1. Inability to listen to a potential client when selling.
This is the most common and important reason. Most salespeople fail to listen carefully to their customers and, as a result, fail to understand their basic requirements. A couple of years ago I was talking to two sales managers. One of whom was actively interested in my demands, and the other, his colleague, practically did not pay attention to my answers. As a result of the conversation, the decisions he made did not correspond to the tasks that I set. You need to understand that for most people time is very valuable, and if you do not know how to listen to them when selling, it will be regarded as disrespect towards them.
2. Reluctance to remain silent when selling.
If you think you can close a deal by talking incessantly, you may have already screwed up. In my opinion, we need to let the buyer speak more. People ask me, “If the buyer talks a lot, how will I sell my product?” You need to understand that the main thing the seller must do is let the buyer talk about his needs, on the basis of which you can provide a competent and correct solution to his problem.
3. Lack of knowledge when selling.
Nowadays, finding information about a product is not particularly difficult. I was recently amazed by someone who gave a detailed assessment of the new roof on our house. He knew all the smallest details about his product and spoke very competently about it. These days, the life cycle of most products is very short and many companies are inventing new products at a breakneck pace.
But, if you don't know your products enough, you'll simply lose the respect of your customers, and most likely, sales. Study your product - become a real pro in this area and then you can not only pay http://fsk-lider.ru/lider/mortgage/military/, but also go on vacation to expensive resorts.
4. Non-performance upon sale.
If you promised something to your client, then be sure to spit out this promise. For most clients, this is the key point before making a final decision.
It goes something like this: A potential client is interested in some information, and the seller promises to provide it within a certain time frame. The agreed date of the contract comes up, but there is no information, then the client has to be reminded of his request. The transaction is only at the initial stage, and the buyer is already hesitating.
This situation must be corrected immediately, otherwise the glue will go to competitors and your sales volume will noticeably decrease.
5. Lies when selling.
“I don’t care about the needs of the buyer, I’m ready to tell them anything to sell my product.” I heard these words from a manager at one of the sales seminars. Unfortunately, many sellers still use this technique. Deception can also be overstating the capabilities of your product and false information about it. Probably everyone bought goods from such sellers, and as a result, he was left with a negative attitude towards this company.
6. Failure to understand the customer's needs when selling.
This point can be considered a continuation of the first two. If salespeople talk a lot and do not listen to a potential client, they do not understand his needs and therefore cannot satisfy them. I have extensive experience communicating with sellers, both as a sales trainer and as a buyer, and I can say with complete confidence that no more than 20% of them take the time to understand what the client needs, his situations and problems. And it is these sellers who are the most successful in sales today.
7. Fear of being rejected by the client when selling
Anyone in sales understands that you need to be persistent. However, not everyone understands and not everyone sees the fine line between persistence and persecution. The main thing is to understand that you need to put pressure on the client, but so that it does not go beyond this line and does not turn into persecution. Customers refuse for two reasons, they don't see the point in your product, or they're just inexperienced buyers.
Working in sales is considered an honorable profession. Always differentiate yourself from your competitors and avoid the above mistakes.
Andrey's business adventures
Andrey is a front-line salesman. Broadcasts with persistence
Andrey is a front-line salesman. Broadcasts with persistence
Why is the PR department “creators”, and the sales department “sales people”? The semantic load on the face is different. And all because the concept of “salesman” is quite distorted: most people are embarrassed by this profession, they say that it is temporary or generally keep silent about the type of their activity. At work, they experience stress and dissatisfaction, humiliation from “cold” calls and frequent calls on the other end of the line or, even worse, live. But there are guys who are proud of what they do, without any complex they say: “I sell Maserati” or “I sell production facilities.” These are the people who bring in revenue, money to the cash register. And thanks to their abilities, they grow most quickly in the company, raising their income and status.
We will look at the signs of a good and bad seller. And, perhaps, you will understand that your business is to grow cultivated plants, and not to gather dust in the sales department, or, perhaps, that for complete happiness you just need to change the company.
Meet Andrey!
