Who’s the best salesperson? Is it the extrovert that loves to surround themselves with people? Or is it the introvert, that’s a great at listening to the customer and understanding their needs? Some people are naturally great at sales, for others it’s a task that needs to be fine-tuned over time.
A great sales technique makes it possible to be consistent successful in sales, so you can keep closing one sale after another, month after month.
6 sales tips that will revolutionize your sales technique
Are you one of the people with a morning routine? The one where you barely stumble out of bed, have coffee, eat something, brush your teeth, all on autopilot? The benefit of having a routine is that it doesn’t demand much of you. You’re on autopilot and barely register anything, until you pour the coffee into the cereal by mistake!
Some routine is important to be able to work efficiently. Your sales technique should work the same way. You shouldn’t have to invent the wheel every day, with a great sales technique it’s possible automate some of the work. With our sales tips it’s easy to create meaningful routines that gives you success in sales, without any of the extra effort!
Let your sales process lead the way
For some people it’s easier to get work done when they have a framework they must stick to during their work. So, our first tip is this:
- Create a framework that balances your workflow between prospecting, meeting booking, sales calls and sending out offers, so you’re on top of all stages in the sales cycle.
- Figure out your hit rate and average value of your closed deals, so you know what you need to do to reach your sales goals.
- With the right sales technique you’ll get a better understanding of your customers needs and what makes them happy in the long run.
Do you feel like it’s hard to get started? With a structured sales process you’ll save time and get better sales – we promise you!
Smarter administration creates more time for sales calls
Do you know a sales person spends almost as much time doing administrative tasks as making calls? So how can we cut down on the unnecessary time spent on administration?
The first step is to collect all company information in one system. With a CRM-system you can collect all your customer information, notes, booked meetings and reminders in one place.
Wasting too much time doing administration was one of the challenges of Visma Financial Solutions before they switched to Lime Go. Now the salespeople have all the information they need gathered in one system, and managers can easily follow up on KPIs. Not only did they cut down on the administration, but they also integrated GetAccept into their solution. They can easily send out offers to customers directly from their CRM system, further cutting down on the wasted time on administration!
Let your characteristics influence your sales technique
Let’s look at the three kinds of salespersons that succeeds the most – and their important characteristics.
- The Expert: Has a well thought out sales pitch and puts the focus on the presentation, the customer meeting, and the delivery of the product. The Expert knows the product from top to bottom, which makes it easy for The Expert to deliver exactly what makes the customers happy.
- The Closer: Closes one deal after another. The Closer has intensity and charm to win over customers to their side. They love the challenge that comes with making a great deal, but their results can start dipping when their motivation is low.
- The Consultant: The Consultant is an expert at creating trust between the salesperson and the customer. They’re great at listening to the customer and help the customer with their questions.
Are you a social butterfly? Do you have some of characteristics described? We’re all different people and as a salesperson you need to find a sales technique that builds on your strengths and characteristics.
Sales techniques is more than a strategy – use your voice
Have you ever thought about how you can hear a smile through the phone? It’s an important part of cold calling or sales calls. Your voice, tone and your smile are something that can affect how the customer experiences the call.
- A lower tone of voice gives a sense of calm. Lowering your tone of voice also helps you speak slower and not stress.
- Avoid raising your tone at the end of a sentence. Experts in rhetoric says you avoid objections if you end your sentences in a neutral or lower tone.
- Adapt your tone to the customer. Even if you’re in a great mood and filled with energy it’s important to read the room when you’re in a sales call. If the listener on the other end has low energy you need to adapt your tone of voice to the customer’s to meet them in the middle.
Start thinking of your tone of voice. A nervous person talks faster and has a higher tone of voice. By taking five deep breaths while you’re waiting for the call to be picked up you can calm yourself and hopefully come off as more relaxed in the call.
Talk with the customer on their terms – an underappreciated sales technique
Your personality creates success in sales, right? Not quite, but you can use your understanding of communication to better understand the customer. What kind of customer do you usually talk with?
- The Straight Shooter: The Straight Shooter wants direct communication and quick closures. When booking a meeting, have a stated goal for the meeting and make sure it’s finished on time. Talk about the main points of the meeting and try to make the Straight Shooter feeling like they’re in control. A Straight Shooter doesn’t have a lot of patience, but they’re quick to decide if the solution is right for them.
- The Small Talker: This type of customer is pleasant to talk with, always positive and up for a chat. Before you start talking about solutions, they want to have a chat about the weather, family and other things. Try to avoid too many details since it can lead the call away from the subject. Having a call with The Small Talker can turn it into a chitchat about unimportant things, but if you can set up a meeting over lunch or a coffe it usually is a great fit for The Small Talker.
- The Relationship Builder: The feeling in the call is important, and The Relationship Builder wants to feel understood and seen. Build the conversation around what you’ve achieved for other customers and try to understand what’s important for the customer. The Relationship Builder has a hard time saying no, so the sales cycle can go on for a long time. But if you ever get them onboard, you’ll have a loyal customer that will have a hard time leaving your company.
- The Analyst: The Analyst is detail-oriented type of person. Try to send information before the meeting and be prepared to answer questions from The Analyst during the meeting. Stick to the data and hard facts, things you can prove, and help the customer get the information it needs to make a decision. The Analyst looks for flaws and can be hard to handle because of this. The benefit of The Analyst is that they’re usually rational, if you have the correct solution for them the decision will be made by itself, even if it takes some time.
Let your customers objections lead you forward
It doesn’t matter how talented you are as a salesperson, customers will still say no from time to time. But a no doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Use the customers objections as a great opportunity to see where your offer might be mismatched against the customers expectations.
A great customer experience isn’t always about giving the customer what they ask, sometimes it’s important to focus on what the customer needs. This is where you’re the expert, and with a needs analysis it’s your mission to find the best solution for the customer. When you truly understand your customers objections you can use that knowledge in your future sales calls.
Most customers think that all companies and solutions are the same. Get ahead of their objections by showing them how you’re different compared to the competition. Follow up your sales calls through your CRM system so you know when you can go forward in your sales process with your potential customers.
The only bad sales call is the one you don’t do
There’s nothing like a bad sales call, except for the ones where you never pick up the phone in the first place! With every conversation you have there’s a possibility to find new strengths in your sales pitch and improve on your sales technique.
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