Sales Is Not An Art, It’s A Science – Part II

SO you’ve survived the first part and came away liking sales a BIT more than before?

Quick summary points from Part 1:

• Sales is LESS about selling, and MORE about “HOW THE CUSTOMER BUYS.”
• Sales is more about having a process and less about the gift of the gab.
• Building long-term relationships and devoting time for them will generate more sales.

Hidden Point – When you’ve an open mind, you will notice you end up learning more.

Myth No 3

The question is – How badly do you want to sell your products? How badly do you want your ideas to get a ‘buy-in?’ How badly do you want to be heard??

One needs to be open to the idea that selling is a 24 by 7 mindset. It doesn’t mean you keep selling or talking about your product all the time. It’s about being more aware, being more proactive with your process, being more ready, being able to spot opportunities.

Awareness: Being prepared with knowledge about your product/service and the sector in general and knowing the pain points of the Target Customer Segment and awareness to share it when called upon Proactive Behaviour: Do you wait too long to follow up with your prospective client? or are you wondering if it’s too early or too late to follow up?

Do you request a testimonial or feedback when a sufficient amount of time has lapsed or waiting and hoping for them to say something?

The question is – Are you thinking a couple of steps ahead and grabbing the bull by the horns or being Mr. Nice Guy/ Ms. Sweet Girl and letting the customer drift out of sight and out of mind?

Ready: When you sense the customer is a fast decision maker, are you ready to close the deal faster or you continue to meander with the same process and drag it out?

Are you ready with your proposals faster than your client expects? Are you ready with re-working of the proposals and negotiations?

It’s not about being born with sales-related super power abilities; it’s only and only about following a process diligently, being more aware, proactive and ready.

Is it doable?

Myth No 4

There is a serious limiting belief that one has to lie, cheat, and manipulate the hell out of the customers to get the deal going. That the chances of making the sale or getting the deal is much much higher with a buying mindset and if one can map that clearly.

Is it as simple as that?

Yes it is !!

In fact, a BIG EMPHATIC YES.

In the current market scenario (across sectors), customers have become more discerning, they’ve more clarity of what they want and they’re more confused than ever because of the flooding of social media with various campaigns. Some sales professionals are able to lie and close deals but are they able to sustain and build a long-term profitable business? Highly debatable!!

So, if you’re not a fly-by-night operator, then focus on learning what are the pain points of your customer, what kind of a mindset do they have while buying?

So if we utilise that data for the discussions, sales pitches, proposals, social media campaigns, then we’re very likely to attract high-quality target audience to us repeatedly and be loyal to us because it’s about building a relationship with the customer and not just making a sale.

Customers selling is less about how to sell but more about how the customer buys than anything else.

Myth No 5

The more clarity you have about your target audience (not any customer available – a legitimate planned one) and the more determined you’re to stick to it, the more likely you will get quality clients who will pay the money for the quality you offer, leading to less reduction in profit margins.

Reduction in profit margins happen when:

• There is no sales process in place and the only way to get new business is word of mouth.
• Your USPs are not clear to the customer.
• The customer hasn’t seen enough value in what you’re offering.
• You’re too lazy to work hard to get quality clients.
• When the business goals are extremely short-term.
• There is no discipline in sticking to the target audience.

I hope I’ve done my bit to make you like Sales or the concept of selling more than before. So as I tell everyone, make a list of people you can meet, go meet a few of them and feel the difference.

[The author of this post is Ankoor Naik, Business Coach.]

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