Selling 101

Basic Sales 101

By  Scott Hammond
“Nothing happens until something is sold.”—Unknown

Sales as the backbone of the free market enterprise system.  It is the core of commerce.
It can be the quintessential win win-win scenario.  Everybody wins; you, your family, the customer, your company, your community, the nation, and the world at large. … If it is done correctly.

What is a sale?  What is it we do?  What is it we sell?  And what is a sales job?
The definition of sales is the transference of a feeling.  Persuasion requires empathy with others and listening to their needs, wants, and desires. Enthusiasm and empathy are key in selling.
Belief in yourself, your product, your customer and the selling process is vital to being a successful salesperson.
The fundamentals of selling include appearance.
First impressions really do count!
1. Clothing is important. You must wear decent/clean clothing.
2. How you look is also important in sales. Your hair, makeup, scent, and cleanliness all make a difference.
3. Your speech is also vital. Is it pleasant, kind, logical, and gracious?
4. Mannerisms and expressions. Demeanor is crucial. Greeting people correctly is vital.
5. Attitude. Your nature: Are you helpful, listening, empathetic, and truly caring?
6. Ask and listen. You must be able to ask great questions.  Then really listen to the answers.

The selling sequence goes something like this:
it is sequential… it has an opening, body, and close.
The opening has to do with asking questions and general conversation.
Ask a good question: probe for dissatisfactions and for problems for you to present solutions to.
Qualifying, a prospect has to do with looking for buying signals, and probing for buying objections.
The next step in the sequence would be solving the objections.
Can you solve an objection with your product features, advantages, and benefits?
The close of the sale is vital. You must always ask for the order and get approval to go forward.

Old vs. New School

The old school method of selling as much to do with being selfish, money based, steered by the salesperson, and isn’t always effective. It is blatantly one-sided and disingenuous.
It is telling versus selling.  It is usually salesperson driven and doesn’t always have the customer’s best interests in mind. The consultant of sales model is new school, and we will talk about that now.

Relationship driven sales has more to do with the customer needs, wants, and motivation.
A sales consultant is able to customize for specific customer needs.
1. It all starts with the customer needs analysis. These are questions designed to really get into the nuts and bolts of a client’s needs and desires.  Done in an informal style, the CNA is discovery based in discerns needs, trends, wants, desires and offers solutions and opportunities to it both customer and sales person.
It helps you create tailored solutions for customer’s needs.

2. Creating solutions from your customer questionnaire. The survey looks for weaknesses and offers strengths.
It can help you highlight your core competencies. You can propose concrete plans, ideas, and solutions.
You can propose out-of-the-box, customized, tailored solutions, ideas, and compelling offers to your client.

3. Compelling offers. Compelling offers are not always dollar-based.
After you gather your data you can now process, and create a customized proposal.
You’re now ready to propose your ideas to your client and ask for their agreement.
Compelling offers are unique, individualized, and tailored to the client. They’re like having a personal shopper at Nordstrom’s.

4. Closing the sale.
If the above is done correctly, closing the sale becomes natural, no pressure exercise.
It’s easy to ask for the sale because of it flows from an assumed culmination of the aforementioned process.
The sale is assumed.  Therefore the closing is low-key, and a natural end to the exercise.

The benefits of the consultant of sales style.
The style offers everyone a partnership approach.
Customer’s tell you their needs, and you present solutions in a relaxed, nonthreatening style that builds relationship quickly. The style focuses energy and resources and carries with it reasonable expectations of success.

In conclusion, the Old versus New schools of sales have fundamental differences and benefits and the new consultant style should certainly be part of one’s sales lexicon. Remember, “Nothing happens till there is a sale.”

We are all in sales in way….Therefore, be the best salesperson you can be.

Salesman’s Prayer

Prayer From The Greatest Salesman In The World … by Og Mandino

Oh creator of all things, help me. For this day I go out into the world naked and alone, and without your hand to guide me I will wander far from the path which leads to success and happiness.

I ask not for gold or garments or even opportunities equal to my abilities; instead, guide me so that I may acquire ability equal to my opportunities.

You have taught the lion and the eagle how to hunt and prosper with teeth and claw. Teach me how to hunt with words and prosper with love so that I may be a lion among men and an eagle in the market place.

Help me to remain humble through obstacles and failures; yet hide not from mine eyes the prize that will come with victory.

Assign me tasks to which others have failed, yet guide me to pluck the seeds of success from their failures. Confront me with fears that will temper my spirit; yet endow me with courage to laugh at my misgivings.

Spare me sufficient days to reach my goals; yet help me to live this day as though it be my last.

Guide me in my words that they may bear fruit; yet silence me from gossip that none be maligned.

Discipline me in the habit of trying and trying and trying again; yet show me the way to make use of the law of averages. Favor me with alertness to recognize opportunity; yet endow me with patience which will concentrate my strength.

Bathe me in good habits that the bad ones may drown; yet grant me compassion for the weaknesses in others. Suffer me to know that all things shall pass; yet help me to count my blessings of today.

Expose me to hate so it not be a stranger; yet fill my cup with love to turn strangers into friends.

But all these things only if thy will. I am a small and a lonely grape clutching the vine yet thou hast made me different from all the others. Verily, there must be a special place for me. Guide me. Show me the way.

Let me become all you planned for me when my seed was planted and selected by you to sprout in the vineyard of the world.

Help this humble salesman.

Guide me, God.

Og Mandino Wisdom

1. Good habits are the key to all success… I will form good habits and become the slave of my habits.
2. I will greet each day with love in my heart…I will decide to love.
3. I will persist until I succeed… Each failure increases opportunity of success. I will not allow yesterday’s success to lull me into complacency.
4. I am nature’s greatest miracle… there is no one like me, with unlimited potential, unique, and always improving my manners and grace.
5. I will live this day as if it were my last… I will not waste a moment on yesterday’s errors, doubts, failures, or procrastination.
6. Today I will be the master of my emotions… I will bring my” weather” with me, of joy and happiness. I will face my fears head-on.
7. I will laugh at the world…. I will remember that mistakes are short lived, will pass, and therefore arrive at a new perspective.
8. I will multiply my value 100 times… I will set daily, weekly, monthly and a yearly goals. I will aim high and surpass my own deeds.
9. I will act now… Action is to food and drink that will nourish my success.
10. I will pray every day for guidance… I will not seek for worldly goods, but rather a long-term perspective that values people and relationships.

My father Bob really loved this guy…. and now I understand why… he’s got a lot of cool stuff.   My dad gave me the Greatest Salesman in college, but I never bothered to read it.  We should learn to listen or parents and obey them.