purush_tiwari
Purshottam Tiwari
Twelve Things Every Sales Super Star Knows
There are only three ways to sell more. Do more right. Do less wrong. Or, do both. Every successful salesperson knows that there are many skills and attitudes that contribute to their success, but there are twelve critical attributes that the sales super stars have integrated into their overall sales strategy.
1.) Make a sale, you’ll make a living.
Sell a relationship and you can make a fortune. Poor salespeople focus on just closing the sale. Successful salespeople focus on closing the sale and the relationship.
Selling is not about only closing the current prospect on a particular product or service that solves one of their pressing problems, needs or desires. It is about building a trusting relationship and partnership with them, by becoming a resource, and helping them solve their on-going problems, or satisfying their continuing and evolving needs and desires. Super stars know that the lifetime value of a client is far more than the value of one sale or transaction. They take along view of the relationship. It is not just about this sale but future sales, referrals and customer trust and loyalty.
2.) People buy when they are ready to buy not when you need to sell.
One of the critical concepts that sales super stars know is that their role is to help people buy and that just because they may be behind in their sales quota is not a reason why a prospect should buy from them now.
You don’t change people’s buying habits or circumstances. What you can do is accurately discover them and then attempt to create a sense of urgency. It is important to discover those ‘real’ reasons or circumstances as to why a prospect would buy now, later, not at all or never. Once you have discovered their real issues the sales super star tailors their appeal to those specific needs, desires and buying circumstances.
3.) When you sell price you rent the business. When you sell value you own it.
Any price, no matter how low, will always seem high to a prospect or customer if their perceived value is low. Prospects and customers say they want low price, but what they really want is low cost. What is the difference?
Price is what customers pay for your product or service now. Cost is what the customer pays by buying late, not at all or wrong. It is their overall cost over an extended period of time. In most cases we get what we pay for. Buy cheap and you get less value or higher cost. Buy expensive and you get higher value or lower cost over time. This is not always true but tends to be true most of the time. The sales super stars sell value and don’t defend price. In the long run, it is much easier to justify high price if the value is there, than poor quality and constant product/service problems.
4.) Your prospect will tell you what you need to tell them to sell them.
Accurate and timely information is the key to success in selling. The sales super stars understand that their job is not to sell their prospect or services but to help the prospect become comfortable with buying their products or services and giving themselves permission to buy now. Information is power and successful salespeople are masters at uncovering needs, problems, prejudices, concerns and desires in a timely and truthful way.
5.) If two people want to do business together they won’t let the details get in the way. If two people don’t want to do business together they will let any detail get in the way.
We are talking here about intent. Sales super stars know how to identify the prospect’s real intent or their purpose. They are not easily misled and tend to probe deeper when they feel they are not getting the real truth from the prospect or customer.
6.) They need to work as hard to keep the business as they did to get it in the first place.
A key concept to keep in mind while selling is that the close of the sale is not the end of the sales process, but the beginning of the sales relationship. Once the sale has been closed and the prospect accepts your promises, commitments or features as ones that will benefit him, he or she now moves into a sort of limbo mode. They wait patiently to see if you meant all of that sales stuff or were just trying to get another deal. After-sales service is the key to keeping sales closed and keeping customers satisfied and buying again. It can often be a subtle test to see if you can really deliver.
One of the keys is to promise a lot and deliver more. In other words, exceed customer expectations.
7.) To sell more every year, they get better every year.
Over the years, one common denominator I have observed in sales super stars is their willingness to invest in the continued improvement of their skills, attitudes and philosophy.
Sales stars don’t wait for their organisation to invest in them and their future value. They take full responsibility for the quality of their life and learning. They are proactive in seeking out learning opportunities. They are constantly taking advantage of networking opportunities looking for all types of people who can help them improve. They create strategic alliance relationships that are mutually beneficial.
8.) They manage their time and territory effectively.
Each of us gets 24 hours to do with what we will. Before you can improve your use of time to sell you need to get a handle on how you are spending your time and how you are abusing it.
9.) The close of the sale begins when the prospect agrees to see them.
People don’t like to make decisions. The main reason is they don’t want to make a poor or wrong decision. Few salespeople tend to ask a few questions, jump into the presentation too soon, try and overcome a couple of the prospect’s sales objections and then prematurely go for the close – usually unsuccessfully. The sales super stars know long before they ask their closing question what the answer will be. How? By being effective at people reading skills, by asking intelligent, effective and appropriate probing qualifying questions, by being good listeners and by asking a variety of trial closing questions throughout the sales process. They don’t try an force a fit. They discover the prospects sense of urgency or they create it.
10.) They never give up control of the sales process.
A common mistake poor salespeople make is that they lose control of the sales process at some point. They quote price before they have had a chance to build value or don’t ask enough questions early in the sales process, they just ramble on.
Control of the sales process is one of the key strategies of the sales super star. They understand that control is not manipulation, but is in the ultimate best interests of the prospect or client. When the salesperson controls the sales process they are never broad-sided with a lost sale they thought was in the bag.
11.) They never project their buying prejudices into the sales process.
When you project your personal beliefs into the sales process you are assuming that everyone who buys, buys the way you like to buy and often for the same reasons. You are also tending to assume that when they don’t buy for a reason that is similar to one of yours that it makes perfect sense to you.
The sales super star leaves their personal biases, prejudices and opinions at home.
12.) They never lose their passion.
Passion is the great equalizer. It can make up for a lack of experience and knowledge. I am not suggesting that you not develop your knowledge or experience - only that until you do, your passion will be interpreted by others as a strong belief in yourself, your mission and your purpose.
