Regardless of the industry you are in or what your job title is it is likely you are in sales. My belief is that we are all in sales, selling a product, service or idea. The success of your business and life is directly proportional to your ability to sell and market.
Contrary to what some people may think, sales is NOT manipulation. It is strategic influence. To move your customer closer to what they want or need you would be well served to follow a sequence to systemize your sales presentation.
I have been using a systemized sales presentation for years with a great deal of success. This did not happen by chance. I invested in courses, have had mentors, read books, went to seminars and hired consultants to teach me how to be as effective as possible. The result? I have one of the most successful businesses in my industry.
I do not tell you this to try to impress you. Rather, I share this with you because I see many people who have incredible potential who are not living up to their potential. They seem to settle for “getting by.”
The fact is, with proper training and a willingness to grow you can be incredibly successful in sales no matter what industry you are in.
In sales, there are four primary areas to address:
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
Before someone will make a decision to purchase your product or service, you absolutely must get their attention. From there, you need to peak their interest.
Each step links to the next and it is important to follow the sequence in order to increase your closure rate. It is more difficult to get Desire and Action if you do not gain Attention or generate Interest.
Another aspect of a systemized sales call is to script out your process. It is not about being mechanical; rather, it is about making sure you are thorough in your process.
Following a sequence and scripts helps you develop a Systemized Sales Call and your unnatural behavior becomes natural behavior. You develop unnatural natural behavior.
Before you try to sell anything, you need to know what the customer wants and needs. You do this by way of asking questions. It is likely you will ask questions throughout the sales process. Depending on what type of product or service you are selling, the sales cycle may be very short or it could be something that happens over a period of time.
To generate Interest, show the customer what you can do for them. To cultivate Desire, know the questions your customer will ask and answer the question according to the customer's communication style. One question could be answered three or four different ways depending on who your customer is and how they communicate.
When value has been established and the customer will truly benefit, we have an obligation to help them to say, “Yes.” We also have an obligation not to sell something to someone who really doesn’t need it or will not benefit from it. It is far nobler to walk away from a sale than to sell someone something they don’t need or want.
True professionals acknowledge they are in this for the long haul. It is not a matter of simply selling to be selling. It is knowing your product or service can, and will, make a difference to those you come in contact with. It is about strategic influence.
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