But imagine if your business could be simplified. Instead of juggling dozens of balls to get a sale, there are really only five items that you need to master and put into place to become a sales master. Think of the Fantastic Four, but instead, this is your Fabulous Five.
Master these, and you’ll become a superhero in your own right.
THE FABULOUS FIVE
1. Hear the Message:A sales presentation with your client is all about sending and receiving the right messages. For a salesperson, it’s often easiest to think about the messages that you send, and for that reason, a lot of salespeople wind up talking more than they should.What’s the real key to sales? It’s listening. A good salesperson can pick up on the message that the client is sending their way about what they are looking for, what budget they had in mind, and whether or not they are ready to do business with you. All the information is there already, but to harness it, you have to listen. Hear the messages that your clients are sending you.
2. Sell the Clients:Once you’ve listened to the client, and you’ve heard what they are saying - and not saying - about their needs, it’s time to show them why your company is the right choice for them. This is where your presentation and professionalism come into play.
Mastering your presentation means practice, practice, and more practice. It also involves some planning and forethought on the type of objections your clients might throw your way during the presentation. By thinking of the possible objections ahead of time, you can prepare an answer that you can become very familiar with. At that point, you’ll simply be waiting for the objection to come because you’ll be prepared for it.
3. Treat the Customer Right:No sale is ever the right thing for the customer if they aren’t treated right. With that in mind, make sure the system that you’re selling to your clients will meet all of their needs to the specifications that you’ve described to them.
Treating the client right is an idea that extends to everyone on the team. From the way their phone call is answered to the greeting they get from the installation crew on their install date, everyone on the team should treat the customer with respect and professionalism.
4. Exceed Expectations:One of the most tried-and-true ideas in running a successful business is to always exceed your clients’ expectations. When you exceed expectations, your clients will rave about you and your company, which leads to more opportunity down the line. But exceeding expectations isn’t a passive endeavor. It doesn’t just happen. For your company to exceed expectations, you have to continually seek out ways to surprise and wow your clients.
A great way to do that is simply pay attention to other companies that exceed your expectations. What do they do that you could use to exceed your own clients’ expectations?
5. Administrate:This may be the most unglamorous part of the sales process, but it’s one of the most vital because without the correct administration, everything falls apart.
Think about this horrific scenario. Your rookie salesperson just got a client involved in a fantastic (and profitable) new system for their home. It’s coming at just the right time for you to keep your team busy, but someone forgot to send in the financing paperwork. As a result, the client doesn’t get the financing, they’re upset, and the sale falls apart. Now you’ve lost a client, upset your salesperson, and lost revenue that would have helped your company. It all happened because the sale wasn’t administrated properly. Handle all of the details from beginning to end to make sure your client receives the best.
By taking care of those Fabulous Five, you can ensure that your team and your clients receive the best. And when that happens, you can be certain that your company will receive the best as well.
Publication Date:08/06/2007
