Sales: The Engine that Drives EVERY Business

Written by David Geldart


No matter whatrepparttar business, every company needs sales. It doesn't matter if it's inrepparttar 127132 business of manufacturing, services, a worldwide conglomerates or a corner grocery store. As difficult as specialized technical functions may be, with years of training and expertise, sales is equally challenging. While a salesperson could never dorepparttar 127133 job of an engineer or a programmer, they couldn't dorepparttar 127134 job of a salesperson either. Without sales, they don't have a job.

Every business is essentially a people business. Machines don't buy things; although they may execute transactions, people dorepparttar 127135 buying. When sales falter, every area ofrepparttar 127136 business suffers - targets aren't met, investors lose confidence, budgets are cut, people are laid off, top talent looks elsewhere. Innovation feeds sales, and sales feeds innovation and growth.

Sales is oxygen to a company. There's a saying that goes "sex is like air, it's only important when you aren't getting enough". Sales is like that too. When orders are flowing and everybody is working to fill them and keeprepparttar 127137 customers satisfied, dealing withrepparttar 127138 logistics and problems, they might not really appreciaterepparttar 127139 contribution ofrepparttar 127140 saleperson - sometimesrepparttar 127141 staff may even grumble and wishrepparttar 127142 sale had never happened, so they wouldn't have to deal withrepparttar 127143 customer andrepparttar 127144 hassles of gettingrepparttar 127145 order through!

Sales 101

Written by Sue and Chuck DeFiore


For many individuals in businessrepparttar hardest part is selling. Forrepparttar 127131 majority of business owners,repparttar 127132 jobs they had before don’t prepare them for dealing with selling products. So, this article will deal with some basic tips to help you with sales.

Always be sure to go torepparttar 127133 head honcho. Ask to seerepparttar 127134 person in charge,repparttar 127135 individual who makesrepparttar 127136 decisions. This avoids hearing, “let me ask my supervisor, my boss, etc.” Also you project an image of confidence in yourself and your abilities.

Don’t be long winded. Rememberrepparttar 127137 KISS principle. Time is a big factor today for all of us andrepparttar 127138 quicker you get torepparttar 127139 pointrepparttar 127140 better. So be sure your sales pitch is short, sweet and torepparttar 127141 point. Have 3-5 benefits, don’t bore them with allrepparttar 127142 features. Remember, always to turn features into benefits.

One ofrepparttar 127143 most important things to do, is to listen. Think of yourself as a problem solver. To solve problems you need to know what your prospect needs. So ask them a question and then listen, and I mean really listen. By listening you will be finding out what will make them buy. Listen to what they say and take it in. Be sure to write downrepparttar 127144 points they are making, don’t rely on your memory. This also helps when you are closingrepparttar 127145 sale because you can refer to each point they made that this is how you can solve this concern. This is how you get sales, by solving their concerns and problems.

When you are making your pitch or answering questions, you also need to be sure to make eye contact with your prospect and to be aware of their body language. Good sales people know when they have lost someone. The prospect eyes glaze over, they don’t maintain eye contact with you, they are looking everywhere else, but at you. They readjust themselves, push their chair back, feet onrepparttar 127146 desk. At this point you need to be able to bring them with back with a question or a different voice pattern. Don’t acknowledge you lost them, just get them back on track.

Good sales people can change at a moments notice. Since this is not going to happen to you overnight, always be sure that your presentation is well organized, covers allrepparttar 127147 basic points, you know it forward and backwards, and you ask forrepparttar 127148 sale. Initially, you are not going to be able to shift gears at a moments notice, but with practice and experience you eventually will. So that if your client asks a question inrepparttar 127149 middle of your presentation, or makes an objection, you will be able to answer him and then pick up where you left off. You will also eventually be able to pick up onrepparttar 127150 silent signals that people give off. So until you hone these skills, always be sure to have a brief outline of your presentation on a index card. Remember, it is always more important to be responsive to your prospect, and talk spontaneously than reverting to your prepared speech. So be sure to prepare. Be careful, though, remember, over preparation can make your presentation sound stale and robotic. Keep it fresh.

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