BASICS OF SALES

It would be wise to plan what you will be saying and doing before your presentation ever starts. Even more important you must be cognizant of what is going on in the mind of the customer during the presentation. You want to make the prospect want to own what you are presenting. During the presentation keep these things in mind and be aware of them.

1- Try to find out what the customers' needs are:
You must find out the hot button, the most important motive that would cause the prospect to buy. Is it convenience, pride of ownership, accuracy etc.?
What is the prospects' biggest headache or his greatest weakness in what he is doing now?
How is he doing what he is doing now?

2- Explain Benefits
Here you show clearly how each of the major benefits applies to his business. How will what you are presenting benefit him, help him obtain more profits, provide greater convenience, perhaps more or better information.

3- Proof- Offer it.
Are your claims backed up by evidence? Does what you are demonstrating fit his needs? You can use testimonials, user lists, literature, portfolios.
Is there anyone near that the prospect can call or visit to support your claims? Careful here, before you do this make sure the person you recommend is on your side and will support, not hinder you.
Can you compare the present way things are being done to what you are presenting. Emphasize the benefits of using what you are presenting and prove it? Try the split T method, Column A what is being done now. Column B how it will be improved.

4- Close-Ask for the order
A gentleman who was old, wise and monumentally successful when I was just starting out would say one thing to me while I passed his desk on the way out of the office “Don't forget to ask for the order”. Did you get agreement on several points or on the main point – did you hit the hot buttons?
Did you answer all questions and handle all objections that were raised?
A good way to close is to sum up each of the agreed upon points and ask for the order.

Trying to envision these things before the presentation starts is helpful but keeping them in mind during the presentation is what will give you the best chance for success.

Oh and let me add this,"Don't forget to ask for the order".

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofssales.com
Sales blogs offering sales tips

Please click THE FREE PREVIEW @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you have had no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell.

A prospect that does not assert himself or mix well with others can be considered timid and at the very least shy. People with strong personalities tend to upset this type of individual and make him feel self conscious. When this person deals with salespeople he is even more aware of his own inadequacies and short comings and retreats further into a shell. The timid and shy individual will rarely look you in the eye and will always find something trivial to do when you attempt to get his attention. There is no deliberate attempt to be demeaning or evasive towards salespeople he is just socially awkward. When approached by salespeople his inferiority complex comes to the foreground and makes it all but impossible to gain his attention and sell him.

The following strategy should help sell the timid, shy, and self conscious prospect::

Try to encourage him. Reassure him, and don't be impatient with him as this will tend to make him nervous and scare him. It is important to build up this individual's confidence and self esteem.

A- Speak slowly and at a moderate pitch.

B- Explain things simply and ask for his opinion to make him feel comfortable and at ease.

C- When you get the opportunity compliment him and turn the selling process into a conversation. The key here is to act relaxed and relax him. Be calm, act calm and be meticulous in your manner and speech.

Many times these individuals carry heavy responsibilities and the pressure they put themselves under in their daily lives overwhelms them. Do not be fooled by their outward appearance because many of the people who posses these traits are heads of companies and top decision makers. Do not sell them short. A calm reassuring deliberate approach is the best way to work with the timid, non assertive, prospect who is socially awkward.

Thank You
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blogs offering sales tips

Please click THE FREE PREVIEW @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you have had no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell.

Reviewing the day's happenings and analyzing them is what should be the last thing you do when the selling day is done. Go back and measure your day and ask yourself how you did. Ask yourself these questions:

What did I set out to accomplish today? Was it to get new business? Take care of troubled accounts. Make user calls. Perhaps a combination of these and more. Did you follow your plan?

Most importantly, did you take care of the things that needed to be done? Did you get fair value out of what you did and did you deserve fair value for what you did? Are you satisfied with your performance? Mind you there is a difference.

Was there anything new you found out during your day that would be of value to you in the future or stop you from being successful in the future.
Were you flexible when you needed to be? Did you have a backup plan if something unanticipated happened? (Refer to my blog of June 10th concerning having a backup plan.)

Depending on your business, did you get interviews, set up presentations, trails, demonstrations?
If you were doing any of these things what were the results?
Did you get to see the the right person, and if so did you get their attention and give a strong presentation or demonstration? No matter the outcome did you leave a positive impression and will you be welcomed back again? What went right, what went wrong? Did you get fair value out of what you did and did you deserve it? Are you satisfied with what you accomplished?

There are so many things done in a day that would be lost if the time wasn't taken to review them. Things that by themselves would appear to be of little value but put together as a whole are immensely important. Just a little thing like taking a few minutes to go over the days' happenings could be a key factor in any salespersons' future success.

It's your day. Hopefully you benefited from it and didn't throw it away. The few minutes taken to measure it are immensely important to the salesperson and his psyche.

Thank You
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales blogs offering sales tips.

Please click THE FREE PREVIEW @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can teach you to sell even if you have no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you presently sell.

