Sometimes sales just don’t want to happen. Sure, you work hard to find and meet new prospects, do your best to deliver powerful presentations and, nothing. It’s not a matter of talent, you know you are good at what you do, you have done some great projects to prove that. You feel that your work is strong but, you make no sales. It’s frustrating.
Maybe you try to solve the problem by pushing extra hard, contact even more people in hope that someone will buy. Or perhaps you begin to consider taking desperate measures like dropping your prices for instance. Sounds familiar?
Make four changes to grow your sales
Well, before you do anything else, consider changing the following 4 things in the way you sell and watch the results.
# 1. Stop Offering Too Many Choices
If you want the sale, you simply can’t hope for your prospect to make the final decision. In most cases, they don’t know what they want and one of the reason you are in front of them is that they need guidance.
- Therefore, instead of bringing your price list to the sales call, work out what is the best solution to your prospects problem and present it during the meeting.
- If your prospect wants something else, they will tell you. However, your solution will be a great starting point for further discussion.
Similarly, if your company offer price plans, don’t force your prospects to choose from them. Instead, have one or two most suitable for ready them and present them during the meeting. You can always mention the other ones however always start with something already worked out.
Nothing builds confidence in you better than coming in with solutions. On the other hand, nothing makes a worse impression in sales than sitting there waiting for the prospect to tell you what to do.
Related: How To Spot Prospects That Are Actually Worth Your Time And Effort
# 2. Start Asking for Sale
Asking for sale is where most small business owners fall short in the sales process. In fact, even many professional sales have a problem with it. They rely on their prospect to give the go ahead, whereas in most cases the prospect needs to be pushed into the sale.
How?
- By responding to their buying signals, signs that show their interest in the purchase.
- It is often how you respond to those that make or break the sale for you.
For instance, if your clients ask you about your availability, mention your next available time and then ask if they would like you to book their project into your schedule straight away. Or if the prospect inquires about the delivery time, ask if they want you to schedule the delivery right now.
Asking for sale can feel quite intimidating, however, it is one of the top ways to actually walk out of a sales call with a signature on the dotted line.
Related: Great Sales Presentations That Fall At The Final Hurdle
# 3. Build a Sense of Ownership
Building a sense of ownership is one of the most powerful sales techniques. By showing your prospects how it will be when they own your product you can motivate them to buy.
- Encourage your prospect to use your product during presentation or show them how your service is going to change their work for the better. Use contrast and comparison to illustrate your points.
- One of the best ways to give them a sense of ownership is the “before-after” comparison. This is also where many business owners fall short. They present the benefits of their product or a service but they use generic data. For example, a web designer states how businesses benefit from a website. That is too generic. If, however, you show your prospect how THEIR business will change by using your product or a service, it will be much easier to persuade them to buy.
Related: If We’re Not Selling When Making Cold Calls, Why Are We Making Them?
# 4. Follow Up
Selling is about nurturing relationships, especially in B2B world. Some even say that the real sales starts after the presentation.
Regardless of the outcome of your meeting, what you do once you walk out of that sales call is often a make or break of the sale:
- If you follow up or be there for the prospect if they need you, you reassure them that you are to be trusted the job.
- But do the opposite and the sale might just go somewhere else.
Related: Is Your Sales Manager Asleep At The Wheel?
Contrary to what you might think, a lack of sales is not often caused by your work and the quality of your portfolio but what you do at a sales call. By making small changes you can quickly inject a new life into your sales. Simply.
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