Winning in sales is an issue that each individual must define on their own. Does winning meaning to bring in a sale at any cost, or does it mean to build a rapport that will allow you to build multiple sales over time?

Defining winning on a personal level as well as within the scope of the company is going to be essential as a first step. Without a clear understanding of what success means it is impossible to accurately self-assess or to make changes to increase proficiency, sales and professional growth and development.

There are several different ways that sales professionals will become successful and win the sales game. Here are several options to consider for personal development and growth:

• Focus on relationships – while sales are always the bottom line, the research is clear that personal relationships and focusing on customer service drive sales. No matter how great a sales pitch or a product may be if the sales professional can’t connect with the buyer, it is going to be a difficult sale.
• Have a plan – every sale starts with a planned, customized approach to the customer. This is particularly critical for the all-important first meeting. Taking the time to learn about the potential buyer, the business and the industry will always boost sales rates.
• Know the benefits or niche for the product – in knowing about the purchase you should also look for gaps or areas in the business that are challenging given the current environment. Then, by developing a list of benefits of the product or service you are selling, it is easy to address these challenges at the meeting in a prepared, logical approach. Selling the advantages of the products to your customer should be offered in a way that will improve the situation of the potential buyer

Sales require persistence to win. Successful sales professionals are always prepared to put in the calls, emails, and connections necessary to create long-term customer rather than a one-time sale.

At The Sale Coaching Institute, we focus on developing strategies and skills for winning at selling. To see more, visit us online at salescoach.us.

Related Article: Sales Rules To Live By

Related Article: Top 5 Winston Churchill Quotes for Sales Professionals

There are many different sales rules that top sales managers and top sales professionals use all of the time. These rules are set up to help the sales professional to avoid the most common mistakes that can result in botching the sale and on limiting your chances for another meeting with the buyer in the future.

These sales rules apply regardless of the industry you are selling into or the specific product or service your company offers. They are also applicable for selling to a local manager or into the C-suite. They are also good business practice and they will create a framework for moving through the sales process.

• Never walk in cold – with the ease of finding out about people on social media sites such as LinkedIn or in learning about companies through websites, there is never an excuse to walk into a business meeting without having a good understanding of your customer, his or her business and the challenges the industry or company faces.
• Stick with the sales strategy – sales strategies or sales plans are in place because they work. Trying to go in an improvise a sales presentation or a sales plan creates confusion and disorganization, turning the buyer off and lowering your credibility.
• Rehearse the meeting – by anticipating the objections, challenges and questions the buyer is likely to have you can prepare several responses to redirect the conversation to making the deal rather than focusing in on trying to handle the small details.
• Don’t talk the buyer out of the sale – testing if the buyer is prepared to move from discussion to specific deals is important throughout the sales meeting. Sometimes the buyer is ready to move to the close and the seller keeps talking, creating a negative experience for the buyer and risking the loss of the sale. Test some key points to help you move from presentation to the close.

One of the biggest rules in sales is to never take a rejection or a negative comment personally. By keeping emotions out of the interaction, you project a professional, supportive and positive attitude that leaves the door open for another meeting and the chance to make the sale. Accept disappointment with positivity and resilience, move forward in life, and take the situation as a learning lesson.

To learn how sales rules can be used to boost your team’s performance, enroll in a course through The Sales Coaching Institute. Visit the website to find out more.

Related Article: How Sales Beliefs and Behaviors Drive Results

The One Piece of Sales Advice To Be Successful In Selling

Those new to sales are often overwhelmed with advice from senior sales reps, sales managers, websites, blogs and from conferences and sales training events. Each of these sources of information is eager to provide a new sales professional with a “proven method” or the “sure formula” for sales success. This information overload is sometimes overwhelming and must be sifted through in order to determine what works best for you as an individual.

In fact, there are a lot of different elements that have to be in place to be a successful sales person. There needs to be a structured approach to the sale, research, and preparation on the company and the buyer, a good understanding of the product or service as well as the ability to close the deal.

However, and here is the foundation for every successful sales person, no matter how disciplined you are at applying a method, how polished the presentation may be or how effectively you can detail the benefits and features of your product, nothing matters if you cannot connect with the customer.

Communication and Connection

Every successful sales professional is an expert in communication and connection with his or her clients. This skill is part natural ability to build rapport quickly and easily combined with learning about the most effective ways to communicate with different people.

Having the ability to engage a client in a conversation creates an instant sense of friendship, camaraderie and interpersonal connectivity. Connecting well with your clients builds long-lasting connections and recommendations. This comes from being able to tease out interests, passions, and information about the buyer and the company and then build on these to find areas of concern for the buyer that your product creates an answer.

Effective communication is not just about being friendly or being seen as a trusted resource; it is about knowing how to communicate with an individual in a way that meets their needs. Learning as much as you can about building rapport and developing effective communication skills will be the key to success in your sales career. This bit of sales advice will help you succeed in your sales endeavours, always communicate, collaborate, and connect!

 

Related Article: The Power of Positive Sales Habits

 

At The Sales Coaching Institute, we offer training for sales representatives and sales managers that are tailored to your sales needs. To find out more, see us online at salescoach.us.

Commissions, Bonuses & Incentives

 

The field of sales can be a very lucrative venture for anyone willing to invest the time and effort required to make their sales numbers. Sales puts you in charge of your financial future and can give you a lifelong career that will be satisfying and provide you with financial freedom. It’s no secret that you have to sell in order to make money and be successful. The more you sell the more you will make and vise Versa. The amount of work that you dedicate towards making sales will improve your numbers in commissions, incentives, and bonuses.

 

Making a Commission

Most sales jobs are based on commission. A commission means that for every product you sell you will receive a percentage of the profit. If you sell a 150-dollar vacuum cleaner and your commission on that product is 5 percent you will have 7.50 added to your paycheck every time you sell one. This may not sound like much, but if you make 9.00 per hour and work full time this can add up. If you sold 60 vacuum cleaners in the pay period and worked 40 hours you would make 450 in commission and 360 in base pay bringing your gross total to 810 every week. Not too shabby for selling 30 vacuums a week. Another example could be basic commission for a car salesman. He makes 11.00 per hour and makes a commission of 100 for every compact car, 150 for every sedan, 200 for every truck and 250 for every SUV. This week the salesman worked 40 hours and sold 3 compact cars 2 sedans a truck and 2 SUVs. At the end of the week he made 440 in base pay plus 750 in commission bringing his gross total for the week to 1190 dollars. The more you sell the more you make.

 

Bonuses and Incentives

Most companies offer their sales reps bonuses and incentives to keep them motivated and excited about selling for the company. An example of a basic incentive would be every time you sell 100 products you get an extra 100 dollars on your paycheck. Or when you reach 500 products sold you get a 200 gift card to your favorite retailer. These incentives give the sales rep a goal to achieve and something to look forward to for all the hard work they put in. A bonus is similar to an incentive, but it is usually given after a predetermined amount of time. For example, every quarter your company might reward the top 5 sales reps with 500 dollars’ cash. This money is a bonus on top of all the incentives the top 5 sales rep may have already received. Once again the more you sell the more you make. You get out of selling what you put into it. You are in control of how much money you get on your paycheck. If you sell very little your paycheck would be relatively smaller than if you sold more.

So, in selling you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you sell!