When you come across a prospect who changes his mind constantly and jumps from one thought to another with regularity it can be frustrating to keep up with him, but it is not impossible.. His thoughts and actions are quick and he is abrupt in his manner and with his words. He will agree with you one minute and in the next his demeanor will change and he will appear to be dead set against you.
You start to summarize the features and benefits agreed upon and you detect that he has changed his mind once again, and for no apparent reason.

How can we sell this individual?
Make sure you keep pace with this prospect. Speed up if you have to, but do not make it seem like you are rushing. Mention that you know he is busy and provide him with a good reason for action. At this point don't go over details but make sure you can support them if you are questioned on them. Make sure he knows what he is agreeing to when you close or he may change his mind later and cancel.

Here is something to be aware of. There is plenty of information you can garner about sales, but remember this, you must be cognizant of the manner in which you put your words into action. When I said speed up to keep pace, mention he is busy. You must do this in a convincing manner, sell it. Don't just mouth the words. You must be convincing in your words, action and manner. This is something you can't get out of books. You have to watch salespeople and how they carry themselves. Watch a sales video and observe how the presenter acts and reacts.

Words are of little value unless they are delivered in a convincing manner and with a feeling of sincerity. This is what sales is all about. It is both the choice of words and the manner with which they are delivered that spells success.

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales blogs offering sales tips.

Please click THE FREE PREVIEW @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you have no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell.

By planning the sequence of your daily calls you not only practice good sales acumen but a logical way to work your territory. Not enough time in the day to accomplish what needs to be done? Need to make that one additional call that might put you over the top and beat that quota? Are you tired at days or months end because you covered one end of your territory to the other and do not fell you used your time productively? Planning your call sequence is the logical way to remedy all of the above.

It is smart and important to plan your calls in the proper sequence. Granted sometimes customers' have to be called on at certain times and on certain days. If this is the case then you must adhere to this. There is no getting around it. It is the rest of the time when this is not a factor that you must handle your sales call sequence correctly. Start out calling on the furthest customer first and work your way back. When you are finished you are near your starting point and the time you save can be used for more advantageous pursuits related to your selling effort ( writing proposals, going over records, preparing presentations, etc.)

Preparing a sequence of calls will enable you to see as many customers as possible in the least amount of time.
Doing this will also leave you time to accomplish the following:
1- You should make sure your call sequence leaves you time to call on new customers that have just moved in to your area, or new new businesses that were started.
2-You should also try to find new customers to replace customers you lost or that have left your area.
3- Your sequence of calls can be upset by vacations, construction, holidays, and other unforeseen problems over which you have no control.

Make sure you handle your sequence of calls so that you have time to handle special developments that come up, like informing customers of price changes, changes in delivery, product changes. There is always a multitude of things that can come up that's why salespeople always have to be flexible.
Having time to handle unforeseen developments is a must. Planning your time and sequence of calls enables you to do this.

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blogs offering sales tips

Please click The Free Preview @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I devised can help you sell even if you have no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell. Spread the word on My blogs.

We all know that people will buy anything, even the most expensive items if you satisfy their needs and prove the items' worth. Show the prospect how the product or service will benefit them and is worth the higher cost and you get a sale. Notice the word cost, not price. Price has a sharper more intrusive sound connected to it from the consumers' point of view.
Psychologically cost sounds more appealing to the consumer than price.

Selling a quality product that costs more than your competition must be done in such a way that relates how the benefits of the features justify the higher cost. Sell the differences that makes your product worth the higher cost. Mention those differences and features early on in the presentation and do it often without appearing to be redundant. “The Ultimate Drill has not one but six safety features”. Doing this early in the presentation helps the prospect to understand how the product can do what it does. Why it costs what it does and most importantly why it is worth the higher cost. Pound away at the benefits of those features early and often.

Doing this early in the presentation plants a seed in the prospect's mind that lingers in their sub conscious and stays there for the rest of the presentation. It creates a positive state of mind that will be with them throughout the presentation and act as a positive for you.
You must have faith in your product and believe it is worth the higher cost , this is imperative. If you don't exude this confidence your prospects will sense it.

In Summation:
When your product costs more than that of your competitors you must introduce the reason why that is so, early and often in the presentation. You must show the worth of those features and why they reflect the higher cost. You must do this with conviction. The customer is then immediately aware of what the product can do, how it does it and why it is worth the higher cost.

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blogs offering sales tips.

Please click The Free Preview @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell.

Samples are an invaluable aid a salesperson can use to peak the prospects interest in his product during the presentation, or after a discussion on the product.

The old adage “ a picture is worth a thousand words' is compounded twenty times that when a prospect not only sees the product but also feels it and touches it. Hearing about something is good, seeing it is better, but handling it is the most beneficial. Simply put when the customer's senses are involved with the product to a greater degree it is more beneficial to the customer and the presenter.

