Sales is a 5 Letter Word

Sales is NOT a 4 letter word. It’s unfortunate that so many of us believe that sales IS a 4 letter word.  Most small business owners are charged with the responsibility of generating 100% of their business’ revenues. As such, selling is essential to business survival. The problem for most business owners is they don’t fancy themselves as sales people. Without revenue, the business fails. If you’re not willing to sell, be willing to accept your fate.

Selling is not about imposing on someone so you can move forward with your agenda. It is not about “bothering” others or being “pushy.” Selling is about addressing a need or solving a problem for your clients and prospects. In most cases, price is not an issue. It’s about uncovering what the prospect or client wants, finding out how you can provide a solution and positioning you and your company as the best fit for the job. It’s not complicated or confusing. It’s actually quite simple if you embrace the spirit of selling. The beauty is, any of you out there can do it. All it takes is the right perspective, and the application of what you know. Ask good, open ended questions which focus on the prospect and what he or she is trying to accomplish. Follow up with subtle statements which tell the prospect you are the one. In the end, the “close” won’t be stressful or painful. It will only be the next step in the progression of your business relationship with the prospect. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.

Go out there and make sales a 5 letter word!!!

Don Talbert
Centurion Business Coach
www.centuriongrp.com
don@centuriongrp.com
859-816-2347

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It’s All About Them

The other day, I was thinking about sales situations, and the title to this post came to mind. Of course, then I began thinking about filling this post with related content and a flood of ideas were born. When we are in a sales situation with a prospect, it really is all about  that person and what he or she wants.

It doesn’t matter that we have to pay the mortgage, send the kids to college, or have a Sales Manager pressuring us to make quotas. The prospect only wants to know how we can fix a problem, address a need, or make life easier for them.  Do we all agree on that? With that in mind, how do we break through and make the sale?

As the title says, “it’s all about them.” If you focus on the prospect and what he or she is trying to accomplish, the door is open for  closing the sale.  How do you focus on the prospect? What about your need to make money? I’ll outline a few key points below;

1) Bond with the prospect. Find the common bond that gets you started on the path to building a relationship.

2) What is the problem, need or pain the prospect is experiencing? Ask questions that are open ended and conversational. Try and avoid questions that can be answered yes or no. These are conversation killers.

3) Focus on the prospect’s experience with past/current vendors of  your product or service.

4) Ask how you can improve on that experience. Is it service, product quality or some other factor?

5) Find out what the client expects from a business relationship with you.

If you can hit on all these points, you will successfully focus on the prospect, and not your personal needs. After all, It is all about them. If you execute properly, you’ll never need to ask the next question. What about me?

Good luck and good selling.

Don Talbert
Centurion Business Coach
www.centuriongrp.com
don@centuriongrp.com
859-816-2347

This blog has moved. You can add comments to this post here: http://centuriongrp.com/2010/06/its-all-about-them/