Part Two So, how can you make sure that potential customers turn to you rather than your opposition? One thing you can do is put into operation a Prospecting Plan. It will not solve all your problems but it will give you a basis from which to build your own program for business growth.
The eight steps of your plan should be:
1. Build Communication Skills 2. Be Assertive 3. Be Excellent at Networking 4. Have a Good Client Contact System 5. Be Very Visible 6. Portray a Good Image 7. Maintain a Good Reputation 8. Be Good at Record Keeping Communication Skills Selling is a people business. You have to like people, and you have to show that you like them. Whether you're dealing with a large company or a smaller company, you are still dealing with people.
You have to learn to love your customer, after all it is the customer that puts bread on your table, provides a roof under which you live, and allows you to drive that expensive motor car. If we didn't have customers, we wouldn't have much.
If you are approachable and helpful, if people feel comfortable with you, then they will turn to you, rather than the other person, when the time comes to buy.
Communication Skills involve good listening and questioning skills, but that is a whole other topic and one which will not be covered in depth in this article.
Assertiveness Being assertive does not mean being aggressive!
Make sure people know what you do for a living. If people don't know what you do for a living you're not giving them the chance to deal with you or to tell others what you do. It would be stupid to try aggressive selling on your social acquaintances.
What you do for a living is an important part of you. It inevitably comes up in conversation. One of the first questions people ask is: "What do you do for a living?"
So don't be shy. Don't hold back. Learn to develop your “Audio Logo” as I’ve heard it described. If an acquaintance is looking for the product or service you provide and doesn't contact you, you're obviously doing something wrong. Make sure people know what you have to offer, and be certain that you're the type of person they'll want to deal with.
Continued in Part Three
Part Two - Prospecting for More Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Lawrence Atkinson's Website.
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Lawrence Atkinson
(Visit Lawrence's Website)
Lawrence specialises in sales training and
sales coaching, with over 20 years
experience as both a trainer and a coach.
He has lived and worked in the UK, Europe,
the Middle East and more recently the
Pacific Islands. He is a Fellow and
former Director of the Australian
Institute of Training and Development and
holds Fellowships with the Australian
Institute of Company Directors, the
Australian Institute of Management, and
the Financial Services Institute of
Australasia. He is also a Justice of the
Peace.
His many experiences in a variety of sales
situations present an interesting
background for his training and coaching
interventions and provide Lawrence with an
ability to relate to and train people at
all levels, across a variety of cultural
and industry settings. This includes, for
example, training and coaching business
owners and managers, senior relationship
managers, business banking managers,
financial advisers, retail sales people,
electrical sales engineers, accountants in
PNG, new Australian exporters, importers
and exporters in Fiji, and a video
production company in Bahrain!
A Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, he
loves to work with people to see them
succeed.
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