9 Ways to Sell your way to success

“Nothing happens until a sale is made” is a statement that many entrepreneurs who work in sales and marketing have heard. In fact, the most valuable asset a company can have is a productive salesperson. If you know how to sell your way to success, you can literally write your own ticket to the income of your dreams.

Many people were taught that the way to sell their way to success was through manipulation, intimidation and domination. The image of a sales person was to be fast talking, with plenty of high-pressure tactics to trick the customer into buying what they have for sale.

Even today there are many sales training systems that use these techniques under the guise of the “power sell”, but companies that continue to use these strategies run the risk of falling by the wayside in the highly competitive and niche markets of today.

Here are nine ways to sell your way to success;

1. Listen to Your Customer.A good salesperson looks past what the customer is asking for to find out what they need. You cannot sell to customers without knowing what they want. Too often salespeople focus on the product instead of the customers’ needs.
2. Soft Sell.Customers are turned off by a nonstop sales pitch. Answer your customers’ questions and then give them an opportunity to make an intelligent decision.
3. Be Prepared.You cannot sell your way to success if you do not know the details about what you are selling and are able to answer all of your customers’ questions.
4. Build Customer Trust. Your customer needs to know that they can trust you, establish a relationship with them. If you rush to the sale, you undermine the customers’ confidence. Focus on matching the benefits of your product to the needs of your customer.
5. Ask for the Sale.When your customer has received the information they need, ask them if they are ready to make a purchase. Sometimes asking the question can make the difference between making a sale and losing a sale.
6. Stay on Point.Developing a customer relationship is necessary, but it is important to respect your customers’ time. Keep you conversation closely tied to the product or service.
7. Know your Customer.When you are trying to sell to a specific client or target market find out as much as you can about them; their likes, dislikes, interests, and what types of products they buy.
8. Follow through on Leads.Research shows that today it takes an average seven exposures to an advertising message before a customer makes a purchase. Stay in touch with your prospects, continue to show them the different ways their needs can be satisfied and encourage them to take action.
9. Constantly seek New Customers.No matter how many sales you are making now, you must consistently spend time to develop new customers. A company must maintain a constant flow of new customers in order to survive; prospecting for new customers is an ongoing activity.