Yes, by the way, we have a hero, his name is Andrey. This is a young, energetic entrepreneur of 27 years old who is at the beginning of his journey. Through trial and error he learns the basics of business. Andrey is a comic character, the fruit of real stories.
Like many young people, Andrey changed many professions before taking up his own business. And, of course, he has experience as a salesman. Today Andrey will illustrate to us the situations that sellers find themselves in and how this characterizes them. Let's start with the bad sellers!
Bad seller
1. Lots of words.
If you allow such a salesman to speak or let him into your office, you will get a performance without an intermission. The technical properties of the product, the benefits of cooperation, the uniqueness of the offer, the history of the brand, growth indicators - he is ready to talk about it with gusto!
2. Belittling yourself. Client on top.
Every person has something that he once bought out of pity. “The salesman was so nice and polite, he spent so much time with me that it was a shame to just leave.” “The sales girl had such eyes... Like a young lamb, I just couldn’t refuse.” Common situation? This is a type of ingratiating sellers who like to humiliate themselves in front of the client and arouse pity.
3. Belittling the opponent. Client below.
Such a salesperson likes to dominate the conversation, putting pressure on the client’s incompetence, usually in technical matters. Sarcastic, smirk on his face. He considers this his strong point, his feature. Believes the client is a fool.
Andrey, talking on the phone, condescends to the client’s “weak level of development”
Andrey, talking on the phone, condescends to the client’s “weak level of development”
4. Statement of the buyer before making a decision.
These are sellers who want a positive response here and now. They do not tolerate delays and become indignant when faced with the client’s indecision. In the speech of such a seller, proverbs and sayings are used, for example: “The turkey thought too!” or “Whoever had time, ate it,” etc.
There are many more examples of misbehavior by sellers. But we'll probably end here. If you recognize yourself in the miniatures described above, then know that this is not good!
Andrey's positivity and decency extend to all areas of life
In the previous article, we looked at situations that bad sellers find themselves in. Today we will talk about what qualities you need to have and what to do to become a good salesman. And, of course, Andrey will again help us with illustration.
Good seller
1. A good person.
To be a good salesperson, you need to be a good person - decent and positive. No matter how trivial it may sound. A good salesperson is a person with whom it is pleasant to talk, he behaves appropriately, and he smells good. Such a person likes people as a species, he is interested in communicating with them.
2. Expertise.
To sell something well, you need to be great at it. The mistake of many is that they sell standard solutions, blanks, templates, and do not delve into the specific situation of the client. In order to become a great seller, you need to step out of the role of a seller and become an expert in the matter! Don’t try to sell what is more expensive, but first find out what solves a specific problem for a specific person for a specific amount, and only then sell it!
3. Attitude.
To understand how good of a salesperson you are, you need to determine how you feel about three things.
To the product: I love what I sell! I use this thing myself. I can configure, reconfigure, keep track of all updates, etc.!
To the company: I believe in my employer, I am inspired by the way of management, I share the principles and sentiments of the company - this is the case when they say “I work in a dream company”! But if your place of work causes you despondency, indifference, or, even worse, shame, then you are definitely not in the right place and it’s time to leave this employer.
To sales: what emotions does the sales process itself evoke in you, is it cool to sell?! What are you experiencing? Interest, joy, curiosity, excitement - yes! Fear, indifference, disappointment - this is a no!
Andrey is in complete harmony regarding his activities
4. Techniques.
And, of course, what is a seller without technicians? Everyone uses them one way or another. A good seller has a socially adequate approach in the first place: he does not flaunt complex speeches and corporate tongue twisters that would be inappropriate in ordinary life, he does not put pressure on the client, does not frighten him, and does not get scared himself. A good salesperson asks leading questions in order to understand what the client really needs and what exactly can solve his problem. The approach to everyone is individual. Building relationships is for the long term, not for one-time communication.
So, to summarize: a salesperson is an exciting and promising profession, by choosing which you can climb the career ladder quickly and with maximum financial return! If you understand that you have all the data for excellent sales, then sell and improve! And also follow Andrey’s business adventures - in the next article we will talk about secrets and sales negotiation techniques.
