Welcome to the Sales Playbook Sales Tip of The Day. Our tips are here to provide insights and ideas to sales professionals of all levels and can be implemented into all stages of a sales pipeline and used within any team.
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There are number of ways we as sales professionals we can reach out to our prospects. Some times we can get used to just one or two channels and neglect others that might help us achieve our goals. Below is a little information on our top four.
Phone – By far one of the most underutilized channels within most organizations. The phone enables is use to connect directly with our audience, we are able to communicate our message more personally, qualify quicker and handle objections on the spot.
Message – Another underutilized method for many. Text message or WhatsApp messaging can be powerful when used in the right way. If we have set up next steps with a prospect over mobile, why not send confirmation via message rather than email. Just a thought!
Direct Mail – Times have changed. People now receive plenty of emails and not many written letters. Break the trend and do things your competitors won´t!
Video – Used now more than ever. Think about including this into your cadences and changing up your approach. This can be a great way to differentiate from your competitors!
Mixing up your communication channels will allow you to have greater success. Some prospects will respond better to different approaches. A/B test, tweak, pivot and you´ll be surprised to see what works! – Ben James
Trust and credibility are essential in sales. Here are five ways you can build these with a prospect/customer.
Tell the truth – This one is fundamental. It seems obvious, but it can be easy to lapse from time to time! If one day you are discovered telling an untruth, the trust along with your credibility and reliability go out the window!
Explain your thought process – If you’re transparent, communicate your intentions and reasons for doing something then you give people ground for trusting what you do because they understand why!
Admit if you don’t know something – If you don’t know or remember something then just say! If you try and fluff your way through, people will think you’re wasting their time with lies and you will lose their trust!
Listen with intent – There is no point in asking questions if you’re not interested in the answers! People will engage with you and start to trust you if they feel like you’re truly listening and interested in what they have to say!
Don’t over-promise – If you tell people that you can do things that you know will be tough to deliver then you shouldn’t make these promises! False expectations are a sure way to lose credibility with someone and if you over-promise and under-deliver once then it’s hard for that person to trust you again! – Ben James
There are a few traits that make up a great salesperson, but here are three of our favorites:
Problem Solver – Number one for us is being able to understand a prospect/customers pains, needs, wants and desires and being able to provide solutions around these. This is not an easy skill to master, but one that should be top of mind for anyone working in sales!
Forward Thinker – Coming in at number two is being able to think about the here and now, but just as important is what lies ahead. Having short term goals and building towards long term goals is imperative, but also thinking about whether markets will change, how prospects/customers might change and being able to adapt early to multiple situations is key to a salesperson’s continued and consistent success!
Strong Communicator – Last but not least. A successful salesperson must be able to communicate well, whether this is their talk track, their messaging, or their solution(s) it´s ultimately how you engage with your target audience and if this is not successful then neither will you be! – Ben James
The number one way to build call confidence will always be to pick up the phone and start dialing. You can read books, you can do training at how to get better at calls, you can sit with top performers and listen to them cold call, but none of those will build confidence for you to make your calls as much as you doing it for yourself.
Remember that there are many prospects out there that need and want your product or service, so to motivate you remember that for every bad call you experience you’re edging one call closer to a good call and a prospect who will be excited to talk to you! DON’T let fear hold you back, the sooner you make that first call the sooner you will speak to a prospect who wants what you’re selling! – Ben James