Monday Mornings with Madison

THE 7.5 RULES TO SUCCESSFUL SELLING

How can you grow your business?

Even in the face of gloomy economic forecasts, this is still the most important question that confronts any business person. To build your company, it’s certainly important to control expenses and operate efficiently, but the fastest path to growth is increased sales. To help you achieve this, there are thousands upon thousands of business gurus, books and classes that promise to unlock the secrets of selling.

There are no special secrets, however, as any successful sales person will tell you. Sales techniques can vary, depending on the industry you are in, who your clients are and how unique you are in the marketplace. But the basic rules of successful selling are always the same: they work no matter who you are or what you are selling.

If your sales numbers are not what you would like them to be, take a close look at the following 7.5 basic rules to successful selling:

1) It’s all in your mind   In sales, success starts in your head. People who succeed in sales are the ones who believe in their product or service and believe in their ability to deliver enough value to justify their commissions. In recent months, people with a positive attitude towards what they do for a living have survived the downturn in the real estate market and are still in the game, helping out their clients.  Those who were negative and did not believe in themselves have left the field because they could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

2) Always fill a need   There are always people out there who need what you have to offer. All you have to do is find opportunities to serve them by providing what they need. And if you can’t find the opportunity, create it.

3) Follow up   Research clearly shows that those who follow up with their prospects and customers succeed. You may think that everyone knows to follow up but you would be surprised by how few sales people actually do so in a professional way. According to studies, it takes between six and ten attempts to turn a prospect into a loyal customer, but most people give up after their second attempt. This leaves all the business to the few who do follow up.

4) Know your clients    Always remember that the person you are talking to is a human being just like you. Be neither intimidated nor intimidating. Get to know your clients well. Understand their issues and problems. What keeps them awake at night? What are their dreams for the future? Listen, and then let them know how you can help them achieve those dreams.

5) Ask for the sale   Once you’ve shown your clients that you understand their issues and that you have a plan in mind to help them, just ask for their business. Ask them for the opportunity to demonstrate how you can help them. Some people won’t move to the next step unless you ask them to.

6) Keep on prospecting    You never know where your next deal will come from. If you keep expanding your network of relationships, you will dramatically increase your sales. Adding one person a day to your list of contacts will give you more business than you can handle.

7) Know your business well   We all enjoy dealing with people who “know their stuff.”  Your prospects and clients expect you to be the expert who can solve their problems. Spend time each day learning something new about your industry — it will add to both your interest and your clients’.

7.5) Don’t take it personally    You won’t be able to convert every prospect into a client, and life is simply too short to take this personally. Some people will become your customers and others won’t. Learn to step back, smile, and move on. There are more than enough qualified prospects out there — just reach out to them. And have fun!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.”  Mary Kay Ash

© 2009 – 2011, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.

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