A bearded but relevant joke:
We hired a new salesperson for a probationary period at the supermarket. The next day, the boss went to look at the newcomer, and he was just talking with the buyer:
-….So, are you taking the fishing rod?
- I'll take it.
- So why don’t you go alone, it’s boring. Take three - for friends.
- Fine.
- And you won’t get bored on the shore? Take a rubber boat - you will catch more fish.
- Fine.
- And if you catch fish, you’ll immediately want some fish. Take a pot and dishes.
- I'll take it.
- You won’t just eat fish soup - a box of vodka to boot.
- I'll take it.
- And snacks.
- Fine.
- After such a dinner you won’t want to go home. Take a tent and sleeping bags.
- Fine.
- Are you really going to carry all this on your back? Take a car, there is a great option...
- I'll take it.
“Everything won’t fit there, my friends are there.” Take a trailer!
- Fine.
The buyer finally leaves, and the boss praises the newcomer:
- Well done! A man came for a fishing rod, and you sold him so much!
- Actually, he came for pads for his wife. And I tell him, “What are you going to do at home during these difficult days? Better go fishing!”
Seller level - God =)
Of course, this is just an anecdote, but it very clearly reflects the essence of the work of a truly professional salesman. And, of course, between the seller’s offer and the buyer’s agreement “I’ll take...ok”, in real life a longer dialogue would take place than just “offer - agreement”
But there are such sellers, and we sometimes meet them... and we get real pleasure from the fact that they sold us something, and if we ourselves are involved in sales, then we are terribly envious, because “for some reason” we have such can't sell.
How to become such a super seller? How and where to master the secrets of successful sales? What methods and techniques are best to use? How correctly, at what moment and what exactly to say to a potential buyer in order to make a sale?
But before looking for answers to these questions, you need to understand the most important thing: who is this real ideal seller? What kind of person do you need to be, what qualities do you have to meet this definition?
Every day we go to the store, for example, to buy groceries, while clearly knowing what exactly we are going to buy. Can the sales staff selling all these goods to us be considered real salespeople? It's a stretch. After all, they didn’t sell us anything, we bought everything ourselves.
To be that ideal salesperson, ideal sales agent or ideal sales manager, you must first have 7 important skills:
1. Clear speech
If you can convey your thought or idea to another person, then that's half the battle. To sell well, it is not at all necessary to have excellent speaking skills: it is enough to speak clearly, clearly and in a way that anyone who communicates with you can understand.
By the way, watch a wonderful parody of the Joker interrogation scene - 3 minutes of pure positivity)
There is a simple test - if you cannot explain to a five-year-old child the benefits of using the product you are selling, then most likely you need to try to speak more simply. Whatever one may say, sales are tied to the ability to convey information, so it makes sense to make it as simple as possible. But it's not as easy as shelling pears.
How to develop: Train your speech and diction. The most basic exercise before starting a working day can be simple tongue twisters or chanting. When different notes are sung at different levels. Spend 10 minutes on these exercises before starting your working day and your language will not get slurred, and talking with clients will be much more comfortable and easier.
2. The ability to listen to your interlocutor
In addition to good speaking skills, a good salesperson must know when to shut up and start listening. You know, sometimes it makes sense to assume, what if you really don’t know what the client needs? There was a study, I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the numbers, but the order is as follows: 80% of salespeople believe that they completely understand customers. 80% of customers believe that salespeople do not understand and do not try to understand them. There is a tendency for salespeople to overestimate their ability to understand. You may, of course, think that you are not like that at all... But then why are you even reading this article?
So, to really hear the client, 2 conditions must coincide.
- The client must speak.
- You must be able to hear HIS problems, HIS interests and HIS selection criteria in his words. When a client speaks, be kind and try to really understand the meaning of his words! Remember that any words always have more than one meaning. And if you cannot find the meaning, then ask again, clarify - it also happens that the client himself does not know what he wants. And that doesn't mean he's an idiot. That's what you are for.
