Selling Strategies for the Scared

Once of my past sales directors used to always say to me, "Pasos, sales cures all". Back when I first began in sales, I took that phrase with a grain of salt. Until my career evolved and I got to help tons of businesses grow through marketing, I truly began to understand that no matter how well your business is doing, sales will always be at the core of your business success. You need to know how your company will make money and how you will actually make sales.

Mastering your sales skills ensures that those hard won potential customers are quickly changed to actual customers. Here are some selling strategies to help you get over the scary hill:

Answer the question – “what is in it for me?” People buy to satisfy a need, a worry, because everyone else has it, or because they are curious about the product. Make sure that these questions are answered in your marketing and advertising as well as in any sales presentation.

Prepare yourself - Get together your presentation as well as any potential questions you may be asked. Make sure that you have examples, pictures, samples etc. You don't want to sell yourself short or as unprofessional.

Qualify your prospect – make sure that they are the decision maker and can afford the potential purchase. Also ensure that they are in your potential market – selling ice to Eskimos is for the expert of the foolery!

Develop relationships - Just because they are potential customers don't mean you have to treat them as potential customers. People like to buy from friends and those that they trust. Try to discover who they are, their likes, and how they feel on certain topics.

Decide on your pricing structure and build in some bonuses or discounts that you can offer during the presentation. Most people expect them. Don't sell yourself short to close a deal, but make sure you promote the value upfront.

Make the purchase process easy. You need to make this transaction, easy and painless like shopping on Amazon.com. Make sure that you have any forms and contracts available. Don’t surround your prospect with red tape or make it difficult to contact your company. Make the second and subsequent purchases even easier. Put a reorder form in the sales pack and make a subscription services super easy.

Ask for feedback, directly or indirectly during your presentation and after the sale. AND learn from it. Make the whole sales process fun for both your customer and for you.

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