Numbers not where you want them to be? Implement these ten sales secrets and see how quickly they translate to success.
Even if you’re new to the sales business you know there’s a fundamental science behind it: prospect, lead, opportunity, pitch, close. However, you probably also know that it’s not that simple. Sales isn’t just a science; it’s also an art form. And as with any art form, there are certain sales secrets that can help you improve your craft, and ultimately, your numbers.
There are more tips and tricks than what we can fit into a single post, but these ten sales secrets can help your business climb to new heights almost immediately.
10 Sales secrets your competition doesn’t want us to share with you
1. Create and maintain an overflowing pipeline
While a lengthy Rolodex alone doesn’t translate to more sales, it’s a necessary starting point. If you don’t have prospects, you won’t have clients. In the beginning, it’s easy to get sidetracked with making money, but building a pipeline is an investment in your career. You don’t profit from it immediately, but you’ll make far more in the long run than if you don’t build an audience.
2. Be more than a salesperson
Salespeople try to convince prospects to buy something. Business partners try to show prospects how they can benefit from something. The first demonstrates a transaction; the second, a relationship. One of the most crucial sales secrets is knowing that sales is about relationships first. Forget about the money. Worry about showing someone that you’re there to make them successful. Maybe they won’t buy now, but they might buy later or lead you to someone else who will.
3. Keep on learning
It’s easy to feel like you’ve learned the bulk of what there is to know when you leave business school, but the truth is that the best salespeople never stop learning. Literature, webinars, conferences, and other educational tools will keep you ahead of the curve, which is sure to boost your business.
4. Be authentic, enthusiastic
These qualities seem less like sales secrets and more like common sense, but that’s not always the case. Are you passionate about what you sell? Are you motivated, gregarious, and outgoing? Is your enthusiasm contagious? Do you demonstrate charisma? Without authenticity, people are less likely to trust you, and if they don’t trust you, they aren’t going to give you their money.
Build trust by building relationships. Schedule a free demo today to see what we can do for your business.
5. Raise your price
It seems counterintuitive, but studies have shown that many people perceive less expensive products to be of lower quality than expensive ones. Obviously, you want to be within market rate, but if you set your price a little higher, people are more likely to see value in what you’re offering.
6. Focus on the negative
That’s not to say you should be negative. Focusing on the negative just means that you’ll gain more traction by demonstrating how someone will be at a disadvantage if they don’t buy your product. Showing them what they have to gain only piques interest, at best. Showing them what they have to lose will surely capture their attention.
7. Be charitable
Have you ever heard about a client’s product or service and known a perfect customer for them? Inform your client and offer to put them in touch. This and other such charitable acts show a client you’re not just interested in making money, but in their success. Then, when they need your product or service, you’ll be the first one they call.
8. Make your weaknesses strengths
People are attracted to strength more than weakness. Turn every shortcoming into an advantage by demonstrating the positive where someone else sees negative. You can turn any weakness into a strength.
9. Ask, listen, respond
You’ll close fewer sales if you don’t ask for the sale. You’ll close even less if you take no for an answer immediately. Ask for the sale, listen to objections, and respond accordingly. Remember you want to help your prospect succeed more than you want to make a sale. Keep that in mind when you practice this.
10. Embrace failure
Even if you heed all of these sales secrets, the truth is that you’re not going to close every time. Don’t sweat it. Take the failures as learning opportunities and don’t be afraid to be turned down. Accepting rejection only makes you appear more confident in a prospect’s eyes, and if you’re comfortable being turned down, it shows prospects that you believe in what you’re selling.
Build trust by building relationships. Schedule a free demo today to see what we can do for your business.
Are there other tips you’d give to rookie salespeople? What worked for you when you first started out? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.