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Sales Training 101
Written by: Donna FlaggArticle Overview: We are so conditioned to think about selling in terms of “helping customers,” that we sometimes loose sight of the fact that not everyone wants or needs “help.” Think about it. The assistance you offer one is the pestering you provide another. The most important thing to assess when dealing with customers is whether they are decisive or not when it comes to making a decision about your product. From there, you can gauge not only how much you need to give, but also how much “selling” versus backing off is actually necessary.
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Free Download - The Difference Between Managers and Leaders is A Lot & Not Much By Donna Flagg |
Sales Training 101
I was working on developing sales training for a client when I had an epiphany. It came in the form of a flashback from the days when I worked in retail on the selling floor. I remember deciding at the time that while I "got" there were different types of customers, I didn’t want to “type” them. Rather, I wanted to understand them.
I’ve long wrestled with the idea that one size fits all. I don’t believe it works. Plus, I knew firsthand from killing enough sales that what works for one customer doesn’t necessarily work for the next – not by a long shot. The problem is that, in order to be efficient, training programs are often based on these types of assumptions and generalizations that in the end, limit their scope and effectiveness. I didn’t want to do that. We first needed to develop deeper and better insights into customer behavior. That’s when I realized we needed a new entry point – another way in.
We are so conditioned to think about selling in terms of “helping customers,” that I think sometimes we loose sight of the fact that not everyone wants or needs “help.” Think about it. The assistance you offer one is the pestering you provide another. The most important thing to assess right away when dealing with customers is whether they are decisive or not when it comes to wanting/needing your product. From there, you can gauge not only how much information you need to give, but also how much “selling” versus backing off is actually necessary.
Imagine in your own life. There are times we know exactly what we want and don't need to be "sold," and others when we need different amounts of information in order to make a decision. The great sales people are the ones who know how to give just enough - but not too much - to help their customers decide to buy.
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Article Tags: customer service, decision trees, sales training, selling tips
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About the Author: Donna Flagg RSS for Donna's articles - Visit Donna's website  Donna Flagg spent over 15 years in business before founding The Krysalis Group, a consulting firm specializing in management, marketing, training and sales and their respective relationships to business results. Her management career began in sales at CHANEL, and before branching out on her own, she spearheaded a new training function within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. After earning a BA from Rutgers University and gaining experience on the front lines of Corporate America, Donna went on to attend New York University's Graduate School of Education where she obtained a master's degree in Organizational Development and Human Resource Management, and a post graduate degree in Business Education. She has also been a speaker at City University of New York (CUNY) and New York University through Stern Business School and Delta Pi Epsilon, a national honorary professional graduate society in business education and training. In addition, she speaks at various conferences including those conducted by The Business Leadership Network and The Conference Board, where she was also on the advisory committee for the Enterprise Learning Strategies Conference. For her communications expertise, Donna was invited to be a host at the Liz Claiborne Leadership Offsite to discuss branding during their "Progressive Dinner" event and more recently, a speaker at the Inc. Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX. Donna is the author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations and is blogger on Pyschology Today and The Huffington Post. She is frequently featured in the press for her workplace expertise in outlets including CNBC, the New York Times, WOR, and XM Satellite Radio. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Randy Foye Foundation where she actively participates in its mission to assist children and families in Newark, NJ. Click here to visit Donna's website   How and When to Use Exit Interviews A Better Way to Implement Mentoring Programs Giving Employees a Test Run Before Hiring Sales Training 101 Consensus Building Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing |
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Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz]
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Budget.
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Training tends to be a normal practice for a big company.
But I have to consider it seriously as an entrepreneur.
Hello From Marietta GA!
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My name is Tim Naylor and I am in Direct Sales! I am glad I have found EC's sites and I hope to learn and share a lot!
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