Any of you guys in sales?

[canopener]

Hi guys. I haven't posted much here lately, and the regulars probably don't remember me, anyway. But I always know I get good advice from fellow TBers.

Late last summer, I decided to change careers. I was laid off from my mapping position about a year ago, and after spending 6 months on unemployment, I decided I needed to take another direction. Looking back, I waited about 6 months too long, but I tried to weather the storm a bit. So I went to sales. Insurance sales. I'm licensed in Life and Health & Accident. I'm also independent (which has its pluses and minuses). I do a lot of face to face cold calls and am getting the hang of it. Although I wouldn't consider myself a "natural" salesman, I do dig the idea of being my own boss, for the most part.

Have any of you made an unlikely jump into the realm of sales? If so, what advice could you offer? I think I have decent potential in this field, but at times I think I hit some roadblocks here and there. What say you?

[Swin]

for me the big number 1 is to simply be yourself and talk to a client like their your friend first. I see so many sales tapes and marketing strategies where they try to brainwash you into a programmed way of selling just like faceless upsizing at mcdonalds.

I find that trying systematic sales speeches and always having a retort to their no's is the best way to ruin sales. Where i work here at Ibanez i get kicks out of talking to dealers simply to catch up with them, buisness can wait 5 mins while you chat about random things. and you'll find once people know you more personally, the trust and the sales will follow...if theres one thing people hate, its total strangers telling them that they need something!!!

and its also good to be the "bartender that remembers the usual drink" - if you have returning customers, ALWAYS remember what they last ordered and ask how it went for them, good or bad...its all about improving their "experience" with you & your company.

[hbarcat]

As a veteran of sales I would say, if you truly believe in the product you are selling then be passionate about it and you will be successful.

If you don't believe in the product you are selling, then you will surely lose your soul.

[Blackbird]

Hey, I remember you!

I might have to clean this up and edit for clarity later, but this should be a good start.

I've worked in retail in a number of settings from mom & pop stores to corporations. While my current job isn't directly related to sales (organizing conferences), there still is a retail element to it, in that I interact with one or more clients. In fact, I will pose to you that any kind of situation in which there is an exchange between two or more people has a retail element to it.

The only products that really sell themselves are food and water. Most of the time, the product is secondary to the salesperson. If someone has good salesmanship, they can apply that skill to any product.

Most of the rules of good salesmanship (like most rules in life) are plain common sense: 1) Know your product, 2) Know your customer, and 3) know what your product can (and can't) do for your customer and present it as such.

Ideally, a salesperson should have 100% confidence in their product. If you're confident about your product's quality and value, your presentation will come across much more naturally and people will open up more.

Present your product well -Again, it boils down to knowing your product well and feeling comfortable with it. Customers pick up on these things. In fact, people are more likely to buy a bad product that is well presented than an excellent product that is presented poorly.

If you have no confidence in your product - Sell something else!

Know your customer - Don't sell steaks in India.

Know what your product can't do. Sometimes a customer will be enthusiastic about your product, but your product might not be the best one for them for a number of reasons.

Sometimes it's better not to close a sale to avoid predictable complications (an additional unpaid work) that may arise from a poor match between your product and your client. If possible, steer the customer to a more appropriate product. This brings to mind...

Knowing your competition - Study the product the other guy is selling. It's what your customers are doing when making their decision. That way, you'll be able to pitch your product better and also emphasize your product's advantages over the other guy's.

Network with people who work in related fields. Send some business their way. They'll return the favor.

Taking money from your client - It is weird, but some people are uncomfortable taking other people's money. If a salesperson presented their product truthfully and the product provides a true benefit to client, there should be no problem. Don't think of it as a sale, think of it as receipt of payment in exchange for something that will enhance your customer's quality of life. I get much more joy out of my iPod than if got from the money I used to pay for it.

Rejection - You gotta face it, not everyone is going to go for what you are selling, but many times a "No" may be a "Not yet". When you get rejected, thank your prospect for their time and offer to give them a business card. (If you don't have a business card, get some made. It's part of a professional package) You might get a call. If you don't, move on to the next prospect.

Follow-up - Be available for your customers after closing the sale. Sending a card for Christmas is a nice touch, but make an effort to be more than just the guy who sold them insurance that one time. Position yourself to be their go-to insurance guy. If people are happy with your services, they will refer other clients to you. Word of mouth is still the best advertising.

It's getting late and I got work in the morning. I hope this helps.

[Derek_L]

Read "How to win friends and influence people". Sounds like a self help book but it's absolutely brilliant.

[refinedbass]

Originally Posted by Derek_L

Read "How to win friends and influence people". Sounds like a self help book but it's absolutely brilliant.

+1 Great book

[santucci218]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

As a veteran of sales I would say, if you truly believe in the product you are selling then be passionate about it and you will be successful.

If you don't believe in the product you are selling, then you will surely lose your soul.

thats one of the best answers you will find.

I work in a local music store, so let me try my best to tell you whats going down in sales for me.

I fix guitars and such, so i know its not exactly what you may be doing, but it will still apply. When I setup a guitar and the customer comes in, I ask them to try it. I have even had guys come back into the store to tell me how much of a great job I did! It is honestly a great feeling. I specifically remember a kid with a Gibson SG that I put into C# standard tuning came back in to thank me and it really made my day. Anyways, that aside, there are still some customers who will not be happy with the services you provide. Why? Because not everybody is educated enough to understand the answer as to why their 50 dollar guitar or old guitar with bad frets cant have super low action AND no buzz.

What I am saying is, not everybody will be happy. Take it with a grain of salt. I enjoy sales for the customers that really enjoy my work, and for them I keep doing it.

[fo shizzle]

There is an entire industry that was built on trying to teach people how to sell. In my experience, all that these "sales gurus" do is mystify the process and make it dramatically harder than it needs to be.

I've learned over the years that it is virtually impossible to sell someone something they don't want or need. If I can help nudge you in the direction of a decision that you are already predisposed to make, so be it. I have found that there are 3 simple principles that define the truly quality sales guys:

1) Know what you're talking about. If you don't, you're short-changing your're client. Competence is a minimum baseline.

2) Do what you say you'll do every time, no exceptions. And don't promise things that you can't guarantee you can deliver on.

3) Don't be an ass.

There you go......... I'll bill you later for this seminar!!

[hbarcat]

Google "The sales process"

There is a step by step method for selling that has been in existence for thousands of years and it has been tested, updated and refined to the point where it is an art that is a genuine science. I took a 40 hour course in learning how to do this and I would say it was indispensable.

Successful selling is about maximizing your percentages and the difference between following a proven sales method and shooting by instinct is dramatic. In auto sales, for example, learning and following the sales process results in more than twice the number of cars sold. Those who are most successful at selling without formally learning the sales process do so because they end up picking it up on their own, sort of like the gifted musician who never took lessons.