How to develop: Each time after your interlocutor’s remark, count to three and only then start speaking. Perhaps the person wants to tell you something else, but you don’t let him do it. And try not to interrupt. Moreover, do not try to handle objections before they actually arise. This irritates many people.
3. Ability to ask the right questions
A good seller is an inquisitive seller! He will always be able to ask the potential client the right question that will advance the sale. And this question may have absolutely nothing to do with the product. Sometimes, simply asking about a person’s mood can achieve better results than long persuasion.
How to develop: Start with the most basic questions. How did you get there? How's the weather outside? Are there a lot of traffic jams, etc. These are ordinary, socially acceptable questions that can be asked of absolutely any stranger. The purpose of such questions is simply to start a human dialogue with the client. And the most correct approach will be sincerity. Ask him, for example, about the average gas mileage of his car, if you are really interested in this car. Show genuine interest.
4. Solving customer problems
Another important skill is problem solving. If you are a salesperson, then you don’t have to solve the client’s problems yourself, you need to know WHAT will help solve these problems. And then - offer (sell) a good solution. But first you need to find the problem. Look for it by asking the right questions and listening to the client.
Sometimes it happens that your product really does not suit the client. If your goal is maximum revenue per customer over the customer's lifecycle, sometimes it's even beneficial to recommend one of your competitors who has what the customer actually needs. It sounds like nonsense, but it’s better than selling something that the client doesn’t need and losing him forever. Such a risk is justified, especially since in real life in 90% of cases it will not even be your direct competitor, but a company offering goods or services that you simply do not have.
How to develop: It is best to recommend your adjacent partners in such a situation. Let's say your organization sells auto parts. You can recommend to your clients a service station that installs these same spare parts and give some kind of discount coupon. This service station, in turn, will recommend you. Thus, together you get targeted customers without special costs.
5. Organized
It's great if you can motivate yourself to work. This helps to avoid a huge number of kicks from management. But getting started is half the battle. The remaining half is the ability to bring the work started to a victorious conclusion. In order to bring sales to a paid invoice and shipped goods, you often need to show miracles of self-organization. If it's in your blood, good. If not, then develop it.
How to develop: There are plenty of options. Starting from training on time management, ending with the installation of a complex CRM system, which itself reminds you of what each seller needs to do. The easiest option is to start a work diary and write down only work questions there. Important point. Set a strict deadline for each of your cases and fine yourself for failure to meet this deadline by a certain amount, say 500 rubles. “For example, call the client before 16.00 and agree on making an advance payment.” If you are one minute late, put 500 rubles in the box. When there is enough money in the box, bring it to us, to the information business - we will teach you how to organize yourself)))
6. Good manners and education
Good sales people are well trained. You may not realize it, but good manners are a demonstration of respect for other people. People love to be respected, and they begin to experience mutual respect in return. Your clients are no exception; they work on the same principle. Good manners are something that is instilled either in childhood or in adulthood and at a conscious age, when it becomes clear that some doors are simply closed for people with a poor upbringing.
A seller without principles will not be very honest with himself and his clients. And deception is not the best way to close a sale. Of course, one time you can sell a product to one client by deceiving him. But this will end quickly. And the point is not even the fact of dishonest play, but the fact that you can earn much more with a regular client than on a one-time dishonest deal.
How to develop: Be honest with yourself first. If you sell a product only when you start to “fib”, this means either you need to change your job and sell a more worthy product, or you don’t know sales technology well enough. And even if you literally just a year or two ago completed sales training and read a book, but are no longer developing, today you are again not a good enough salesman. Admitting this is being honest with yourself. The best seller will always be the one who does not stop developing, continues to learn and experiment. Constantly improve your sales skills. Fortunately, today you can do this without even getting up from your chair.
Which of these 7 skills do you have?
Do you want to sell a lot, coolly, easily, boldly and with pleasure?
Register for the free webinar “7 Closed Methods for Doubling Sales” from sales master Andrei Zhilin, where you will learn the shocking truth about exactly how to earn your first million in sales. The webinar will take place on January 28 at 19.00 Moscow time. Register for it now and don’t miss the opportunity to upgrade your sales skills to an incredible level.
