Selling Skills As coach Samira Gupta says,” Every sales process is like LBTB. In any sales process, 80% is about you, which means that if people like you, they will believe in you, if they believe you, they will trust you and if they trust you, they will buy from you”.
Selling with credibility and trust is a long term business model. One not just develops clientele but also long-lasting relations that do bring rewards sooner or later. However, the growing trends suggest that unethical selling has become more and more common.
At the most basic level, selling is supposed to be ethical and the best approach to do that is maintaining transparency even if there may be some risks involved. As Coach Samira Gupta says, “telling is not selling”, which means that during any sales pitch one must talk about the needs and the requirements of the client and not pitch in absolutely anything and everything that one has. This not only takes away the interest of the buyer but also creates a vacuum between the seller and the buyer. In such a pitch, the client may never turn up back to the same seller. Cheating and fooling clients will never help, pitching deals that they don’t require will never help!
The job of a salesperson is to first identify the need of the client and then the problem. Once identification is completed, the salesperson must ask enough questions to establish whether there is a need or not. After complete the assessment, the salesperson shall propose a solution. In this way, the customer will inevitably develop LBTB and once such a relationship is established, the rewards are bound to come.
The entire concept of a salesperson has been misconstrued, the conception people have about salespeople is that of a pushy one. They believe that once a salesperson will come in contact, s/he will be the devil. However, this is not how it is supposed to be.
A salesperson should be a solution provider. One who can fill the gap between ambiguity and create a clear picture in the mind of the client whether to make the purchase or not. Even if it is a no for the deal, the salesperson must ask questions to enable the client to reach the conclusion.
Some ways that can really speed up the sales process are:
Creating a real differentiator- How are you different from the other salesperson in the industry? What is that one factor which makes you a unique salesperson? Identify or create your USB that will make you the white sheep in a herd of black ones.
Reaching a consensus- An ideal sales pitch should not be salesperson vs the client, instead, it is a salesperson with the client vs the problem, the solution to which shall be brought in consensus.
Asking the right questions- To be mindful during a sales pitch is extremely important and leading the client by asking the right questions at the right time. The client may have certain requirements and to be able to decipher them, in the same manner, can be done by asking questions. Once you create a clear picture of the client’s demands, it gets easier to fit in the product/service/idea you have to offer.
Selling skills today are not just the job of a sales manager! Each one of us in our own ways is selling something. In an interview we sell our skills and passion, to raise funds for a start-up- we sell our ideas, and the list is endless. Therefore, it becomes essential for each individual to become aware of this side of them.
Good selling skills are a combination of clear communication skills, presentation skills, mindfulness, business presence, negotiation skills, and closing skills. One can take the help of trainers/ coaches who can help enhance these skills and become the best salesperson!