Sales Tips for All Seasons
Improving closing percentages, even during a difficult economic climate, can be accomplished by applying the right skills and attitude. While innumerable sales techniques exist, start practicing the fundamentals for immediate results.
Additional Products, Services
A great way to maximize your sales opportunity is to sell additional products and services to the customer while you are sitting in front of them. You have already built up rapport with the customer. Go for it! Offer them the extended warranty or the additional protection. Keep in mind the sales adage, “You’ll miss every shot you don’t take.”
Inexperienced salespeople often want to get the sale and get out. Don’t be fearful. You are not going to lose the sale by offering more protection.
Here are a few points that will help boost sales without having to find a new customer:
Get excited about the products and services you personally believe in — These are products you would buy yourself. Learn the product features and master the art of presenting them.
Always use the alternative of choice close — When asking for the initial order, offer the prospect two or three choices. Rather than ask, “Well, what do you think?” (one of the worst questions you could ever ask); try saying, “I have presented three plans of protection for your premises. Which plan is most comfortable for you?” Note: you are not asking if they are going to buy or not. You are asking how much they are going to buy. By using an assumptive, alternative of choice close you are more likely to get the sale and sell additional protection.
Display or demonstrate your additional products — A picture is worth a thousand words. Whoever coined that phrase must have been in sales because it is never truer than when presenting your exciting product. Be prepared to show them what it looks like. There is no way you can accurately describe to a customer how exciting ownership will be without them at least seeing what it is you are talking about.
“Would you like fries with that?”— Suggestive selling works. Frequently just a soft suggestion followed by a moment of silence is all it takes to persuade your prospect to get the additional product you are offering.
Never apologize for your price – When asking for the order you should hold your head up high and be proud that you can offer so much for so little.
“Oh, by the way … “—These are some of the most powerful words in sales. Many times just a reminder to your prospect that they can now get your additional, new product is all it takes.
Customer trust is the key to upselling —If your customer trusts you and your advice they are more likely to spend more money with you. Remember, one of the fundamentals of sales is that you must appear to be incapable of deceit.
Avoid leaving money on the table— Rarely is a security system sold that included every product that could have been installed in the home or business. There is always some additional protection to offer. Look for opportunities on every sales presentation to sell additional products.
Applying these essential sales
techniques with determination and consistency can have an immediate positive impact. Although there are innumerable sales methods and practices, never stray from the fundamentals. You’ll be glad you didn’t.
Russ Ackerman is Director of Sales and Training for Certified Security Systems, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based systems integrator. He can be contacted at (888) 521-8891 or [email protected].
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