Talent is overrated. This is not just a book title by Geoff Colvin, but a statement that can be applied to selling. I believe that anyone can learn to sell if they follow certain principles and structures.
It makes no difference whether you have to take over your family's business, are a retail salesman, or sell insurance. Whenever you have personal contact with people, the sales process follows a specific structure. I should be aware of this structure and then go through it very specifically in every sales process.
Selling is not witchcraft but requires the consideration of some psychological principles. Once they have been learned, I can apply them at any time. Be it when I interact with people or when I have to sell a product, my company, or an idea.
My motto here is: You should not make things more complicated than they are. That applies to selling in any case. Make your life easier by following rules.
For example, if I contact my customer and smile at him, I get a positive reaction. You may not think it's possible, but this rule is persistent. It is actually easier for a customer to establish a relationship with me as a salesperson if I have started the sales conversation with a smile on my face.
You may smile now by yourself and take this for granted, but you are a customer every day and, you may know what I am talking about. If you are closed up and can't smile, then you really have no business in retail or wholesale.
After a smile, a structured sales talk is the most important thing. Do not leave your success to chance. Make use of structures that ensure that your customer feels comfortable. You should also sell the customer the product he actually needs.
This is really a golden rule: Sell the customer what he really needs.
It can be so simple. Of course, you can generate more sales in the short term by selling the customers more than they need. But whether you then satisfy this customer, in the long run, is rather unlikely.
To determine the exact needs of the customer, you should carry out a proper analysis of needs. Once you have determined the exact requirements, you should present them to the customer in a benefit argumentation. Now it is important to come to a closing. A structure will lead you there automatically.
Awareness of the structure for the sales talk helps you to achieve more security. You should only consciously go through the four phases. Also, the structure ensures that you do not forget anything, that the customers feel comfortable, and that you leave a professional impression.
Isn't that wonderful? All you have to do is remember a structure with four phases.
There are hundreds of sales books, dozens of methods, and manipulative approaches to convince the customer to buy. But in the end, you will go through these four phases. If you make them your own, you will have created the necessary basis for advising your customers not only successfully but also satisfactorily in the future.