There are only three ways to sell more. Do more right. Do less wrong. Or, do both. Every successful salesperson knows that there are many skills and attitudes that contribute to their success, but there are twelve critical attributes that the sales super stars have integrated into their overall sales strategy.
1.) Make a sale, you’ll make a living.
Sell a relationship and you can make a fortune. Poor salespeople focus on just closing the sale. Successful salespeople focus on closing the sale and the relationship.
Selling is not about only closing the current prospect on a particular product or service that solves one of their pressing problems, needs or desires. It is about building a trusting relationship and partnership with them, by becoming a resource, and helping them solve their on-going problems, or satisfying their continuing and evolving needs and desires. Super stars know that the lifetime value of a client is far more than the value of one sale or transaction. They take along view of the relationship. It is not just about this sale but future sales, referrals and customer trust and loyalty.
2.) People buy when they are ready to buy not when you need to sell.
One of the critical concepts that sales super stars know is that their role is to help people buy and that just because they may be behind in their sales quota is not a reason why a prospect should buy from them now.
You don’t change people’s buying habits or circumstances. What you can do is accurately discover them and then attempt to create a sense of urgency. It is important to discover those ‘real’ reasons or circumstances as to why a prospect would buy now, later, not at all or never. Once you have discovered their real issues the sales super star tailors their appeal to those specific needs, desires and buying circumstances.
3.) When you sell price you rent the business. When you sell value you own it.
Any price, no matter how low, will always seem high to a prospect or customer if their perceived value is low. Prospects and customers say they want low price, but what they really want is low cost. What is the difference?
Price is what customers pay for your product or service now. Cost is what the customer pays by buying late, not at all or wrong. It is their overall cost over an extended period of time. In most cases we get what we pay for. Buy cheap and you get less value or higher cost. Buy expensive and you get higher value or lower cost over time. This is not always true but tends to be true most of the time. The sales super stars sell value and don’t defend price. In the long run, it is much easier to justify high price if the value is there, than poor quality and constant product/service problems.
4.) Your prospect will tell you what you need to tell them to sell them.
Accurate and timely information is the key to success in selling. The sales super stars understand that their job is not to sell their prospect or services but to help the prospect become comfortable with buying their products or services and giving themselves permission to buy now. Information is power and successful salespeople are masters at uncovering needs, problems, prejudices, concerns and desires in a timely and truthful way.
5.) If two people want to do business together they won’t let the details get in the way. If two people don’t want to do business together they will let any detail get in the way.
We are talking here about intent. Sales super stars know how to identify the prospect’s real intent or their purpose. They are not easily misled and tend to probe deeper when they feel they are not getting the real truth from the prospect or customer.
6.) They need to work as hard to keep the business as they did to get it in the first place.
A key concept to keep in mind while selling is that the close of the sale is not the end of the sales process, but the beginning of the sales relationship. Once the sale has been closed and the prospect accepts your promises, commitments or features as ones that will benefit him, he or she now moves into a sort of limbo mode. They wait patiently to see if you meant all of that sales stuff or were just trying to get another deal. After-sales service is the key to keeping sales closed and keeping customers satisfied and buying again. It can often be a subtle test to see if you can really deliver.
One of the keys is to promise a lot and deliver more. In other words, exceed customer expectations.
7.) To sell more every year, they get better every year.
Over the years, one common denominator I have observed in sales super stars is their willingness to invest in the continued improvement of their skills, attitudes and philosophy.
Sales stars don’t wait for their organisation to invest in them and their future value. They take full responsibility for the quality of their life and learning. They are proactive in seeking out learning opportunities. They are constantly taking advantage of networking opportunities looking for all types of people who can help them improve. They create strategic alliance relationships that are mutually beneficial.
8.) They manage their time and territory effectively.
Each of us gets 24 hours to do with what we will. Before you can improve your use of time to sell you need to get a handle on how you are spending your time and how you are abusing it.
9.) The close of the sale begins when the prospect agrees to see them.
People don’t like to make decisions. The main reason is they don’t want to make a poor or wrong decision. Few salespeople tend to ask a few questions, jump into the presentation too soon, try and overcome a couple of the prospect’s sales objections and then prematurely go for the close – usually unsuccessfully. The sales super stars know long before they ask their closing question what the answer will be. How? By being effective at people reading skills, by asking intelligent, effective and appropriate probing qualifying questions, by being good listeners and by asking a variety of trial closing questions throughout the sales process. They don’t try an force a fit. They discover the prospects sense of urgency or they create it.
10.) They never give up control of the sales process.
A common mistake poor salespeople make is that they lose control of the sales process at some point. They quote price before they have had a chance to build value or don’t ask enough questions early in the sales process, they just ramble on.
Control of the sales process is one of the key strategies of the sales super star. They understand that control is not manipulation, but is in the ultimate best interests of the prospect or client. When the salesperson controls the sales process they are never broad-sided with a lost sale they thought was in the bag.
11.) They never project their buying prejudices into the sales process.
When you project your personal beliefs into the sales process you are assuming that everyone who buys, buys the way you like to buy and often for the same reasons. You are also tending to assume that when they don’t buy for a reason that is similar to one of yours that it makes perfect sense to you.
The sales super star leaves their personal biases, prejudices and opinions at home.
12.) They never lose their passion.
Passion is the great equalizer. It can make up for a lack of experience and knowledge. I am not suggesting that you not develop your knowledge or experience - only that until you do, your passion will be interpreted by others as a strong belief in yourself, your mission and your purpose.