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By Sandy
Let’s make sales fun for everyone!
Seriously. It’s possible.
The word, “sales” isn’t dirty. But sometimes, it feels it.
Let’s unpack that. You love shopping. You love buying. Why does it suddenly become awkward when another person is involved (the dreaded salesman)? And, why do you feel so awkward taking on that sales role?
First, let me say that I absolutely do get it. As someone who has been in sales in some capacity for almost my entire career, I know that sometimes, sales feels super icky.
But, only when you’re doing it wrong.
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Once you get the hang of it, selling can actually feel like a lot of fun! Not pushy. Not icky. Not scary. Just fun.
If you’re the one in charge of sales inside your business, it’s beneficial to embrace the selling process. After all, business can’t take place without a sale. If there’s one thing not to avoid, it’s sales.
If you want to feel more comfortable and make more money, here are the three things I keep in mind whenever I’m on a sales call.
If sales feels icky, you probably don’t have a qualified lead. Let’s use an MLM rep as an example.
Multi-level marketers are often encouraged to go out into their network and pitch their friends and families. Not only is this scary to do, but it also feels uncomfortable to the person who is being prospected.
The reason for the awkwardness is that the rep’s friends and family are not all qualified leads. Just because someone can use a product, doesn’t mean they feel a strong desire to do so.
However, if that same MLM rep found a group of highly qualified people – people who have expressed interest in that product, or who has identified themselves as having a problem that your product can solve, the conversation will feel a lot more natural.
Quick tip: Qualify your leads before you even get on the phone. Let your clients know on your website, or through email who you’re looking for and what you do. When your message is clear, your clients will self-select. That means, whoever decides to get on the phone with you is interested and ready to talk moving forward.
Once you’ve qualified your prospect, it’s time to determine their needs.
Just because someone is interested, doesn’t mean they are a fit for all of your products and services. Rather than going straight for the pitch, take time to fully understand their needs. This does two things to help the conversation be more comfortable and more effective.
First, it gives you ammo for later. The more you know about your customers wants and needs, the easier it is to match them to the perfect product and have some really compelling reasons for doing so.
Second, you don’t have to talk. Just listen.
Quick tip: Whenever I jump on a 1 : 1 sales call, my goal is to be the first to ask a question. I usually start with, “So, tell me about this project you have coming up.”
Rarely do I start a conversation that way and not close a sale. In fact, the more I listen, the higher my close rate is. They feel comfortable talking about their project, I’m well informed when it comes time to quote and no one feels pressured.
The only thing that’s left is the price.
Why does the mention of money make us feel so uncomfortable? Even if you typically feel ok on a sales call, most people start to squirm when quoting the price.
To make this process run more smoothly, make sure you drop some hints earlier in the conversation so that the other person has an idea of what to expect. You don’t have to give an exact price, but your prospect should have some idea where you’re positioned in the marketplace.
To do this, you can post prices online or within emails leading up to the sales call. You could also compare options before you speak specifically about money. For example, “my hour long consulting call is $150, but my copywriting services are typically higher.”
This is really important if you’re selling high ticket items.
Notice what all of these tips have in common? Most everything that makes sales feel more fun includes looking out for the customer’s needs. When a sales conversation becomes a conversation with a goal of making the other person happy, the tone changes. Things become more comfortable and easy going. No one feels pressured, but that doesn’t mean they’re not buying. Buying is fun! And sales can be too, if you do it right!
What are your super-secret-sales tips for making the process fun and effective?
