The Fundamentals of Selling

If you had to hazard a guess about the state of the economy in your country what would you say about it? As I write this it doesn’t seem to matter what country you live in, the economy is probably pretty rough right now. Odds are it is going to get rougher and tougher over the next 6 – 18 months and that means that it’s going to get harder to sell things as well. In tough economic times people tend to watch their expenditures more closely and cut back on the non-essentials. So how do you as a sales professional approach selling in this type of economy?

When the going gets tough the tough not only get going, they focus on executing the basics well. Just as in football blocking and tackling forms the foundation of much more complicated and fancy plays, in sales the fundamentals are the tools we need to ensure our success. Listed below are what I consider the ten most fundamental elements of the sales process. Professionals who want to thrive in this tougher sales environment will concentrate on doing these things.

  1. WOW your customers and Prospects. Tom Peters may have popularized the “Wow factor”, but it’s something superior salespeople have always provided their customers. In a tough economy we must deliver extraordinary customer service to our existing customers and clients. This is accomplished by providing them with the products and services they want in the way they want them. Make it easy to buy from you. Loyal customers who will stick with you are what helps you survive in bad times. Having a “Blow Them Away” levels of customer service is the way superior salespeople build up and keep that loyalty.
  2. Study your industry and the players. Having the right information about developments within your industry and about your competition and customers is vital in tough times. Professional salespeople know this and seek to gather information and intelligence on the players and influencers in their industry at all times. This is even more important when times are tough because the business and competitive landscape can change rapidly.

    Study your existing accounts and important prospects to identify what is happening within your market both now and in the near term. Who are the players and what are the trends? Where is the business now and where is it going? Is your business growing or does it have a limited lifespan.

  3. Get out there and prospect. And that’s an order! Prospecting is the key to any industry. Despite this fact, a lot of salespeople look for every excuse to avoid prospecting even in the best of times. But effective prospecting is the key that will get you tough times and lay the foundation for a high level of success when times are good. Solid prospecting takes effort, discipline, imagination and a plan. Open up your eyes and ears so that you are attuned to opportunity. Listen to passing comments, news items and rumors that might indicate an existing problem or a possible referral. Don’t forget to get out there and ask for the business.
  4. Be prepared to sell. You’ve probably heard the saying that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. In my experience this is true. There are two types of items you need to have available in order to be ready to sell, tangible and intangible. Tangible items are things like your pitch book, demo units, samples and brochures. Every sales person needs these available, up to date and in good shape. Intangible items are things like your mindset, your sales skills and your ability to put together deals and see opportunities. Prepare yourself daily in both these areas.
  5. Sell Value. When times are tough and money is tight people tend to buy “value” and you should restructure your sales presentation and offering to capitalize on this fact. Your job as a salesperson is to create value in the mind of your customer. This can be in terms of an economic payback as well as a psychic payback. Why do people invest in your product or service? Determine this and then explore how you can better communicate this to your customers.

Interested in learning more effective sales techniques? Read on...

Page   1   2

Back to Home