As a sales person it is important that you have a good working relationship with each of your clients, and your contacts. You never want to be the person people run and hide from when you show up to the office. There are strategies you can employ to prevent yourself from becoming too overbearing and alienating the people who help to provide your livelihood. Even when you are making business to business sales, it is important to employ good selling techniques. Here are some behaviors that you should avoid, so people do not avoid you!
It is a sales person’s job to be persistent and get the customer to place an order, but it can damage your long-term relationship if you become too pushy, and ignore the customer’s original answer. The customer may not need new supplies or may be under a tight budget, and it can be frustrating to have you persist, after they have told you it simply will not work right now.
You Don’t Have to Be Right All of the Time
Do you know someone that has to be right no matter what? Do you have those tendencies? This can be a major turn off in a sales relationship. There is a reason that the statement the customer is always right has such a lasting impact on others. If you feel the need to correct your customers at every turn, and can be rude when you are doing so, you need to fight that urge. Since your customer knows what he needs for his business, and has likely used the product more than you have, you should acknowledge that his experience may make his opinion more valid than yours.
Letting Your Mind Wander
Have you ever been in a conversation and realized halfway into it that you have no idea what the other person is talking about? Customers can tell when you aren’t listening, and it makes them feel like they are not important or valued. You want your customers to feel that they are important to you and one of the easiest ways to do this is through listening to them. You can let people know you are listening by repeating back a portion of what they said and include it in your response to them.
Avoid Those Interjections
It can be frustrating to have someone who constantly interrupts you in the middle of a sentence or a story. If you find yourself interrupting someone in the middle of conversations you should stop. It gives people the impression that you are not listening to them and that you do not really care about what they are trying to stay. It can interrupt their train of thought. It is disrespectful and can be a real turn off in a conversation. Some customers may choose to use a different vendor to place the orders for their business.
Overt Sales Pitches
Sales people are often trained to ask leading questions to help influence a customer to agree to buy a product. However, this sale technique can backfire, and end up alienating customers. Try to ask questions that are more opened, and let the customers decide what they want and when they want to purchase it.
In order to make sales and build a loyal clientele, it is important to take the focus off of yourself, and put it on your customer and his needs. It is not difficult to do this, and you will find your sales increasing and possibly receive referrals from your most loyal customers.
What is the worst sales experience you have ever had? What strategies do you use to stop yourself from making these mistakes?
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