Effective training for a sales team is essential for sales success. When a salesperson sits with a potential customer, knowing the product, knowing the price structure, and knowing how to best present the product or service can make the difference between winning the order and disappointment in not getting it. The better trained your sales team are, the better they can perform in the field.
Many people engaged in sales, especially those new to it, tend to take it personally when a potential customer says no. They fail to persist in prospecting. These salespeople are failing themselves and their company. They fail to position themselves with potential clients. Thus, they limit their opportunities even further.
- Over 50 percent of salespeople give up the moment they get a “no” from the prospect, they never go back and try again
- Only seven percent of the salespeople remain after the fifth contact
- On the eighth contact, the field has narrowed to one salesperson; this could be you
What is it that successful salespeople do that others don’t? How do they grab the attention of the prospect?
Communication
Price is important, but it is only one issue. A great salesperson sells value.
Part of the sales task is preparing proposals after the initial meeting has concluded. This is a critical part of the entire sales process; unfortunately, many salespeople don’t capitalize on it. The key to the preparation of a winning proposal is communication, and the key to effective communication is the “art of listening.”
Listening
There is a tendency for people that know their product to interpret what they think they are hearing, rather than listen to what is being said. Salespeople are dynamic by nature, training for your sales team will get them to listen first, ask questions later. Listening skills are powerful. It is an essential part of communication, and it is far different from just hearing. The best salespeople are good listeners; they know when to act upon what they have heard.
Learning to listen equates to knowing how to communicate. Effective negotiations are little more than two people communicating. One person communicating needs, the other communicating solutions.
