Successful selling is a skill, and despite what you may have been told by other, or family, or friends, professional salespeople are made, not born – and perhaps always will be. Moreover, the majority of today’s largely successful salespeople were at one time considered by their peers to be shy, insecure, and clumsy when it comes to selling anything. But they became great salespeople through commitment, perseverance and by diligently learning and practicing the essential skills of selling – and that includes how to competently close sales.
The best part is. Anyone who has the will can do what the best of the salespeople do. And if you learn from what they do on a regular basis, you too can be successful too, and once you have achieved that standard, nothing can stop you.
To be successful in sales, the first prerequisite is you must become more enthusiastic than you are right now. In fact, the enthusiasm level most recommended is you must be at a level of no less than 51%. It’s a concept we’ve been told about many times before. Some have heard it hundreds of times, and yet others have been told this thousands of times before. Why, because plainly it’s the one factor that closes more sales than anything else. And it’s also the same transfer of enthusiasm that tends to elevate one’s excitement about the product or service being sold. The more excited you are, the more successfully you will transfer your enthusiasm into the mind of the prospect, and because of that, when they catch that enthusiasm they most probably buy and a sale takes place – firstly in the mental plain (the mind) before it takes place in the physical..
The most important thing the salesperson must remember here is to firstly believe 100% in what you sell, before the “law of Attraction” causes it to become a reality in the mind (a real genuine sale) before it transfers in the natural realm. Therefore, if there is one bit of advice I can pass onto you, you must understand that it is essential that the seller has sufficient enthusiasm to transfer an ample amount of enthusiasm into the mind of the prospect for a sale to take place.
It is also essential the seller also understands that there are a variety of other factors (that can be learned) for the sale to take place in the first place, and the seller is able to impart the degree of “want to” in the buyers mind to ensure the client is happy indeed in both the short-term and the long-term.
In essence, what this means is, that the most effective salespeople not only know their product, but they also they believe in their product, and love to sell their product to those that need it. These sellers really believe that their product, together with the work they have done selling it, has very worthwhile benefits for both their customer and the seller alike.
Have 100% Belief in the Product You Sell
Here are some facts that the mediocre sellers may not like to be told – or even reminded of – is that the salesperson must be sold themselves on the product or service they are being paid top sell.
The fact is, if the salesperson does not believe in the product or service; if the salesperson does not love the product or service; or if the salesperson wouldn’t use the product or service themselves; or if the salesperson would not be happy to sell the product or service to their best friend; you’re probably selling the wrong product or service – or you simply should not be in sales.
On the other hand, you can never reach that level of enthusiasm that needs to be transferred into the mind of the prospect so that they want to buy. Without a thoroughly deep belief in what you’re selling, you’ll never reach the mind of the prospect to make them want to buy.
Then the second underlying quality you need to draw on is another factor based on the Law of Attraction is to have confident expectations that your prospect will buy and you believe wholeheartedly that you have made the sale. With this mode of expectation, the seller must confidently expect that the prospect is going to say “yes,” more than once, if you just ask often enough.
The presupposition here is that when you ask the prospect to buy, you must expect them to buy. Here, through the Law of Attraction, your level of expectancy will help make the sale. Once you have started believing that you have the sale, it is when you will need to add levels of learning that you have undertaken to ensure it happens.
For example, you ask expectantly,
“Would you like the green one or the blue one?” narrowing down their level of choice. It is important to note that you haven’t asked, “Do you want one of these today?”
Asking the prospect, “Would you like the green one or the blue one?” allows you to simply ask which of the two colours the prospect is interested in. At this stage, perhaps not so openly interested in buying – but subconsciously ready to buy. Then because of the salespersons level of expectancy, and because you are confident that you can make the sale, the more likely you are to sell. However, as the sellers confidence level goes up and the sellers expectancy heightens, the more likely you will close the sale.
Then the higher the level of confidence and the salesperson believes they are moving in at any stage of the sale, the more likely they are to make the sale. When this happens, the sale could look so effortless, many will refer to the seller “being in the ZONE” at the time the sale is being made. And it appears that way to those not in the know.
Many will say that their selling comes from knowledge, or practice, or experience, but those that sell well will be quick to tell you it happens because you believe it will. And, what’s more, it also comes from the combination of the salesperson’s knowing coupled with the believing that the product can do what you say that the product will do.
Another factor to take into account here is that salesperson’s confidence shows when the seller is fully confident in the expectation that the prospect will buy.
Be In-Tune with the World Around You
No matter what you do, inspiration is all around you. Therefore it’s important to listen to other people’s ideas. It’s been said often, that the best ideas come from the fringes. If that’s the case, why do so few of us even hear the echo of that statement resound any longer?
Listen to others, especially those furthest removed from the executive management of your business. If your business isn’t big enough to have an executive team, listen to your customers, your suppliers, your prospects and even your family members and their friends. They may help you see the thing’s you can’t, you don’t or you won’t. They may even give you an idea so revolutionary that it plants the seed for an idea that could make you a fortune – if you only let it.
Is your Selling based on Ethics and Morality?
Integrity is a bigger business than any big business. Customer satisfaction is also becoming a bigger business than big business. Today people are looking for products and services that bolster their sense of well-being, self-esteem and piece of mind – more so than ever before.
What consumers now want of companies (perhaps require may be a more appropriate word) is those businesses exhibit integrity and social responsibility above almost anything else.
Consumers are demanding sales and marketing styles that lean more towards the old-fashioned traditions, ethics and morality over and above any manner of blatant, or cut and dried profit-seeking. Many experts are now even advocating the day of sloppy service and standards below excellent are no longer acceptable. Their days are numbered.
This Article is by Peter Collins – In a sales career spanning more than 50 years, Peter Collins has focused on helping and bringing out the best in others – whether it involves training or mentoring salespeople, managers, business consulting to SME’s. Since the 1970’s Peter has built a reputation as a Nationally and Internationally Published author, and has 65 books to his credit, but he is mainly known for one book based on the Audio Tape series of the same name, Over 50 Ways of Closing the Sale. In his personal life, Peter has been sought after as an encourager and motivator that has given of his time and talents freely despite his busy schedule. Subsequently, he has assisted churches, pastors, community and charity groups, as well as individuals through his teaching, training, development and on-going mentoring.
Peter can be contacted through his website – profitmakersales.com