Many sales people, as well as people in any position, are only taught one to a few ways to do something. There is more than one way to do something, of course. Even something as simple as a hot dog can be prepared in a variety of different ways. What do hot dogs have to do with making sales? Nothing, unless you are a hot dog company, of course.
The message to this is that there is more than one to make a sale, more than one way to market, and more than one way to polish up on your business. If you are not selling your service, or you have problems retaining customers, then maybe it is time to try something different. Change can be good! Sometimes, selling is the least favorite part of your job, however – you have all of the tools you need, and you just need to discover them.
Cold Calling and Cold Responses
No one likes to do cold calls. It seems very impersonal, and it is far too easy for people to turn you down. However, do you stop to think about why they are not interested? Are they already sold on something else? Are they distracted? Here are some common rejections and how to overcome them.
I’m not interested” – This is a very common, and easy to use excuse that a prospect may use to worm out of the conversation. Find out if they’re not interested in the product, or just not interested in talking at the moment. Perhaps it would be better to talk another time.
“Now’s not a good time” – Find out WHY it’s not a good time, and convince them that they need to hear what you have to say. Sometimes, they may be going through a tough time in their business and need someone to identify with.
“We are already working with someone” – Now, this is a common phrase, that when uttered, causes many salespeople to turn and flee. The best action is to find out why they like who they are with currently. You then could ask if they would like to see any improvements, and give a friendly offer to be their second set of eyes.
The Majesty of the World-Wide-Web
The internet may not seem like a practical tool, due to how broad and expansive it is. However, when used correctly, the internet can tell you exactly how effective your marketing techniques are. Many sites, such as Facebook, offer insights to the traffic of your pages. Use these insights to see how many people are actually seeing your page. This goes the same with videos posted on the internet. YouTube offers services to track how many people view your videos, where they view them from, and if they are passing them on. Harness all of these tools, and more, to really analyze whether your marketing is adequate.
Remember the key to being great in sales…. is to find out what they want and give it to them…
Happy selling
Yvonne Hilsz
www.yvonnehilsz.com