What knowledge can I share that will benefit these awesome fellow Steemians?, I asked myself today.
Well, I do know a thing or two about sales, I quickly replied. Yes, you have already realised: I do sometimes speak with myself. I also make a living out of selling espresso machines and high quality coffee. I'm not a world champion of sales, but I have some years experience of learning by doing. Although not the 'natural talented' salesman, I do okay and am eager to learn and succeed in what I do. Whether you sell insurance products, homemade drugs or baseball bats or whatever - here are some tips that can help you close more deals
#1 Chill and relax!
This is the thing I remind myself of the most. No one will buy anything from a stressed out dealer if they can get something similar from a relaxed, laidback one. It is undisputable. So how do you relax in a sales situation? You propably are miles away from your good old comfort zone (at least if you have started just recently), but if you want to succeed you need to be relaxed and confident.
Meditation. Meditation is good for you. It can be hard to learn, and impossible to nail, but start out with some breathing exercises (google it, check out the yoga or the meditation tag, etc.). Try to think of nothing. Be the energy you are. Relax and don't worry. Reading "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle really helped me break through on the meditation field, and it has no doubt made me a better salesman. "Turning off" the thinking machinery now and then can make it much more on point when you actually need to do some quick reasoning and deliver that argument at the right time.
If you are at peace, relaxing and showing no sign of stress it may very vell affect your prospect in a positive way. In some cases you will realize that it was your confident, chill vibe they traded their money for, not necessarily your product. Don't rush it, that will most likely make them uncomfortable, looking for a way out. Just chill out, listen to your customer, know your shit, and if there is a demand, they will buy from you.
#2 Know your shit!
Wether it is cars, weed, t-shirts or ideas - I would not buy it if you're lacking knowledge of your product. You can not know every little detail about it, but at least give the impression that your knowledge exceeds your competitors'. It is definitely a huge advantage to sell something that you also have a lot of interest in personally. If you love boats, sell boats not micro waves. If you love coffee, yeah you get it. Don't act like you know everything that is possible to know, but rather show that you have a natural interest in what you sell and share what you know - be open to questions and if you have the answer: give it. If you don't, tell them you'll find it soon. And do find it! (call your boss, the factory, google it, etc.)
#3 Establish a win-win relation :)
If your customer is satisfied, he will come back to you. If he is 'super happy out of his mind' satisfied he will be telling all his friends about you. More important than getting this one sale, is the possibility to make a lasting relationship that will benefit you both in the long run. Remember this, and for the sake of everyone, please don't try to sell shitty products that you wouldn't be satisfied with yourself.
I hope this can be of use to at least a handful of people in here. If you have other/better tips and experiences to share, please reply and share! Thanks for reading