Do the proper research
Jumping straight into the pool of consumers or businesses that may be interested in the firm’s products and/or services can prove to be a fatal mistake that many sales professionals commit. Instead of reaching out to prospects too soon, learn as much as possible about those who can benefit from the firm’s offerings and truly get to know what solutions could help them the most. This will make it easier when it’s time to reach out to them, because having customer knowledge will give the sales professional more confidence to set up a meeting.
“Business is moving at the speed of light, and things change constantly,” Paul Castain, vice president of Jedi mastery at Castain Training Systems, asserted to Forbes. “When you gather information, review it over and over again before you reach out to the client.”
Give clients the floor
Getting potential customers to be receptive is half the battle for sales professionals, then they must carry out the conversation properly in order to land the meeting. While it may be difficult, don’t push for the the meeting right away, it’s important to first ask prospects about everything they need help with. Then, take some time to apply the research that has been previously executed, and build a response that can possible spark their interest in the firm’s offerings. If the conversation continues to flow, then it is the right time to ask for the sales meeting at their convenience, of course.
“You have to understand your audience prior to getting on the phone, and continue learning about them as you go along,” Castain told Forbes. “Once you make the first call, find out their preferred way to communicate, and use that throughout the rest of the process.”
Build a strong relationship with prospects
Many sales professionals can have an extensive list of products and/or services that nearly perfectly meet the needs of consumers or a business, but they still aren’t able to close. In several instances, this will be because they were unable to form a strong bond with prospects before they started pushing for the sale. Before even presenting the company’s suite of items, form a relationship with the purchaser and begin talking about how the business’ offerings may be able to meet his or her needs. The more trust that can be built with the prospect, the better opportunity the sales professional has in landing them.
“Approach them before they are in buying mode,” Wendy Weiss, sales coach and author told Forbes. “You will become their trusted advisor. They will get to know you and feel comfortable with you, and when they are ready to buy, you will be the first person they think of.”
Work for the prospect
While sales meetings are about adding clients to the firm’s customer base, it doesn’t always have to come off that way. During time with the prospect, sales professionals must truly pretend like they are working for them, trying to tailor the company’s offerings to perfectly meet their needs. If purchasers believe that the person they are working with has their best interest at heart, they will often be much more willing to place an order. Sometimes sales meeting won’t work out, and that’s fine, but sales professionals who play for the same team as their prospects will find that they are on the winning side much more than walking away as the losers.
“Don’t be scared to ask tough questions,” Weiss told Forbes. “Salespeople are afraid to uncover something that might tell them that the prospect isn’t as qualified as they thought. You need to find that out, and you need to let them go if they aren’t an ideal fit.”
