Sales Techniques - Are they necessary?What kinds of selling methods do you use to promote your business? What seems to be most effective in your profession?
For those needing some Free help in selling education I will be hosting a two hour workshop on Practical Selling for Indies next Wednesday.
Thanks for the comment James. Let's get together tomorrow for Lunch at The Columbia Tower Club and have a little BizChat about Selling. ...Howard
Selling products and selling services have many similar strategies and yet many different. It is hard to send a sample of a service for instance. I have been "selling" services for the past decade and training salespeople for the last 6 and the two biggest techniques that I focus on are:
Without a trusting and friendly relationship it is extremely difficult to find their true needs. Once a relationship has been established it comes down to finding true need. A simple Example is house painting. The client needs a house painted. You paint houses. Pretty cut and dry. Not True. The successful painter will find out the reason why the house is getting painted. A wedding or family reunion, getting ready to sell the home... If the painter knows the reason for the need he will be able to not just paint the house but make their home look great to impress the guests/family. Without rapport and trust the painter would never have found the reason for the need. Price isn't as big of a problem.
I'm still learning the ropes when it comes to marketing, but I noticed that the best technique to getting sales (and customers to return) is to REALLY listen. Ask the right questions and you will get the right answers in return. I also noticed that personal notes/calls to check-in helps nurture a relationship with a client, too.
Ben... you are right that selling a service, concept, or an idea is different from selling products and tangible items. You shared some good advice. For those out there that would like a good resource, may I recommend the book: "The New Conceptual Selling", by Stephen E. Heiman.
Gina... Very good advice. You hit the nail right on the head as far as the most important trait a sales person can have is the ability to really Listen. And knowing the right questions to ask is close behind in importance.
We always use the phrase "two ears, one mouth- Use them accordingly" when describing the importance of listening in sales...and dating for that matter. I have spent most of my sales career working with service oriented sales. What are some key differences between the two in your experience?
Ben... Selling a tangible product usually requires a demonstration or presentation which proves or shows the benefit of ownership of the item. This is mostly performed after you've discovered the initial interest of the prospective customer in the product. Examples could include: computer, car, house, clothing, etc. Most of these prospective customers come to you and already have a need for your product.
Selling a service, on the other hand, requires more of that "trust factor" between you and the prospective customer because they are relying on YOUR words and mental pictures which you create in their mind of the final benefit they will receive from the commitment to purchase. In this case you are using stories and testimonials of past results rather than demonstration.
Most of these prospective customers have to be sought out by you and do not fully understand that they need your service. Examples of this type would be insurance, marketing services, preventative health care, construction labor intensive services, investment management, etc.
Selling the service or the "intangible" is more difficult and requires more sales ability and skill, therefore it usually commands higher commissions or rewards.
The best paid sales professions are usually a mix of selling both. An example would be technology systems that need analysis, hardware, software, design, configuration, installation, service, and support.
This forum is unmoderated, but please keep discussion courteous and not too far off topic.
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