro will allow you to shift your thinking from worrying about being rejected by your prospects or imposing on them to confidently knowing that, in most cases, they are interested in buying and simply need to be shown how they can acquire what you're selling.

When it comes to this portion of the sale, think of it as a baseball game.LOL

If you've hit the ball, you run to first, second, and on to third. Once you're down to asking for the order, home plate looms. Why on earth after getting this far in the game would you suddenly run back to third or second or worse, towards the outfield? By allowing your fear to keep you talking or to prevent you from asking for the sale, you've effectively left the ball field altogether and are running toward the parking lot. If you've covered all the neccessary bases, resist the temptation to ramble. How many of you guys have done this???

IT DOESN"T HURT TO ASK AT THE RIGHT TIME!

[spatech (the unreal one)]

You hit the nail right on the button!

Damn, you're supposed to hit the nail on the head but he can work on that.

[Brulan1]

Damn, you're supposed to hit the nail on the head but he can work on that.

I call the head of a nail a button

[grahamtasia]

99.9% of all my spa sales, I did not have to ask for the sale. I let the consumer tell me if they want to make a purchase or not. I personally sell over a hundred spa's a year on average. The VERY low pressure approach works very well for me. I am definately more of a consultant than a salesman.

[Brulan1]

99.9% of all my spa sales, I did not have to ask for the sale. I let the consumer tell me if they want to make a purchase or not. I personally sell over a hundred spa's a year on average. The VERY low pressure approach works very well for me. I am definately more of a consultant than a salesman.

I think a good salesman knows how to ask for a sale without putting the pressure on the prospect. How many people do you close that walk into the store? Out of the amount of sales you do get means nothing if you are not closing more of the people that walk into the store. Does not hurt to ask for the sale at the right time, given your presentation and probing led them to the final question. Alot of customers will not buy if you do not ask, plain and simple.

[grahamtasia]

I think a good salesman knows how to ask for a sale without putting the pressure on the prospect. How many people do you close that walk into the store? Out of the amount of sales you do get means nothing if you are not closing more of the people that walk into the store. Does not hurt to ask for the sale at the right time, given your presentation and probing led them to the final question. Alot of customers will not buy if you do not ask, plain and simple.

Customers that have decided to purchase a spa from the store I work in, after obtaining information from me, have all been adults. Adults can make their own decisions on whether or not they want to buy a product off my showroom. They do not need me or anyone else asking(begging) for the sale. This is my opinion. Again, like their is no perfect spa, their is no perfect sales approach. I take more of a personal approach to hopefully avoid "canned" sales pitches.

[Amanda]

Customers that have decided to purchase a spa from the store I work in, after obtaining information from me, have all been adults. Adults can make their own decisions on whether or not they want to buy a product off my showroom. They do not need me or anyone else asking(begging) for the sale. This is my opinion. Again, like their is no perfect spa, their is no perfect sales approach. I take more of a personal approach to hopefully avoid "canned" sales pitches.

I'm in complete agreement with this. This is a topic that I would love to hear some responses from the consumers stand point. Please share your experiences as well and let us know your thoughts on what you would like to see when you come into a showroom. In my opinion... any extra things to accomplish to make you more comfortable and at ease, and have your shopping experience not be so arduous/ tedious. I believe you should never feel like you are being "pitched" to. I think this word is yucky. Of course there is certain information that is important to share but it should never be canned, memorized, or always the same. Like Terminator said, being "likeable" goes a really long way.

[Brulan1]

I'm in complete agreement with this. This is a topic that I would love to hear some responses from the consumers stand point. Please share your experiences as well and let us know your thoughts on what you would like to see when you come into a showroom. In my opinion... any extra things to accomplish to make you more comfortable and at ease, and have your shopping experience not be so arduous/ tedious. I believe you should never feel like you are being "pitched" to. I think this word is yucky. Of course there is certain information that is important to share but it should never be canned, memorized, or always the same. Like Terminator said, being "likeable" goes a really long way.

Instead of using pitch, perhaps the word informed may appear less brutal. And Begging is not the same as asking. If you read the 1st post of the topic you will see that professionalism means alot. I find that sharing other interests makes the prospect a little more tentative towards my knowledge. I find a common ground or find something other than spa's to break the ice. Remember nobody likes a bland salesperson, some personality has to be personified.

[grahamtasia]

I feel consumers like extremely low pressure environments. I provide that, for the guests, in our showroom.

[Brulan1]

I feel consumers like extremely low pressure environments. I provide that, for the guests, in our showroom.

I agree with low pressure but I also think it would be wrong not asking for a sale or lying that a particular spa is not the last we have in stock. Creating urgency creates positive pressure and knowing when to back off and probe a little more. It helps alot if you get to know the prospect before even giving features benefits, ect...

[Amanda]

I agree with low pressure but I also think it would be wrong not asking for a sale or lying that a particular spa is not the last we have in stock. Creating urgency creates positive pressure and knowing when to back off and probe a little more. It helps alot if you get to know the prospect before even giving features benefits, ect...

A sales training topic that expresses it's wrong [/i]not to lie about things??!!?? I am in complete disagreement with this. I think this "old school" thinking of creating urgency is exactly the kind of thing that turns people off. (In my opinion) An adult will make a decision to purchase something when they are good and ready and shouldn't be lied to in order to make it happen for the salespersons covenience/ pocketbook. I have told people that there is one spa left on a list when there is one spa left on a list- period... and that's it. Understanding someone's needs and matching a product up to it is one thing... lying to someone or manipulating/probing them into doing what YOU want is another.