7 Strategies for Selling Your Products& Services

Every business is either growing or gunning for extinction. This has nothing to do with the present size of the business. There are multinationals that may fold up in the next few years, where some small companies are warming up to launch into the global market.
What then determines the fate of any business in a competitive environment like ours? It is the ABILITY TO SELL. The following suggestions will help you develop this all-important skill.

1. IDENTIFY THE MAJOR NEED OF YOUR PROSPECT. Your prospects are those who need your products or/and services and have the capacity to pay for them. You cannot sell to a customer whose need you don’t know.

2. UNDERSTAND YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE. The best way to know your product is to use it yourself. When you sell from the vantage point of having used the product, your sales presentations will be more persuasive and convincing. The best experience you can relate to a prospect about your product is your own. You can then share experiences of other satisfied customers.

3. CREATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. If there are two persons trying to sell similar products to you and a friend happen to be one of them, which one would buy from? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? The major reason why most people would buy from their friends is TRUST. Most people are afraid of making wrong buying decisions. ‘Suppose I buy it and it doesn’t work?’ ‘Suppose I discovered that I paid too much for it?’ These are just some of the questions that races through the mind of a prospective buyer. Therefore, break a prospect’s buying resistance by building trust. Build trust with words; words that reveal his or her need for your product. Rehearse the first few words you ever say to a prospect. Most business people are too much in a hurry to sell and that is why they record low sales. The good news is that you do not need a lifetime to build trust and friendship.

4. ALWAYS ACT AS A CONSULTANT, NOT A SALESMAN. People are suspicious of salespeople. They believe that most salespeople are only out to get their money. Therefore, act creatively by finding a way to educate your prospect about the benefits of your product. Describe how your product would affect the joy, profitability and convenience of your prospect. However as you do this, let your prospect know that he or she has an option, to buy or not to buy.

5. NEVER ASSUME THAT A ‘NO’ IS PERMANENT. There are so many reasons why a prospect might say ‘no’ to your offer. She may need more information about your product. She could be in a bad mood. She could lack sufficient funds to buy immediately. Therefore, if a prospect says ‘no’ to your offer, find out why. Ask a digging question like, ‘Why are you not buying?’ or ‘If you would eventually buy this product in the future, what do you think would make you buy it?’ This way, you might get a clue that would help you turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’.

6. ‘I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT’ IS A ‘NO’ IN SELLING. If a prospect says she would think about it, it is her polite way of saying ‘I’m not interested’. Reply such a response with a statement like, ‘Everything you need to make your decision is already available, why not take advantage of this opportunity right away?’ This kind of response is especially good for those who are selling tangible products. Before then, you must have proven the benefits of your product or service to your prospect.

7. AVOID ENDLESS TALKING, CLOSE THE SALE. There are those who can talk for hours on their product and services but never remember to ask for the order. The key to quick and easy sales is focusing on your prospect’s feedbacks and his needs, not your product. The moment you notice the interest of your prospect in the product, stop selling; ask for the order. Say, ‘So how many units would you love to buy?’ or ‘When do we begin work?’ (for service sales). If you accurately identified the need, the predictable response would be ‘yes’.

You cannot succeed in any business beyond your skillfulness in selling. You need this ability to attract prospects, motivate your sales representatives and relate well with your clients, partners and associates. Start developing that ability today.