Each of us sells every single day. We are all sales people. How well we sell directly affects our lifestyles, friendships, and family life. Professional sales people spend their entire careers consciously selling products and services. They attend sales trainings and seminars. They listen to motivational tapes and CDs in the cars to stay optimistic in the face of the inevitable continuous stream of 'Nos' every salesperson hears daily. Selling is the world's oldest profession. It is in your blood, and you know how to do it. Follow just a few simple steps and rules to selling, and considerably improve your life and your relationships. My definition of a sale is the connection between a buyer's needs and a seller's benefit. This sounds basic and it is. Using this definition, what is the process for a easy-to-make sale? 1. The seller must know the buyer's needs. 2. The buyer must believe his needs are completely fulfilled by the seller's benefits. In a perfect world, if #1 and #2 are met, there is a sale. Why is it not a perfect world? Here are common problems in a sale. 1. The buyer, much less the seller, truly knows his own needs. He may think he knows, and the seller may believe this erroneous thinking. To sell anything, all sellers must practice the art of questions. Good sales people ask questions until the buyer's pain is discovered. Since all buying is emotional, discovering pain or problems usually also uncovers the buyer's true needs. 2. The seller does not know, and/or does not communicate to the buyer the benefits that answer the needs of the buyer. Unless the buyer clearly understands the benefits of service or product he is purchasing will solve the need, there will always be doubt about the sale. Many times the seller knows the feature of their product or service, but not the benefit. For instance if I were selling a fireman's charity ticket to a friend I would not say "Buy this ticket because the fire department needs your money." I would use a benefit like this; "The money you invest in this ticket will support your fire department. What this means to you is better and faster response times with better paid, more qualified fireman coming to save your house or your life." See how I convert a feature (help the fire department) into a benefit (save your house or life)? Practice this concept every time you want to sell. Take the time to find out the needs of anyone you are trying to sell anything whether it is an idea, a product, or a service. Using your knowledge, match your benefits to the needs, communicate it properly and you have a sale! Your Coach and online friend, Miami Phillips Helping others find their path - and stay on it. http://www.creativemasterminds.com Quotation of the Week - "When one teaches, two learn." --Robert Half |
