MARKETING Perfect sales staff
Inexperienced salespeople take a scattergun approach to selling, cramming in many messages and hoping one resonates. As a result, the customer has nothing to focus on
T
here is never one exact way to sell effectively, and vastly different approaches can often have the same desired outcome - a sale. However, the most successful salespeople will likely share many similar attributes. Steve Bennett, CEO of The Genuine Gemstone Company, takes his experience of establishing 27 businesses and hiring hundreds of staff throughout his career, to evaluate what differentiates between a merely good and a great salesperson.
TRUSTWORTHINESS It goes without saying that understanding the customer and talking to them in their own language is the very foundation of successful selling. A lot of people use the word ‘rapport’ to describe how you develop a relationship with a consumer. I go beyond that and say that this relationship must be rooted in an authentic interest in the person you are selling to. Customers are wise to being sold to, and unless you care for the consumer, they will treat you as a salesperson, and put up defensive barriers. Instead, talk to them, get to
know their needs and build a level of trust before pouncing with your pitch.
KNOWLEDGE: One of the biggest barriers to gaining new customers is a lack of trust. Therefore a salesperson’s ability to build credibility through their knowledge will make a huge difference to their sales. Pass on knowledge to the customer so their buying experience is as interesting and informative as possible. If you don’t feel their hunger for more knowledge and new information, then they will not engage with you. If they don’t engage with you, they simply will not buy.
LINGUISTIC PERSUASION SKILLS As consumers, we don’t buy features, we buy benefits. The good car salesperson will not point out that the car has electric windows, but will focus on how effortlessly you can open the windows. The best salesperson knows that, even when the outcome is defined, it is still not enough to close the deal unless there is an element of desire. Focus on the benefits and outcomes to create a sense
of desire so that the desire to own what you are selling is stronger than the perceived consequence of not buying.
UNDERSTANDING Find a headline! Inexperienced salespeople take a scattergun approach to selling, cramming in as many messages, features and benefits as they can, and hoping one of them resonates. As a result, the customer has nothing they can focus on. Instead, the best salesperson gets to know their customers, understands their needs, and captures the customer’s attention by delivering a sole point of difference that matters to them. Developing a powerful headline can make the difference between selling something or not.
PASSION Passion will close the deal. People buy from those who have an infectious enthusiasm for what they do. If a pitch is not working, keep intensifying your genuine passion for your product, and it will undoubtedly lead to action. Contact: www.tggc.com
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