Closing: Make the Sale or Don't

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Closing is the second most important step in the sales process behind Finding Needs, and it can lead to making the sale or losing it.  Closing can mean a couple of different things depending on whether you are trying to make a large sale or a small sale.  During a small sale, a successful close will always lead to making the sale and having them sign on the dotted line.  For a large sale, mostly business to business types where there are multiple people involved in the decision making process, you will most likely not be able to close that day.  When this is the case DO NOT USE TYPICAL CLOSING TECHNIQUES!  Doing this will offend your prospect and make them think that you are too pushy.  Remember:  in sales you need to form a relationship with the buyer, and being seen as pushy or uncaring of their needs will make them not want to form that relationship.

Communication Skills in Sales

Most people know that "smooth talking" is a trait that most salespeople possess, but a sales professional needs more than this to be a good communicator.  These skills are necessary in all of the steps of selling starting at building rapport. Here are a few tips on how to better communicate to your prospects:

1) Speak directly.  When talking about your product avoid using words or terms such as "probably" or "sort of."  These words make you sound insecure either about yourself or your product.   Be sure of o0yourself and what you have to offer.

2) Avoid product "jargon."  Your prospect will not understand you if you talk about the "PCF" valve on the "UAV." Even if they do, they might have to explain that to their boss or purchasing manager.  You would be doing them a favor by using terminology any 5th grade graduate would understand.

3) Avoid ambiguity.  You could confuse or potentially insult the person you are talking to.  You may also seem unintelligent.

These tips should be used in any form of communication, whether it is face to face, email, text messaging, or otherwise.  There are many more ways to communicate more effectively, so try to learn as much as you can in this subject to be more successful.

Visit my website at dadesalesandmarketing.com and contact me about my sales training, social media marketing, and website building today!

What is Twitter?

"What is Twitter" is a question I get from a lot of business owners when I meet with them.  Everybody has heard of Twitter these days, but they do not know how it can help their business.  Twitter is a site for "microblogging", which means that you are giving information on what you are doing or what you are working on in less than 140 characters.  Many businesses have become wildly popular by using Twitter, and those businesses have been very creative as to how they use Twitter.  Some have decided to tell a story 140 characters at a time, and others have used it to get their name out there similar to Facebook.

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Listening Skills vs. Swift Talking in Sales

Most people that think of a salesperson is somebody who can talk people into buying their product even if they don't need it.  I have heard the term "He can sell a ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves."  While the ability to be convincing is important in sales, the ability to listen to your prospect is much more important.  How does a good sales professional know how to gear their presentation?  They spent time listening to the customer's needs and adapt the rest of the sales process around those needs.  After you have listened enough to discover their needs and analyze what type of buyer they are, the "swift talking" skills can be applied more efficiently.

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