Once upon a time I was a realtor. Even though my career was only 6 months long I feel working as a real estate agent opened my eyes on some key principles to be successful in sales. As Mark Cuban would say “Sales cures all”, it’s pretty obvious that if you want to make a business work you have to sell. Whether it is a truck, an iPhone, the new Yeezy’s or a 500 square foot flat, the fundamentals stay the same.
1. It’s not about the product, it’s about the client
I wish someone would have told me that when I started. I waisted so many hours trying to sell my clients on my listings without listening to what they actually wanted. Don’t try to fit your clients to your product but rather fit your product to your clients. Supply the demand.
Realise that everybody is different and there isn’t a one size fits-all solution to sell products. Identify your customers needs and adapt your offer.
2. Confidence is key
The sales world is ruthless, especially for rookies. You’ll face rejection and it will suck. People will hang up on you. People will kick you out of their homes. If you want to stay ahead you have to stay confident at all times. And I mean Gerrard Butler in 300 type of confidence. You have to believe in yourself and your abilities if you wan’t to deliver any sales pitch successfully. If you truly believe in what you do, people will connect with you and you’ll improve your sales. Believe in yourself, you’re awesome.
3. Always follow up
Following up is the key to converting all your leads into customers. People are busy, people need time, people need to talk to people and sometimes you won’t get that sale on the first attempt. That’s cool. It’s part of the game.
Just note down the prospect’s name and reason for turning down your offer and simply call back later. That’s it. You will be amazed by how many clients you’ll make by just following up with those un-converted leads.
4. Smile
This is probably the simplest thing to do to up your game. People are more likely to trust you and to like you if you smile.
Smiling before cold calling reduces stress and helps you bring rapport since the person on the line can pick up on your facial expression.
There a just so many reasons smiling is great, so just do it. It’s free.
5. Pay attention to body language
You’re body language is almost as important as your sales pitch. Don’t fidget, bite your nails, hide your hands, all of these actions make you look stressed and unprofessional.
Controlling your body language will also help you boost your confidence with the use of “power poses” (see Amy Cudy’s Ted talk).
6. Know your script
To get ahead of competition in sales you have to use a script. In fact you have to embody the script. You have to be able to tell your pitch so well that you might end up buying the very product you’re selling.
The great thing about script is that it actually relieves a lot of the stress involved with pitching something. Having guidelines and key answers to frequent objections will help you stay in control of the situation at all times.
Many sales script are available online especially in the real estate industry but you nothing stops you from creating your own for your niche.
Conclusion :
Mastering sales is an art that takes a lot of time and practise. The journey is long but rewarding to those brave enough to live it. Keep trying, keep improving, keep crushing your goals. Remember, sell or be sold.