Think about how you buy the next time you sell. I recently became a buyer to make two major home renovation projects. You want to make the best buying decision when you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars. Here’s where a few salespeople went wrong with their sales strategy. Too much personal information. I’m looking for a contractor, not a new best friend. I don’t want to … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2015
Focus on the Sales Process Not Sales Results
Some people think selling is easy. If it were really so easy then everyone could do it. Selling is not easy. Your job is to reduce your sales frustrations and make your selling easier. That’s why you should focus on the sales process, not sales results. Accept that you cannot control what other people do. What makes selling so hard is that you can only accomplish your sales … [Read more...]
Why Engineers Can Make the Best Salespeople
When you think of a salesperson, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it an introverted, detail oriented, thoughtful individual like an engineer? Probably not. The biggest myth in sales is that the best salespeople are the best talkers. Great selling requires more than just talking. That's why engineers can make the best salespeople. Engineers are thoughtful. Engineers … [Read more...]
Product Pricing based on what your customer thinks.
Do you think customers perceive a difference in a product that's priced $40.00 versus $39.72? Of course they do. Here's why. Research participants were more inclined to buy champagne if its price was a round number ($40.00 versus $39.72 or $40.28) but more inclined to buy a calculator if its price (the same numbers were used) wasn’t round, say Monica Wadhwa of Insead and … [Read more...]
Do NOT trick customers to make them buy from you.
Great selling means you don't have to trick customers to buy. I just got off the phone with Jim. The call started with a warm greeting of “Hey Maura. It’s Jim. Great to talk with you.” His friendliness seemed sincere. I replied, “Hi, Jim” wondering the whole time who this Jim was. I quickly learned. He was an inside salesman. Once I realized that I didn’t know him, I felt … [Read more...]
Reduce the Stress of Selling
It seems that millennials don’t like to get into sales because of the risk involved. They don’t like the risk of an unknown salary or irregular paycheck. What they might be afraid of is the stress of selling. Successful sales professionals manage the stress of selling better than less successful sales professionals. Plan your sales calls to reduce stress. One of the most … [Read more...]