To get the best results while using samples during your presentation try this:

A- It goes without saying only use samples that are clean, in good condition,and are able to do what they are intended to do. Never use or give out a sample unless you checked it out and are sure it functions properly.
B- Never leave a sample unless you have shown the customer how to use it .
C- Make sure the samples you choose fits the customer's needs. Using any other samples is confusing and a waste of time.
D- Never show too many samples at once. (two at the most). More than two is overwhelming and confusing. In this case too much of a good thing is not a good thing.
E- Maintain control of the presentation and the handling of samples. It is best not to let the customer handle them during the presentation, it detracts from their concentration. If the customer reaches for them, stop talking, smile, pause, let them handle it momentarily, then judiciously and politely take it out of their hands. Pause a moment; smile; and continue.
F-Leave literature pertaining to the product with as much pertinent information as possible. It should contain size, colors, dimensions, ordering information. Anything that can be used for quick customer referral.

When you are finished remember this it is of utmost importance, pause and say “ let me just go over these few points again”. No matter how thorough you thought your presentation was, if the customer didn't understand it, it was a failure. The customer is not going to admit they didn't understand something. Once again, this is crucial; if the customer didn't understand something they are not going to admit it. This approach of restating a few points once again allows for this important point and it may be the difference between success and failure. Someone once told me; "listen, I am only going to say this three times", and they continued to do just that, they repeated themselves three times. I got the point.

Before you leave set up a time and date to review the customer's feelings and impressions. Most important follow up by phone as soon as possible to make sure:
A- Nothing was overlooked.
B- The customer understood everything.
C- There are no questions that can impede your progress.
It is critical that everything pertaining to your product is understood and accepted. If this is not the case then no matter how good your product or presentation is or was, you would have failed.

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blogs offering sales tips.

Please click The FREE PREVIEW @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you have no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your selling prowess if you currently sell.

A short time ago, the people in my area were asked to vote on a proposition presented to them. The airways were filled with pleas from both sides but a bit more from one side than the other.That at least is how I perceived it. This lead me as most things do to think of how important the ability to sell is, and more importantly how the inability to convince or sell; leads to failure in almost all phases of life.

You see if you have a point of view it is useless unless you can present it in such a way so that people follow it. Just as in life, sales demands that. “If the success of what you are doing depends on selling something to someone, than you better be able to win people to your point of view”. One must never lose sight of what the end result is that you want to accomplish. That is the sale. The successful presentation of words and actions that lead to a customer's purchase. Sometimes salespeople over think or give themselves a mental hernia over the process of “the sale”.

If you can not convince people of your point of view than everything leading up to that desired effect is a failure. Sounds like common sense but so many salespeople lose sight of it. Some say perception is in essence reality, so whether or not you succeed depends on how people perceive you and how you get your point across. How you convince them of your point of view. How you bring it all together so people follow you. Sounds simple; but so many salespeople take such a circuitous route while making a presentation that they and the customer lose sight of what they are there for.

If you are selling, then convince people of your point of view. Never lose sight of that fact. It is as simple as that. Do not make it any more complicated. Do so and you make a sale. Fail to do so and you fail.

All the money and time dedicated to that particular proposition boiled down to that one constant. Convincing people of their point of view. It is not the catchy phrases, the glossy adds, the preponderance of time and money, it is the simple fact that if you present something that you want people to adhere to then make sure you convince them of what you are saying.

Life is full of sales related comparisons, it mirrors sales so closely. In life if you want something you must convince people of your point of view so they follow you, and that is what sales is all about. It is not complicated. You put something forward and unless you convince someone of the merit of what you put forward, you fail.

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales blogs offering sales tips

Please click the FREE PREVIEW @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you have had no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell.

When you respond to a customer's request for help it can lead to sales that can become bigger and much larger than imagined.

Changes in the quality of a product, production output, personnel, any number of things can cause a customer to ask for your help. Any of these things can cause a company to mess up. They can lose accounts, miss deadlines, lay off personnel etc. Solving any problems you are asked to help with can be extremely beneficial to you as a salesperson. Here is an outline that will help solve some company problems that might arise. These are but a few but I put them forth to present a general idea to be investigated, and a path to follow.
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Start off by interviewing everyone connected with the the problem. Let them know you are there to help and not to point any accusing fingers or attach blame to anyone.

Go around and reeducated the personnel connected with the problem, observe everyone and everything. Take note of everything and try to come up with a conclusion. Let them know that eventually a solution will be found.

Study the problem; put everything together you have learned and ask your peers for help and anyone else you think that can help solve the problem. Meet with the company, present your ideas and ask for their help and suggestions. Explain how other companies with similar problems handled them. (Make sure while doing this that you never compromise any of your other customers and their procedures ).

Make sure you overcome any fear the customer has that the present personnel can't handle the problem once it is found.

Make sure both you and the company are in agreement as to what has to be done and then with their approval put the plan into action.

Sometimes new products may be purchased as a result of the findings. Company's are open to trusting people who help them, they have added confidence in them and their suggestions.

When problems of this magnitude arise it usually comes to the attention of someone high up in the organization and that means you deal with them directly. A nice position to move forward from in the future for bigger sales.

Thank you
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blogs offering sales tips

Pklease click The Free Preview @ www.basicsofsales.com and see how the program I developed can help you sell even if you had no prior sales experience, and it can also increase your sales prowess if you currently sell.