As promised last week, here are the next ten sales tips in the series. They are simple, but very effective. Being great at selling is about much more than complicated sales processes – in my mind it is about being a great observer, being genuinely interested in people, knowing your products exceptionally well and learning to listen. So here you go – and if you are a first time BUSINESS BULLET recipient, you can view past BULLETS by clicking on the button down the side.
11. Set your own personal sales targets each day.
Many of us are given sales targets to achieve in a day. It may be for the whole shop, it may be for you as an individual. Whatever the case, make it your mission not to just achieve your sales target but to blow it out of the water. People who set goals generally achieve them. Do this consistently and you will feel fantastic, you will be a truly valued member of any team and your will career will advance rapidly (great sales people can always get a great job).
12. Learn to ask great questions.
Selling is really about communication. The better you can communicate the more you will sell, simple as that really. One of the best ways to communicate is to ask really good questions. If, by asking good questions you can be clear about what you customer wants, how much easier is it to meet their needs and expectations. I recommend having a set of questions that you have ready to ask people when they are looking to buy. Here are some examples from a book retailer who I recently did some work with – Is the book for you or is it a gift? Do you have a favourite author? Is there a similar title that you liked and why? How did you hear about that book? How do you find our range? Is there anything we could do to make our store better? Make it easy for the customer to give you the information and they will keep coming back forever.
13. Don’t stop selling when you are on the phone.
Often the telephone is a real problem in the retail world. Inconsiderate customers ring up to ask questions about things they want to buy. How dare they? Unfortunately, some sales people seem to have this attitude. All of their sales skills go out the window the minute the phone rings. My advice here is to treat every customer on the phone as supremely important, use all of the skills you have, give them a huge hello, find out what they want and need and encourage them to come in and buy it. If you find yourself getting grumpy every time the phone rings, it’s time for an attitude adjustment.
14. Look at how other people sell to you – pick up the good points and try them yourself.
I like to watch sales people selling. I know, I know, I really should get a life but I get some great ideas about what to do and more importantly about what not to do simply by watching other people sell. So every time I find myself in a shop buying something I turn into a private investigator. I ease drop on conversations, hide behind displays and watch customers and sales people interacting and generally look for ideas that will help me sell more of anything to anyone. Watching a great sales person really is a great experience and I suggest that if you find one, learn as much as you can from them. Most of the time their “greatness” will simply be that they are good communicators.
15. Read some great sales book (and there are plenty).
Well these recommendations would be useless without a shameless plug for a truly spectacular sales book – 101 Ways to Sell More of Anything to Anyone. But of course there are lots of great sales books out there and the more you read the better you will get. Whenever you have a moment or two to spare grab one and flick through the pages. Something will jump out and make sense so give it a go. Learn as much as you can and be willing to try new ideas. Along the same vane, doing a sales training course is certainly a good idea – the problem is that most of us do one every twenty years, instead of twice a year.
16. Let your customers know about special offers.
If you have special offers going on in your shop, take a moment to tell your customers about them. Remember you work in your business all day every day. You know all about the sale or the special promotion, but to the customer walking in, it might not be that obvious. Think about the times you have rented a DVD and the sales staff have said for just one dollar more you could rent another five DVD’s. Do you do it? I do, every single time, even though I very rarely watch them. People don’t usually get upset if you can tell them how to save some money so don’t be afraid to walk up to your customers and let them know what great deals you have available.
17. Respect is a very powerful word.
This word goes hand in hand with customer service and great sales skills. Respect everything about your customer: their time, the fact that they have chosen to buy from you, their opinion, and their requests – the lot. Respect is a very powerful word. People who are respectful of others are naturally warmer human beings and this is an attractive quality. Show your customers as much respect as you possibly can and they will appreciate it and buy more from you to say thanks.
18. If you say you will do something – do it.
The biggest area where people are disappointed with their sales experience is when a sales person over promises and under delivers. This simply means that the sales person promises to do something, maybe call when a book arrives, but they don’t. The customer has to chase up the order and it frustrates them. If you promise to do something for your customer, make absolutely certain that you do it. Exceptional sales people are masters are under promising and over delivering. Try it – tell a customer a special order will take a few extra days to come in than you expect and then ring them when it arrives early. They will really appreciate it and remember what happened.
19. Be proud of your business.
I love my business and I am supremely proud of what I do. I hope that you feel the same, regardless of whether you own the business or work in the business. Being proud means being ready, willing and able to tell the world what you do. Bursting with enthusiasm at any opportunity to tell people what you do and most importantly how well you do. Most people love that kind of enthusiasm and they will make a mental note to support you simply because you are so passionate about your business. Feel free to tell the world what you do and give them a pile of reasons why they should be buying from you.
20. When it comes to saying “thank you” be big, bold and sincere.
Just as the first few seconds of any customer interaction is vitally important, so is the “thank you for your business” at the end. Become great at giving a big “thank you” to your customers and mean it. Appreciate the fact that this customer is helping to keep you in a job. They are helping you to achieve your dreams, whatever they may be. Every customer has a world of choice out there and if they choose to buy from you, that deserves some sincere appreciation.
OK, I hope these tips really helped inspire you. Selling is not that hard, but like any skill you have to practise and try new ways to get better at it. But if you do, your business will never look back.
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