: to sell something Salespeople are paid a commission whenever they make a sale.
The Office – How Michael Scott Makes a Sale
An introduction to making a sale
Making a sale means convincing a person or company you are dealing with to buy a product or service from you. Salespeople engage in a variety of client interactions across all industries, from small businesses to large corporations. Selling to businesses is known as B2B sales, while selling to consumers is known as B2C sales. Both types of sales can be difficult, and each has specific advice for how to succeed. However, to increase their chances of closing a deal, salespeople need to possess specific abilities and adhere to specific procedures.
How to increase your success of making a sale
You can take specific actions to improve your sales abilities and raise your likelihood of closing the deal whether you work in B2B or B2C sales.
1. Identify your goals
Whether you are a seasoned sales professional or are just getting started, it is critical to define your goals. You may have a specific monetary sales objective, such as a number of sales to complete by the end of the year or a dollar amount to sell during the quarter. When setting goals, make sure they are clear and measurable. Additionally, you can take some time to decide how you’ll evaluate your performance.
Think about your company’s needs in terms of sales or customer volume as you consider your goals. To determine your revenue target, multiply the average sale price of the good or service you offer by the target customer. One of your objectives should be to be in the top 5 to 10% of the organization.
2. Study the sales process
Selling is a process that frequently takes time to complete. Certain aspects of sales will not change, even though the process can and does alter depending on consumer demands and technological advancements. To better understand where your process may be deficient or where you can make improvements, spend some time researching the sales process and what works. Numerous seasoned salespeople have written books and offered online courses about how to make sales. Make use of these tools as part of your ongoing education to develop into a more effective salesperson.
There may be some distinctive components to the process of selling your company’s goods or services. Determine the steps in the sales process that may have an impact on your prospects as well as how you will move prospects through the sales funnel.
3. Identify pain points
You must recognize and address the pain points of your target audience if you want to appeal to them. Depending on what you have to offer, your prospect’s pain point may vary, but without a clear issue that your good or service addresses, it can be challenging to close a deal. The time it takes to run and process employee payroll as well as the compliance issues that come with managing payroll, for instance, could be pain points if you sell software that streamlines payroll for businesses.
Your sales pitch should identify and highlight the challenges faced, then discuss how what you have to offer resolves or eliminates those problems. Your prospect will most likely identify with and understand a pain point if you can identify one that is difficult for them and would take time and/or money to solve.
4. Find the right audience
Your sales success depends on targeting the right customers. Reaching out to people who might not be interested in your goods or services can frustrate you and detract from what you are trying to achieve. Throwing mud at the wall and seeing what sticks is a phrase used in sales and marketing to describe attempting to reach as many people as possible without first focusing on those who are most likely to be interested in your good or service.
Instead of attempting to reach a large audience, concentrate on reaching a more specialized, smaller group that includes your ideal audience. Finding people who fit your target audience through research and market analysis will help you accomplish this goal. This method does require time and effort, but you can fill that time by doing research and exercising due diligence instead of connecting with people who are not as interested.
5. Collaborate with your team
For those who are just getting started in the sales industry, other salespeople are fantastic resources. If your company employs a team of salespeople, cooperate with others to learn from them and comprehend what they have discovered to be effective. You can also ask to follow your peers around, whether they’re working for the company or not. Look for a mentor who would be willing to share their knowledge and give you feedback on some of your initial sales meetings.
6. Review your meetings and calls
Take some time to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the interaction after a sales meeting, whether it was in person, via phone, or via email. You can also request that a teammate, such as your manager or an effective salesperson, review your follow-up meeting notes. If you want to hold a phone meeting, think about having a reviewer listen in and provide feedback. Additionally, you can use this connection to approach a seasoned salesperson and ask if you can attend one of their meetings.
7. Create a list of questions
To ensure you are comfortable with your responses, it is useful to make a list of potential questions before speaking with a prospect. In order to get the appropriate information from your prospect during the interaction, you can also make a separate list of questions. In order to learn more and address any concerns your prospects may have, probing questions are useful during the sales process. They ask for more information on a specific topic.
8. Focus on personal development
Even the most successful salespeople have room for improvement. Both new and experienced sales representatives can gain from ongoing personal development, which may include taking classes and networking with other sales representatives. List your strengths and weaknesses, and then choose one or two of the latter to focus on improving each month.
9. Take time to listen
People frequently express dissatisfaction with salespeople due to their difficulty listening. A good salesperson must be at ease discussing the goods or services they offer while also taking the time to hear the concerns of each individual customer. You may want to include this weakness on your list for personal development if you have trouble listening and discover that you speak more during sales meetings.
10. Follow up on outreach efforts
When you get in touch with a potential customer, take advantage of the chance to follow up and keep the lines of communication open. Try calling them or sending a personalized follow-up message if you notice that someone has opened an email you sent several times. Strong salespeople frequently interpret “no” as “not now,” and they maintain the relationship until the right moment.
11. Understand your value
Every meeting should be started by a strong salesperson who is confident in both their abilities and their own worth. View yourself as someone who can fulfill the desires and needs of those with whom you interact when attempting to increase your confidence in yourself. When you adopt that perspective of yourself, you can better appreciate the significance of the work you are doing and how it can enhance the lives of those you interact with. Additionally, confidence can make potential clients and customers more receptive to you.
FAQ
What are the 8 steps to making a sale?
In order to close a sale, do your research on the product you’re selling in order to develop a compelling sales pitch. Also, practice your pitch before speaking with customers. When you’re prepared to speak with customers, keep in mind to probe them about their needs in detail and pay them your full attention.
What makes a sale a sale?
- Step 1: Prospecting. Prior to selling anything, you must have a buyer.
- Step 2: Connecting. …
- Step 3: Qualifying. …
- Step 4: Demonstrating Value. …
- Step 5: Addressing Objections. …
- Step 6: Closing the Deal. …
- Step 7: Onboarding. …
- Step 8: Following Up.