How often do I hear sales professionals say that a real salesperson can sell anything. Do you think they are right? Do you need to love what you sell?
On the one hand, a person who possesses various sales skills and techniques can indeed sell any product or service quite successfully, but not for long. Burnout, which is inherent in any profession, will occur much faster in this situation if a person is not in love with what he is selling.
It is very easy to distinguish a loving and indifferent seller with the naked eye. To do this, you don’t need to be an expert in sales, it’s enough to be an ordinary person acting as a buyer.
Look what happens: we need sellers like air, without them it is difficult for us to cope with a huge variety of goods and services, but it is rare to find a truly attentive seller who can offer exactly what you are looking for.
Why do people become salespeople?
You observe such an attitude because in most cases, people do not go to sell because they have a good life. They are only there because they need money. Don’t take me at my word, but try to understand: at first glance, learning to work as a salesperson is easy, no one requires special education like before, moreover, they promise to teach you everything, and even send you to training at your own expense. Since the era of perestroika, when everyone, young and old, became sellers, the ranks have cleared a little of people who were random for this field of activity, but there are still plenty of those who, by inertia, continue to do what they don’t like.
Meanwhile, real sellers will understand me; working in sales for real is quite difficult. In fact, Today, a salesperson is an expert and highly qualified consultant in his field. Becoming like this is not easy, but it is possible under one condition: you do what you love and do what you like. Of course, this is an ideal picture, a kind of perfection, but, as you know, we must strive for perfection. So why not imagine the perfect picture starring the perfect salesman?
The ideal seller - what is he like?
Numerous studies continue to establish the parameters and set of qualities that a salesperson should possess. Among them, you will definitely find faith in yourself and in your product. Check out the entire list compiled by British researchers:
- Communication skills
- Personality
- Getting ready to work
- Intelligence
- Motivation
- Product knowledge
- Basic education
- Self confidence
- Appearance
- Ability to quickly recuperate
- Business sense
- Integrity as a person
- Ambition
- Degree of acceptance by others
- Empathy is the ability to feel like a customer.
- Initiative
- Self-discipline
- experience
- Ability to adapt
- Persuasiveness in communication
Impressive about your ideal salesperson? It looks like a portrait of a presidential candidate, did you think so too?
And although this is a portrait of a seller who does not live in Russia, you must agree that many employers and sales department managers would like to have an employee who has at least half of this set of qualities.
Much to our surprise and regret, it should be noted that Russian employers are ready to cultivate many of the listed qualities in their employees during the work process. But here's the problem: few employees want the same thing. There is even advice for managers on this topic:
“We should be afraid not that managers will learn and quit, but that they will remain untrained.”
Many qualities can be nurtured and developed in a salesperson, but dedication to the job and passion for the product are developed through daily efforts on the part of both the salesperson and management.
From practical experience
When I worked in an advertising agency, the owners of the business - two twin brothers - came to their branch specifically to talk about themselves, how their business was created from scratch, how it transformed during the development process. They not only instilled in us a love for the company's products, but also transferred their faith in their business to us. They understood perfectly well that this confidence would be reflected in our eyes and would become an important factor in negotiations with the client. In this way we dispelled all the doubts that accompanied defeats rather than achievements.
After such meetings, we again reconsidered our “tired” attitude towards the company’s products, our eyes lit up again, ideas sparked, and the overall sales picture improved. They remembered their first attitude towards what needed to be sold, and these were telephone help desk services, and understood that there were no random people left here - those who work here are those who like to sell these services and who are in love with their product.
We can still sell anything!
By the way, a little later funny things began to happen - the company developed, and we gradually began to add new types of services: first we learned how to sell printed publications of our publishing house, and a year later we had to learn the art of selling outdoor advertising. Sometimes I had to observe how managers were indignant, motivating their indignation by the fact that when they got a job, they came to sell what they liked, but if it was a publishing house, then they would never even read the job advertisement .
How do you like this turn? In the end, of course, we were taught everything, but I didn’t see the spark with which the guys came when they got a job at the helpline service when they sold other types of services.
