I have been writing for a few years now. However, before I was a wordsmith, I was in sales and marketing. Sales can be a spectacular career, but its reward comes with a price. To be a good salesman, one must be prepared for the drudgery of long hours and sleepless nights. And if you are new to sales and marketing, no amount of schooling will prepare you for the bitter pill of rejection. However, there is hope! Below, I have compiled a list of tricks that I have learned along the way. But be careful, you might end up rich.
Believe in what you sell
First things first, you must believe in your product. Any great salesman must exhibit self-confidence, trust and motivation. Sure, you can fake those things, and sometimes it might work, but therein lies the problem: it becomes work. And in a profession that already requires much of your time, less work is always better. Let me make this simple, If you truly believe that what you are selling is beneficial, or that it will help your clients reach their goals quicker, your confidence level will shine. And remember, confidence is highly infectious. On the other hand, if you don't believe in your product or service, neither will the prospect.
Understand that it takes more no's to get one yes.
A wise man once told me that in order to get rich and stay that way, you need to have deep pockets and short arms. Fortunately for us, most prospects have long arms. They want to spend their money, they just don't know it yet. However, life has taught many people to be wary of strangers, and that's where sales gets difficult. If you are afraid of rejection, then you are in the wrong profession. I always tell people that it takes at least eight no's to one yes. Don't get discouraged, and remember, you can't make everyone happy.
Ascertain the pain
Be conversational. Get to know your client. What are his or her likes or dislikes? What are his or her goals? You are trying to build a rapport with your prospect, but furthermore, you are looking for the person's pain. You need to figure out why that person can't live without your product or service. That way, when you do hear the dreaded word no, you have the ammo to direct the conversation back into your favor.
Underpromise yet overdeliver
Keep your client's expectations low. When you underpromise yet overdeliver, your client will be pleased, thus guaranteeing you a repeat customer. This is where you want to be at in the food chain of sales.
Choose language wisely
Lastly, know your audience. Mimic them. If they use fancy words, brush up your vocabulary. If they use words like "gosh", then say "dang it". The more personable you become, the higher your chances are at closing a deal. Oh, I almost forgot! Get them saying "no" a lot. That way it is easier for them to say yes when it counts.