Prove Your Worth - Tip 7

Tip 7:  Learn to do a better job of closing
Closing conversations provide insight on customers' definitions of value. Closing helps you understand why customers hesitate to buy. Sometimes, price causes hesitation. When that' the case, ask questions to determine what value the customer seeks. Look for ways to tip the scale in your favor and make the sale.

A Summer Check List for Savvy Sales Professionals

Summer is upon us and with clients on vacation and sales slowing down, savvy sales professionals like you know it's important to take advantage of any down time and use it to build your sales skills.

Here are the Top 5 Things You Should Aim to Accomplish This Summer:

1. Engage with prospects using LinkedIn, and get at least one meeting with someone you met through the social media site.

2. Focus on one area where more expertise would get you more sales. For example, become an expert on one cross-media solution. Read all the articles, whitepapers and case studies you can, talk to colleagues and attend in-town workshops and seminars.

3. Update your elevator speech so it's relevant and will help you sell today.

4. Resurrect at least one customer you thought was dead.

5. Attempt to cross-sell/up-sell to at least three customers.

Great information like this can be found in our free monthly newsletter Self-Taught Sales. To sign up, email melissa@thoughttransformation.com.

More Quick Sales—How to Make Them Happen

 

There is nothing better than finding opportunities to make quick, easy sales. And yes, we can all do more of that by following these four steps.

1. Understand who you're talking to and the limits of their authority. What budget do they control? What decisions can they make? Quick sales come when the person has complete authority to purchase.
2. What does the buyer complain about on a regular basis? Can you sell them something to fix it? If the answer is yes, do they value your solution?
3. If the buyer thinks your solution has value, can they afford it?
4. If they can afford it, address potential objections and close the sale.

When the buyer wrestles with a problem you can solve, acknowledges your value and can afford the solution, it's an opportunity for a quick sale. Close it, and then ask yourself where you could find similar opportunities.

Buying Signals - Signs you are on the path to sales success

The Big One: Warning Signs

Unfortunately, there will be times when the deck is stacked against you, so watch for these warning signs.

• The customer requires complex pricing or an elaborate proposal, but refuses to engage in any real discussion about the opportunity, either face-to-face or on the phone.
• Prospects agree to meet, but it quickly becomes obvious that they’re just going through the motions—either so they can say they did their due diligence or to appease their boss—not because they’re honestly interested in a potential partnership with you as a vendor.
• The specifications have an obvious slant and you can tell they were written to benefit one particular vendor.

When you have concerns about the opportunity being a waste of time, you may want to push the matter and have a heart-to-heart talk with the prospect and ask, “Do we have a real opportunity to win this business?”

The Big One: Offer a Solution

To sell a big deal, you need to find a match between the customer’s problems and your company’s products and services. Generally, bigger problems are solved with a bundled offering providing an end-to-end solution.

Selling an established solution is easier than selling a brand new concept. Prior sales offer proof of your expertise, making it easier to open doors and start conversations with potential customers.

More on "The Big One" next Monday.

The Big One

An opportunity for a big deal is lurking in your account base, and while finding it may not be easy, it could be very lucrative when you focus on these areas.

Know exactly what you sell.
Big deals are built by bundling products and services into a single high-value solution. To identify winning combinations, hone your expertise on all the products and services your company offers. Sell on your strengths. Understand your weaknesses and be prepared to answer related objections.

Know why customers buy.
Both Starbucks and McDonald's sell coffee. Beyond price considerations, there are many reasons why some buyers prefer Starbucks while others prefer McDonald's. McDonald's has more lunch choices on its fast food menu and caters to kids. Starbucks, with its upscale coffee shop vibe, is more likely to be the destination of choice for business people meeting for coffee.

You know why you prefer Starbucks or McDonald's. To sell big deals you need to know why customers prefer you.

Identify your customer’s big problems.
Big deals come about because smart salespeople eliminate big problems related to:
• Inefficient processes.
• Low productivity.
• Excessive costs.
• Missed opportunities for higher revenues or increased profit.

More on "The Big One" Wednesday.