Nothing in business happens unless you make a sale. Before that, it’s just an idea, and expenses, and time, and effort. Once someone decides they’re willing to hand over their hard-earned cash for what you are offering – then you have a business. It may still not work, but it’s at least a lot closer!
After you get one sale, then of course you want more. This can be where it gets hard again- how do you get more sales and get them consistently?
How do you make the most of every opportunity without crossing the line into that stereotypical slimy salesman who is only interested in your money and couldn’t care less about screwing you over? Don’t let a lack of knowledge about the process or the desire to not come across as a salesperson actually hold you back from success.
It turns out, if you gather a ton of advice from a whole group of really successful sales folks, there are really only a handful of things to keep in mind and build into your process to transform you into one of those top sellers.
Since you may not have the time to gather, analyze, and parse all that info yourself, I did it for you! Here are the top sales tips, ideas, and pointers from some of the top sales people in the business, digested down into an easy-to-consume list:
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1. Psychological Preparation and Framework
- Get “Sold” First: You must believe your service is the absolute best solution for the client; if you don’t believe it, they won’t either. If it really isn’t good, work on that before trying to sell it at all.
- Establish Authority: Use strong posture, eye contact, and a confident demeanor. Approach the relationship as an equal, not a subordinate. Online use social proof and credentials to demonstrate the same.
- The Power of “No”: Expect and plan for “no.” It is not a failure but a sign that the prospect needs more information to build a bridge of trust.
2. Qualifying and Discovery
- Diagnose Before Prescribing: Use curiosity to ask deep, open-ended questions about their current situation and desired future state. Don’t expect one-size-fits-all sales pitches to work.
- Identify the Dominant Buying Motive: Find out why they are really there (e.g., they aren’t buying software; they are buying the ability to quit their job).
- Isolate Stakeholders: Early on, ask if anyone else is required to make the decision so you don’t get blocked at the finish line.
3. Building Unshakeable Trust
- Use Damaging Admissions: State a negative truth about your service first (e.g., “This takes 5 hours a week to implement”) before the “but” and the positive outcome to amplify believability.
- Offer Alternatives: If appropriate, suggest a cheaper alternative for a minor part of their problem to prove you are a fiduciary for their success, not just a salesperson.
- Full Value Listening: Take notes while the business owner speaks. It signals that what they are saying is important and helps you capture the “gold” for later.
4. The Pitch and Offer
- Sell Maui, Not the Flight: Don’t bore the owner with “technobabble” or service modules. Sell the outcome (the vacation), not the work involved (the flight).
- Price Anchoring: Start with a high price to get a “gasp.” This makes your actual or subsequent offers feel like a “rounding error” in comparison.
- The “Would That Be Fair?” Close: End your proposals with this phrase. It is psychologically difficult for a rational person to disagree with a fair offer.
- Stack the Deal: Use the addition of high perceived value add-ons to help seal the deal- the old infomercial “but wait, there’s more” was used for a reason!
5. Negotiation and Closing
- Address Objections Early: “Kill the zombies” by bringing up likely concerns (price, time, spouse) before the prospect does.
- Looping: When you hear an objection, resolve the concern and then immediately ask for the sale again.
- The Downsell: If they cannot afford the primary service, have “cards in your back pocket” to offer a lower-tier version in exchange for a testimonial or a commitment.
6. Post-Sale and Follow-Up
- The Three Fs: Follow up (check-in), follow through (do what you said), and follow back (re-engage lost leads).
- Ask for Referrals Early: Don’t wait. Ask for names of other business owners who would benefit as soon as the client has their first “aha” moment or success.
This is a bit more geared toward in-person selling and services, but the same general principles apply for online sales and products.
The first thing to do is make sure you have a great offering- if your offer is nothing special or actual junk, any sales you do get are going to still feel bad if you have any kind of integrity. If your offer is great, but people just aren’t buying as often as they should because you aren’t getting the message across, go through your process and measure it against the above tips. See where you have room for improvement- every pitch is a new chance to do better.
Being able to sell well is a big part of any business, and if you’re doing everything else right, then getting your sales skill up to par is going to really drive your success to the top.