Virtual tips for the savvy business owner!

Most of us are not natural-born salespeople, but we all have to do a bit of selling now and then, whether it’s selling our manager on our latest great idea or cold-calling a prospect. The key is to be genuine, prepared and professional. We’ll start with pre-planning your “pitch” and ending with closing the sale.

Prepare

You must prepare for your sales meeting, even if it’s as simple as outlining in your head what you want to say before you pick up the phone or enter a meeting room. Plan your opening statements, as they will set the tone for the remainder of the conversation. Remember that clients don’t want to be sold. They want to purchase a product or service that they need or partner with a company that fills a need. You may lead up to your call or meeting with an exchange of voicemails. Use the same tips outlined here for planning your voicemail message, including:  be clear and concise; don’t talk too fast; be professional.

The Sales Call

Whether it’s an in-person meeting or a phone conversation, your tone of voice is an important first-step in making a good impression. Think about how you want to present yourself and be perceived by your listener. Will this be a casual conversation, a fact-finding mission, or a more formal sales meeting? Knowing what type of call or meeting you will be conducting is a key to establishing the nature and objectives of your meeting. For longer, more in-depth meetings, be prepared with notes and questions of your own. 

• Begin by establishing rapport, trust and credibility.
• Listen attentively and don’t interrupt. Also, don’t talk too fast and be attentive to the pace of the meeting.
• Pause to give your listener time to think and respond with questions or comments.
• Ask open-ended questions. Instead of, “Do you plan to expand into new territories? (a yes or no response), ask: “Last year you introduced your products into the Southwest; what are your plans for expansion this year?
• Be clear and concise; stick to the point. If the meeting starts going in a different direction get it back on track, letting your listener know that newly introduced topic may be for another call.
• Don’t oversell and possibly don’t sell at all. You might be qualifying a lead to determine if they are a good match.

Closing the Sale

Knowing what your call or meeting objectives are at the start will determine how you handle closing the sale. Not everyone will end with a sale. Your listener likely will need time to absorb the information they received from you. Handle their questions and objections impartially and have a follow-up plan in mind.

Filed under: Sales Strategies, Sales tips