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People often wonder whether they could be a sales person or how they could improve as one. Here are some of the key attributes a good or even great sales person will have.
Belief in what you are selling.
Before you can ever effectively convince anyone else in your abilities or product you must first already have this conviction yourself. In order to get a sale you’ve got to be fully convinced of your product, service.
Belief in yourself.
This goes hand in hand with the previous statement. When you are selling something you are trying to convince the buyer that not only is your product of value but that you are trustworthy. If you do not show confidence in yourself your buyer is unlikely to have confidence in you.
Determination.
Getting a sale is not an easy thing to do and there will be plenty of days when it seems like nothing goes right and you are faced with challenges. The trick is to weather the storm and not get disheartened. You will not succeed at every sale and try to learn from each attempt. Long term success is taking the good with the bad and being able to handle both effectively.
Ambition.
Ambition and self motivation are vital in sales marketing. You need to set yourself goals and not be afraid of going after success, or indeed of failing. Do not rely on others or leave it “up to fate.” Life is what you make of it.
Knowledge.
Make sure that you know as much as you can about your chosen field, this does not just mean you product or your business but you should also your environment, i.e. your competitors, your clients or cutomers . What you need to really succeed where others have failed is an edge, something you can offer that others can’t.
Check out Silicon Beach Training’s Sales and Marketing courses
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Posted by Colin Welch in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
A company will often try to generate more sales by “networking”, this will generally involve going to a small business networking event, Chamber of Commerce business card exchange or a peer to peer meeting in which they then promote their services.
However very rarely is anything either bought or sold at these events and it is you may often get the feeling that very little headway is made. In the following three sub-sections will show you what techniques you need to make the most out of these opportunities.
Getting The Right Perspective.
Firstly it is important to realise that networking is not the same as selling. Although it is true that the vast majority of people are there to sell their products, services or business, the art of networking is subtle. For instance: when you meet a potential buyer don’t be overbearing and bombard this person with reasons why they should buy your product/service, this will only push the potential customer away.
The idea is to get to know people who are influential so that they use and refer you in the future, and they will be far more likely to do this if they don’t feel hassled and you make a good impression. One way of achieving this is by listening and giving them advice or help.
One thing to understand is that the main focus of your conversation should be that of the customer.
Word Of Mouth.
This is one of the most effective and cheapest forms of advertisement and a great way to get more sales. If you have taken the last section on board you will be well on your way to creating word of mouth advertisement about your product, company or just you yourself.
As with the last section this technique is centered around getting to know the potential buyer better and making a good impression. Here are some questions you may want to ask the potential buyer if you are struggling:
- What is their name?
- What do they do?
- What do they like most about what they do?
- Who are thier clients?
- Do they have to travel much?
- Where are they based?
These are the sort of questions that will allow you to gather the information necessary to redirect potential clients their way. News of your abiliity to generate good leads will soon spread people will feel that they should get to know you, your reputation will be boosted and it will be far easier to pitch a sales as favors are repaid.
The reason this method is such a good one is that if someone receives a third party endorsement of a company, i.e. you directing a potential client to a company, then they are far more likely to be receptive because of your endorsement.
The most important aspect of this technique is being able to consistently gather and record information about the people you meet. You will more than likely create your own style and way of doing this as you get use to it and if you do manage it you will vastly increase the word of mouth hype about your company.
Become An Expert.
Become an expert in your field.
One of the best ways to find customers for your company is to have a reputation as an expert in your field. Expert carries with it connotations of prestige and credibility yet it is not as difficult to obtain as you might think. Here is a simple three point plan showing you how to do this:
Find a niche
Instead of trying to be good at everything try and be great at one thing, concentrate your energies and intelligence into just one area and learn everything there is to know on it. It needn’t be an obvious area either.
Write about what you know.
Show off! Make sure that people can see how good you really are, every day there are literally thousands of newsletter publishers, web masters and editors looking for new and interesting articles to publish. If you could get your material published and liked back to your own website then it is like a stamp of approval, if done regularly the snowball effectmakes you become more established and respected.
Speak whenever possible
The same principle applies to this point as with the last point. Although it can undoubtedly be a rather nerve-racking experience, public speaking is one of the best ways in which you can gain credibility as an expert. A competent speech can win an audience. Try to offer free advise and useful material that businesses can use rather than sell your product. As for nerves it’s bearing in mind is that nearly everyone of the audience will only have respect and admiration for you being able to stand up and talk.
More advice in giving a good presentation can be found in our presentation section
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Posted by Colin Welch in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | No Comments »
Whilst the lowest bid will often win business, low biding contractors are now normally placed on a “short list”. In this short list the contractor may be invited to sell themselves and their company to prospective clients. The usual way that a contractor would do this would be to give a presentation.
Whilst there is no absolute way of making sure you win the business there are certain things that you can do to increase your chances significantly.
Know Your Audience
What you must never do is present your prospective client with an obvious, generic and bland presentation. Recognise that each buyer is different and that if you take the time to make your presentation specific to them then it will go a long way towards winning the client.
You will need to give the client another reason to choose you apart from price, put something else into the equation like the quality and standard of your work, your ability to meet a deadline, how easy it is for them to get in touch, how quickly you respond etc.
If you can prove that you are the right person for the job and that you know what you are doing you could make it to the top of the “shortlist.”
You could use a varied range of techniques such as: exhibits, pictures, quotes, trade journal articles or testimonials. Whilst contemplating which method to go for, remember that the bigger and bolder the evidence is, the more likely it is that you will be remembered. Letters of recommendation are also a good way of trying to set yourself out from a crowd and are often overlooked but take little time and energy.
