How To Improve My Selling Skills

How to sell a service or product successfully 

People buy when a Compelling Need is met by a Credible Solution that offers Perceived Value

Article By Kieran Perry

Top tips – You must always keep calm, be patient and not rush the sales process, if any customer drops off part way, start the process again with them.

 1.  The sales process starts with doing some Marketing Activity

Then....

 2.  Establish Credibility

New Enquiry Received maybe from your website, social media or from a new LinkedIn contact.

You must reply to this opportunity within a day.

3.  Confirm Opportunity

Check first of all that the new enquiry matches your capabilities or product range.

(is the enquiry relevant to what you offer as a business? – if not be upfront and honest, reply by informing them that the enquiry isn’t something your business does, you don’t have to say yes to every enquiry you get, keep to your core values.)

4.  Identify Client Compelling Need

You may need to ask the new enquiry for more information to confirm their need or problem (this may take multiple emails or video calls from you to clarify from the potential client their exact requirements.

If you need an experienced business coach and sales expert, Kieran Perry offers sales training and business advice to private clients, business owners and start ups to help them identify their sales problems and helps give them a range of solutions to fix their business and sales issues.

You must clarify at this stage:

• The real problem they have.
• Their time frame or urgency.
• The budget for the project.
• The persons responsibility or position within the company.
• Who else will be involved in the project etc.?
• How do they see this project progressing?

Only if the customer has a real compelling need will they be interested in your product or proposition.

5.  Demonstrate Proposition

• Confirm in simple terms to client how YOU could solve their issues in principle.
• Give examples of benefits to them.
• Explain how YOU will give practical solutions to their issue, if they proceed with you.
• Confirm with them, that your solution is what they are needing or wanting. If unsure ASK.
• Arrange a meeting with the right person or site visit if needed.

Up to this point you will not know what you are pricing for so giving out figures or costings can be misleading.

6.  Ensure Value Perception

Only at this point once you truly understand their problem or need, start to discuss simple pricing options.

Give your new enquiry a guide to costs or quote for the work if enough info has been given to you.

(Always include a caveat to limitations and specific stipulations, conditions, putting the ownest back on the client)

If your enquiry goes cold at this point or is unsure to proceed, you need to go back to step 5 above, - Confirm in simple terms to client how you, your service or product could solve their issues etc and confirm what they need quoting for as their project specifications can change.

• Then send an official quote for the work

The deal is closed when the customer appreciates the perceived value of your proposition. This occurs when the price is in line with the solution match.

 Have a look at salesforce for more ways to interact with your customers or new prospects.

 7.  Confirmation of Order

The order is only done once you have email / written or order confirmation that they want to go ahead with your proposal, and that you have all the information you need to proceed with the work.

Ask for a deposit, or getting payment upfront is a safe way to trade before you start any work on the order.

Ensure you get all the right information from the client / enquiry at each stage detailed above, as jumping any of the above processes may cause problems further down the sales process.