How to Be a Good Salesman Now
In the salesman comedy classic "Tommy Boy," Richard said to Tommy Boy about his father, "He could sell a ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves!" In a challenging economy, it can be hard to sell anything. There are seemingly endless resources for becoming a good salesman. Countless books, websites and other materials promise long-term strategies for increasing sales. Increasing sales right now can be a matter of breaking some bad habits and replacing them with good ones and getting back to the basics of sales and customer service.
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Instructions
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Before the Sale
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Clean yourself up and change your look. Purchase a new suit, improve your appearance and polish your hygiene.
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Sleep enough to appear refreshed and sharp. Salesmen often neglect getting adequate sleep and the customer may notice. If you are not sharp, you may miss the subtle buying clues your customer is showing you.
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Eat a good breakfast and read. Filling your stomach and stimulating your mind in the morning prepares you for the day.
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Arrive to work early. Gather your lead book, business cards, promotional literature and your wits. Evaluate your in-stock inventory and think about what products you intend to sell to which kind of customer.
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Study your products. The more you know about your product, the more able you are to answer questions from your customer. Think practical by predicting what kinds of questions your costumer might ask.
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Prepare yourself for your first customer. While you do not want to be canned or corny, think of some memorable greetings to offer your patron.
During the Sale
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Make good eye contact and greet the customer asking for her name and offering yours. Try to use her name in the conversation for respect and to help you remember it. Make note of names and contact information if possible.
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Build rapport with your customer by making small talk and being friendly. Smile and enjoy the process. Maintain the same demeanor as you transition to discussing the product.
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Ask open-ended questions, those that require more than a yes or no answer, to determine the customer's needs and wants. Listen actively but do not interrupt unless appropriate.
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Play back your customer's statements in your mind and then out loud to her. She will know you listened and respected her enough to understand what she wants. Verify the facts.
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Make a product recommendation with an advocate's tone. Let your customer know that you want her repeat business, not a quick sale. This also plants a seed for you to ask for referrals later.
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Answer objections in the same tone as you built rapport with. Do not take "no" personally. Sometimes they just don't "know" enough to make a decision.
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Ask for the sale. Do not wait for her to awkwardly tell you she wants to buy the product. Ask her if she wants it so the decision is a simple yes or no.
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Thank your customer sincerely as if your job depends on them, because it does. Get their contact information and follow up with a thank-you card. Ask earnestly for referrals.
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Tips & Warnings
Shake hands when appropriate.
Practice greetings and role play sales situations with a friend.
Be passionate about your product.
Sell the benefit of your product, not merely features or statistics.
Don't rush yourself or the customer.
Avoid canned language.
Lighten up.
Double check hygiene.
References
- Internet Movie Database: Tommy Boy
- Business Know How; Ten Top Sales Tips for Sales Success; Adrian Miller
- Sales Training Advice: Sales Tips: Conviction Is The Key By Zig Ziglar
- Eyes on Sales; Open and Closed (Questions); Craig James; June 14, 2011
- Federal Trade Commission: Guides Against Bait Advertising
Resources
- Photo Credit Yamini Chao/Digital Vision/Getty Images