Again, I will note and remind you that those managers who have to fight the love of their subordinates for a product often find excellent motivating and coercive reasons for selling all products, regardless of the degree of love of the seller for it. Well, for example, let’s take Doshirak noodles - can you love them? I apologize to those who really love her.
We know how unhealthy and harmful this food is for our body, and it is possible to become poisoned by it only in extremely rare cases. Do you know how to cultivate the love of a grocery store clerk? They convince him that if no one needed Doshirak, then there would not be such multi-billion dollar sales of this product all over the world. If it sells, it means they buy it. Therefore, go and sell, despite your own attitude towards Doshirak.
Do you need to love what you sell? Conclusion.
It's sad, isn't it? Therefore, over time and with experience, an understanding comes that no matter what life circumstances are, you still need to do what you like, and you need to do what you love and interesting. At least in order to get up easily in the morning and run to work in a good mood, or perform those actions that bring satisfaction from the results achieved.
The most important wish is to cultivate and strengthen faith in yourself and your own strengths. It is this confidence that will allow you to learn to love what you sell and become a true professional in your field.
For those who read to the end, a nice bonus is an excellent video about a simple client management program.
The real problem for any sales department is the salespeople's fixation on the price of the product. The seller simply does not see any benefits other than the price. You start communicating with such a specialist and ask: what can you do to increase your sales? And in response they tell you - let's lower the prices, our competitors are cheaper, our price is not competitive. I actually saw salespeople who said during interviews that they left their previous job because the product they were selling was too expensive. Often this problem spreads like a virus to managers. You come to any sales department, and there sit the commercial director, the head of the sales department, and they foam at the mouth and prove that the product is too expensive and at such a price, we will never get it. Let's figure out why sellers love to sell prices so much and how to work with it.
Why do sellers like to save so much?
So, let's take a closer look at your sellers, what's wrong with them, why out of all of them do they choose only savings? To begin with, it is worth understanding that savings are not so important to a client, especially a Russian one. In order to understand this, you don’t need to go far, look around, look at the people who buy a new phone every year on credit, look at those who sold their deceased grandmother’s apartment and bought a new car, look at the student who shells out all his money, but buys shoes from a famous brand.
Why do customers behave so unreasonably, they are ready to pay 60,000 rubles for a new phone, but refuse to buy your product, which costs 10 times less? In fact, everything is much simpler than your seller thinks - the client is willing to pay only for obvious benefits. Talk to the owner of a credit iPhone, and he will tell you at least ten benefits of buying such a phone, he will tell you about all the advantages in detail. Would a client buy such a phone if he didn’t know all the benefits? No, of course not, remember vertu phones, they were very expensive, but they stopped buying them. Why? Yes, because vertu had no advantages other than prestige. And the iPhone was beautifully presented by the company’s CEO, who live-streamed it to prove to the whole world that they had created the best device. That is, everything is simple - If you want to sell a product at a high price, prove to the client its benefits.
But here many will say, well, it’s the sellers who have to prove to the client the benefits of the product, and the seller only sees the price. It turns out a vicious circle that can only be broken in one way - teach sellers to sell non-price advantages of a product. In essence, the seller sells the price because he, like the client, does not know other significant characteristics of the product, and even if he knows, he does not know how to present them to the client in terms of benefits.
Projecting your needs onto the client
This problem occurs very often among sellers and managers. The fact is that if the seller has a clearly defined need, he begins to sell it to all clients, without noticing others and not in general. This syndrome can be quite difficult to overcome, since the seller simply does not believe in what he himself does not understand. It is especially difficult to overcome this problem if the seller has been working for a long time.
What to do?
So, we have identified two main reasons why sellers sell the price of a product and completely ignore other benefits.
- Low level of product knowledge
- Lack of understanding of the client’s needs and lack of desire to delve into them
That's why . To do this, it is necessary to teach sellers all the competitive advantages of the product. If such advantages have not been formed, then it is very important to find them if you need to invent them. This is a strategic marketing task - to make your product stand out among others.