Salesmanship
PROFESSIONAL SALESMANSHIP
I received a call from an ex-student this week, who is designing an induction program me for new recruits about to embark on a career in sales. He asked that if one had to create “twelve golden principles of selling”, what I would come up with.
I responded that I could do better than that - I could reduce my list to seven! Clearly this is a very subjective view but mindful of the fact that this exercise is designed to provide guidance to salespeople just starting on the first rung of the ladder, this is what I came up with.
Always Sell To People
•People are different
•No two sales are the same
•Aim at becoming a people expert
•Professional salespeople actually like people
•People buy from people - they always will
You Have To Sell Yourself
•Be interesting
•Develop ‘intellect’
•Never be arrogant - never talk ‘up’ or ‘down’
•Respect the buyer and they will respect you
•Develop your empathy levels
•Learn to develop rapport
•Control your ego levels
You Must Ask Questions And Listen To The Answers
•Develop your questioning techniques
•Remember What? Where? When? Which? Why? Who? And How?
• ‘test your understanding’
•Listen to understand
•God has given us two ears and one mouth, we should use them in that order
•Successful sales professionals talk for 20% of the time and listen for 80% of the time
•Develop your active listening skills
Features Must Be Linked To Benefits
Remember:
•Features are common - benefits are personal and specific
•Use the ‘link phrases’ - ‘which means that......’
•Be specific
•Sell The Results – ‘Paint A Picture’
•Discover ‘prime desires’
•Personalize benefits
•Describe end results
•You Cannot Rely On Logic
•84% of all buying decisions are based upon emotion - not logic
•What are the chief buying emotions? - Ego - Security - Pride Of Ownership - Greed - Health - Prestige – Status - Ambition - Fear Of Loss
Aim To Be Unique – ‘Me First’ Rather Than ‘Me Too’
I received a call from an ex-student this week, who is designing an induction program me for new recruits about to embark on a career in sales. He asked that if one had to create “twelve golden principles of selling”, what I would come up with.
I responded that I could do better than that - I could reduce my list to seven! Clearly this is a very subjective view but mindful of the fact that this exercise is designed to provide guidance to salespeople just starting on the first rung of the ladder, this is what I came up with.
Always Sell To People
•People are different
•No two sales are the same
•Aim at becoming a people expert
•Professional salespeople actually like people
•People buy from people - they always will
You Have To Sell Yourself
•Be interesting
•Develop ‘intellect’
•Never be arrogant - never talk ‘up’ or ‘down’
•Respect the buyer and they will respect you
•Develop your empathy levels
•Learn to develop rapport
•Control your ego levels
You Must Ask Questions And Listen To The Answers
•Develop your questioning techniques
•Remember What? Where? When? Which? Why? Who? And How?
• ‘test your understanding’
•Listen to understand
•God has given us two ears and one mouth, we should use them in that order
•Successful sales professionals talk for 20% of the time and listen for 80% of the time
•Develop your active listening skills
Features Must Be Linked To Benefits
Remember:
•Features are common - benefits are personal and specific
•Use the ‘link phrases’ - ‘which means that......’
•Be specific
•Sell The Results – ‘Paint A Picture’
•Discover ‘prime desires’
•Personalize benefits
•Describe end results
•You Cannot Rely On Logic
•84% of all buying decisions are based upon emotion - not logic
•What are the chief buying emotions? - Ego - Security - Pride Of Ownership - Greed - Health - Prestige – Status - Ambition - Fear Of Loss
Aim To Be Unique – ‘Me First’ Rather Than ‘Me Too’