Building Sales Creatively
Building Sales Creatively
Of course your customers should always feel that way when they have bought something from you, but how do you instill this ‘unsold to’ feeling when you know you have to do exactly that - sell your product or service? It’s all about selling creatively, about being a little different from your competitors and having the confidence and conviction to carry the sale through.
Make it okay for people not to buy
Martin Myslinski, a successful young entrepreneur in Silicon Valley shared a bit of sales wisdom with me early in my career. He said, “When approaching any sales opportunity remember, No One Sale Matters.” In other words we don’t build a business on “One Sale”, so relax, its okay for someone not to buy. It is the confident business person who will work hard and professionally and allow someone to “choose” their product or service. We all understand “What is in it for us” if we make a sale, what is more important is to understand “What is in it for the customer.” Making it okay for customers not to buy and learning what is important to the customer will increase your creativity in presenting product and service solutions in ways customers prefer.
Reinforce your status as a specialist
People who are perceived as experts in their field are often granted automatic credibility and trust. If you have been selling your product or service for a period of time you may find that your customers will begin to recognize you as a specialist in your field. If you and your sales team are well established as specialists then make sure that your customers know it. You should emphasize it in your marketing materials and advertising. For example, you could add a tagline to your logo, (Eagle Movers – Helping people on the move for over 40 years), and mention it as a unique selling point when talking to customers.
Follow up individual sales with another offer
Recent satisfied customers will still have you top-of-mind and may be particularly open to another purchase at this time. So while your customers are still in a positive state of mind about your business it’s a great idea to offer them a deal on a complementary product or service.
Be creative with customer objections
You have probably experienced a customer responding to your sales efforts by saying they don’t have enough money, don’t need it right now, or will call again later. You may have tried hard to change their decision and overcome these objections to still make the sale. But often it is already too late at this stage - objections need to be dealt with before you ask for the sale, not after the customer has made up their mind. The way to do this convincingly and creatively is to think about likely objections beforehand and work the answers in as part of the sales presentation.
Start by writing down a list of objections that apply to your product or service. This list could include the following:
“Your price is too high”
“I can't get budget approval”
“Someone else makes the decision”
“We always take the lowest bid”
“We can get it cheaper from someone else”
Then put yourself in your customer’s shoes and write down what they want, such as:
Added value to their business
No wasted follow up time sorting out problems
Answers to their major business issues
Now you must merge these real customer needs into your product or service offering, which you can do by starting your sales presentation by tackling customer objections and not by simply promoting your product. You can create a dialogue with your customer that will demonstrate to them that buying from you, at your price, is what’s best for them in the long run.
Customers will never object to saving money and avoiding post sales hassles.
Remember the basics
The basics of sales - such as knowing your product and your customer - may seem commonsense, but many business owners forget to give them the attention they deserve. Make sure you know the ins and outs of the product or service that you’re selling so you can answer any questions without hesitation. Also write down personal details your customer may tell you, such as their family situation or hobbies. They’ll be delighted when you remember later on.
Be creative and win
Being creative with your selling doesn’t mean coming up with crazy promotions. It means dealing with everyday issues with flair, listening intently to your customers’ needs and applying appropriate solutions. It means thinking on your feet, relating well to the people you deal with and being passionate about your own business. Only then will your customers be sold on your business, without feeling ‘sold to’.
Building Sales Creatively - To learn more about this author, visit Rene Zamora's Website.
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How do you define a happy customer? It’s usually someone who feels they haven’t been ‘sold to’ at all. They feel like they’ve received good value for money, as if they now have something they really want and that the purchasing decision was theirs alone.
Of course your customers should always feel that way when they have bought something from you, but how do you instill this ‘unsold to’ feeling when you know you have to do exactly that - sell your product or service? It’s all about selling creatively, about being a little different from your competitors and having the confidence and conviction to carry the sale through.
Make it okay for people not to buy
Martin Myslinski, a successful young entrepreneur in Silicon Valley shared a bit of sales wisdom with me early in my career. He said, “When approaching any sales opportunity remember, No One Sale Matters.” In other words we don’t build a business on “One Sale”, so relax, its okay for someone not to buy. It is the confident business person who will work hard and professionally and allow someone to “choose” their product or service. We all understand “What is in it for us” if we make a sale, what is more important is to understand “What is in it for the customer.” Making it okay for customers not to buy and learning what is important to the customer will increase your creativity in presenting product and service solutions in ways customers prefer.
Reinforce your status as a specialist
People who are perceived as experts in their field are often granted automatic credibility and trust. If you have been selling your product or service for a period of time you may find that your customers will begin to recognize you as a specialist in your field. If you and your sales team are well established as specialists then make sure that your customers know it. You should emphasize it in your marketing materials and advertising. For example, you could add a tagline to your logo, (Eagle Movers – Helping people on the move for over 40 years), and mention it as a unique selling point when talking to customers.
Follow up individual sales with another offer
Recent satisfied customers will still have you top-of-mind and may be particularly open to another purchase at this time. So while your customers are still in a positive state of mind about your business it’s a great idea to offer them a deal on a complementary product or service.
Be creative with customer objections
You have probably experienced a customer responding to your sales efforts by saying they don’t have enough money, don’t need it right now, or will call again later. You may have tried hard to change their decision and overcome these objections to still make the sale. But often it is already too late at this stage - objections need to be dealt with before you ask for the sale, not after the customer has made up their mind. The way to do this convincingly and creatively is to think about likely objections beforehand and work the answers in as part of the sales presentation.
Start by writing down a list of objections that apply to your product or service. This list could include the following:
“Your price is too high”
“I can't get budget approval”
“Someone else makes the decision”
“We always take the lowest bid”
“We can get it cheaper from someone else”
Then put yourself in your customer’s shoes and write down what they want, such as:
Added value to their business
No wasted follow up time sorting out problems
Answers to their major business issues
Now you must merge these real customer needs into your product or service offering, which you can do by starting your sales presentation by tackling customer objections and not by simply promoting your product. You can create a dialogue with your customer that will demonstrate to them that buying from you, at your price, is what’s best for them in the long run.
Customers will never object to saving money and avoiding post sales hassles.
Remember the basics
The basics of sales - such as knowing your product and your customer - may seem commonsense, but many business owners forget to give them the attention they deserve. Make sure you know the ins and outs of the product or service that you’re selling so you can answer any questions without hesitation. Also write down personal details your customer may tell you, such as their family situation or hobbies. They’ll be delighted when you remember later on.
Be creative and win
Being creative with your selling doesn’t mean coming up with crazy promotions. It means dealing with everyday issues with flair, listening intently to your customers’ needs and applying appropriate solutions. It means thinking on your feet, relating well to the people you deal with and being passionate about your own business. Only then will your customers be sold on your business, without feeling ‘sold to’.
Building Sales Creatively - To learn more about this author, visit Rene Zamora's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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