When deciding what you think is most important to your buyers, i.e. safety etc, simply ask them what their preferences are. This will show a willingness to listen to your client and your intent to please, make notes.
Giving the Presentation
The most important aspects of giving a presentation is to appear confident and show that you have the necessary understanding and competence. First impressions are key, and will be made very early on in the presentation, so it is important to try and get start off strongly.
Your clinet will be interested in whether or not they feel that they could work well with you. Trust is an important element, if they choose you, they are putting themselves and thier investment in your hands. With this in mind try to build a rapport with the client, build up a sense of trust whilst still being professional and competent.
For more helpful advice and tips on presentations visit our free presentation skills resource or see our 5 top tips for great presentations.
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Posted by Colin Welch in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | No Comments »
When it comes to the day to present, don’t forget about the practicalities. There’s nothing worse than preparing a brilliant presentation, only to have it ruined by simple problems you could have forseen.
For instance, consider:
- Where exactly is the training taking place?
- Where is the nearest parking or train station?
- Where will you stand?
- Do they have the correct equipment or will you have to bring your own?
- What length of presentation is the audience expecting?
- Will you be able to have access to the room before people arrive?
- Will my laptop be compatible with the projector?
- Could I still give the presentation if the projector failed?
It’s best to assume that if it can go wrong it will go wrong, and to prepare accordingly!
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
What you wear is also important; make sure that you know your audience and know what is expected.
Studies have shown that over 90% of a first impression comes from non verbal communication. Appearing either too casual and too formal can be off-putting to your presentation’s audience.
To get a better idea of how what you should wear you should list five adjectives that describe how you want your presentation to be perceived and then try to dress accordingly.
Here are some examples:
- Creative: means being more original and imaginative
- Efficient: means paying attention to grooming
- Innovative: means modern and with the times
- Friendly or approachable: means avoid looking too severe
It is important that before you give your presentation that you pay close attention to every aspect of your appearance.
When choosing what to wear take into consideration how comfortable you will feel in it, a tight and unflattering outfit will only serve to distract an audience and make giving your presentation harder. Something you will also want to take into account is the colour of the stage and whether or not this will complement what you are wearing, if possible try and make sure that this is the case.
Before you give your presentation take everything out of your pockets so as to remove any awkward angles that may emerge (and to stop you from fiddling with things in your pockets). If you’re wearing smart shoes make sure they’re polished – tattered and dirty shoes can often be very visible to an audience. One important thing to remember is to never travel long distances in the outfit that you will give your presentation in as you’ll turn up looking disheveled.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Practice, Practice, Practice!
We can’t emphasise this enough: To help your presentation run smoothly and to avoid any mishaps or freezing up on stage it is important to practice your speech beforehand as many times as possible. You may find it helpful to do this in front of a mirror or to film yourself so as to get a better idea of what the audience sees. Better still – find a willing audience – your wife, husband, kids, colleagues – anyone who’ll lend a critical ear. It’s easy to get so caught up in a presentation that you can’t see the wood for the trees.
As a guide to how much is enough – you should have practiced your speech enough times that you know it completely. If you find that you have to be constantly buried in your notes and have to read straight off of them then you’re not ready. Not only will being prepared help you keep track and get through your presentation more easily it will help you engage with the audience and help them to follow what you are saying in your presentation.
This is especially important if, at the end of your presentation, you want to ask the audience for any questions as there is nothing worse than being stumped by a question that, if you had practiced your presentation, you would have been able to answer.
In short – to give a presentation you need confidence in your knowledge and abilities on the subject at hand, and this will only come from practice.
Address the Audience
Don’t just dive straight in! When first addressing the audience introduce yourself, give them your name and any relevant information about yourself that could reflect well on your presentation and help you to establish your authority on the matter. Although also bear in mind not to make this too long and make sure that it is only relevant information about yourself you are giving, one sentence should be enough.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
Body Language
Statistics have shown that people will be more predisposed to an idea if it is accompanied by positive body language. Negative body language will often mean that you get negative results. Being too aggressive can also work against you, too much energetic movement will become baffling and irritating to an audience. However a little positive body language in your presentation will go a long way, generally it is best to abide by the rule that if it feels unnatural don’t do it.
Tone
Tone plays a huge role in how we communicate to others. Tone is as, or even more important, than your word choice when it comes to how an audience will interpret your presentation. An inappropriate tone can lead to confusion and can undermine an audience’s understanding . You must differentiate from how you would speak casually and how you speak in your presentation. Choose your words carefully but choose how you say them even more so.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
Help the audience to understand what you mean by relating any of the more difficult topics in your presentation to something that is easily understandable to them. For instance make sure to rephrase and give examples whenever you feel necessary. To add gravitas to your presentation it can help to quote better known people who the audience will have heard of before and can more easily relate to.
Also try and summarise wherever possible as this will help the audience keep track. However don’t patronise or belittle your audience, it is up to you to decide where the balance lies depending on your audience. Also try and be confident and articulate, depending on the type and size of your audience some may find it difficult to hear, remember to address the whole of the audience not just the front row or a few select people.
Dealing with Anxiety
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to giving a presentation is to be too focused on what you see and not what the audience sees. Do not be afraid to be assertive, it is important to remember that the audience is not there to judge you, no more than you would a T.V personality; it is what you are saying that is what interests an audience – not your personality.
It is all too easy to get let your own paranoia and fear ruin what would otherwise have been a perfectly acceptable presentation. What you need to understand is that these feelings are natural and even the most experienced are affected too, where the skill lies though is in the mastery and utilisation of these fears – not pretending that they don’t exist. Take your time, a slow but well thought out and to-the-point presentation will come across far better than that of a hurried and rushed one. Don’t be afraid to take a short pause and a deep breath if it helps.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
