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Sales Pitch

Have you ever had a sales person call you to pitch an idea? Perhaps the sales person asked you many questions about your company. Possibly the sales person complimented you on your career accomplishments or the success of your business. Is the the praise sincere or false. Is it just an effort to gain one’s confidence for the purpose of enlisting one in a directory or on a website for an initial trial period, whereby shortly thereafter one will be invoiced for their so-called listing.

Is there a difference between a hard sell, and a soft sell sales presentation? In a direct sales campaign the sales person will upsell the value of a product or service, and create an imaginary need for everyone to acquire it. This strategy usually involves a lot of fast talking, upbeat phrases, and seems to be full of high energy. Whereas, in an indirect sales approach, the sales person will be more focused on assessing the requirements of the customer, and the applicability of the product or service.

It is bizarre that the presentation of the sales person can influence a potential customer to purchase something that one may not have initially desired. Yet based on the projected emotions of joy or happiness in favor of the sale (by the sales person), one will almost feel obligated to buy what is being pitched.

Regardless of the type of sales strategy is utilized, one should be sure to pause, and consider whether one really wants to buy something before making a purchase. Should one ask the sales person to call later – so that one can properly evaluate one’s desire to buy what is being promoted – then sales person will seem insistent that one quickly purchase the item. This is not right. One should be confident that one knows what one wants or does not want to buy.

A persuasive sales pitch does not need to be oversold. With the right confidence a sales person can speak directly to the heart of the customer, by using vernacular language that is easy to understand. The product or service should really sell itself. Rather than trying to sell a product or service a sales person should promote the relevance of it to the customer and the value to be obtained and derived when the customer buys and uses it.

For more details on a great sales strategy visit: bigpitch.ca

February 23, 2015/by Zack Steel

Business Matters Articles

Saleability

men shake on a closed land property deal

Every business transaction has one – a saleable factor. Each type of sales process has one specific component, on which the deal or potential for a deal hinges. This is saleability in practice.

This detail could be: a comment, the sound of one’s voice, inflection, not speaking / interrupting, smiling while speaking, constant pattern of speech, mirroring the other party’s voice or simply listening more than speaking.

Knowing when and how to speak is of crucial importance to making a sale and to earning money. Some research could be conducted to determine how one should communicate or interact with a prospect. First, why not look him / her up on LinkedIN or other credible business networking website. Look at recent posts of your prospect on Facebook and Twitter.

By reviewing social media contributions and business profiles for your potential client you can find out what associations he / she is a member of and be able to determine his / his interests. During the discussion you could mention one of the clubs and inquire about or comment on it. Don’t be shy or elusive – clearly state where you discovered the information about your prospective client. They may be greatly impressed that someone took the time and effort to learn about them before trying to sell them something.

Note if your prospect writes well. Does he / she use commas and other syntax properly? These details are important because they will let you know if your prospective customer pauses during their discussion. Will you be able to make your pitch? Should you speak fast or slow? You need to know. If it is unlikely that you will be able to ‘get a word in edgewise’, then you may need to speak quickly with a friendly / positive sounding voice that is direct yet upbeat.

Knowing when to close is a unique skill. This entails: obtaining agreement for the project / work, securing a verbal commitment to move forward in the business relationship, permission to send a contract and an initial invoice or deposit. Once you have reached this stage ‘you are golden’ – so to speak.

To be sure, you must have completely answered all inquiries and have heard some compliments or favorable statements from your prospect about the potential project. Then suggest that you send an e-mail containing a summary of the terms of the work and an initial invoice. You can list all of the amounts owing for the remainder of the work, either in the e-mail or in the invoice, but note them as being smaller than main amount and position them at the bottom or side of the e-mail / invoice. Greatest attention should be focused on the ‘matter at hand’. At the conclusion of the call / meeting confirm all contact particulars and offer yours, as well.

February 11, 2015/by Zack Steel

Business Matters Articles

Salesman’s Toolkit

man showing client sales for real estate and marketing

The Salesman’s Toolkit

We tend to think that only mechanics or trades people have a toolkit or tools for their work. This is a bizarre misconception. Professionals, who work in rugged or soft-skills industries; such as Sales, Web Design and even in the realm of writing, need tools to do their jobs properly. There is also a Salesman’s Toolkit.

Just as a mechanic may need a wrench to loosen or tighten bolts on a vehicle, as Salesman needs to have the right tools for his craft. A Web Designer will certainly require a computer to design a website and a Writer has to have a device for writing; a pen or a typewriter or a word-processor / computer. What are the tools comprise the work belt for a Salesman:

Here are some items that a Salesman would need to possess to make sales:

Pen (Never just one – at least five custom designed pens will gold or silver trim – must also be comfortable to hold and not leak out ink).
Notepad (While there is always some paper lying around the office or whenever the deal is to be made, nothing displays professionalism like a Salesman who has his own leather covered notepad for etching out the details of the sale). To get a prospective customer to sign on the dotted line there must be paper on which the terms of the agreement can be written and a fancy pen to seal the deal!
Sales Prospects are perhaps the most important component of the Salesman’s tools. If he does not have potential leads to he can prospect and convert into clients, then he will be pitching his sales dialogue as a monologue.
Location for Sale: Every salesman should have his own lavishly decorated office, plastered with inspirational quotes and glorifying awards. But to close a more upscale sale sometimes a more debonair setting is required to set the mood. Hotel bars or lobby’s, a conference room at business complex or a family-themed classy restaurant, are among possible venues that are fitting for a first-class negotiation.
Whatever the venue for the sales scene – it should smell good. Mints and / or light fragrance could be a good idea for the meeting / sales venue. Just be sure that the client does not have any sensitivity to cologne or perfume.
A receptionist or appointment setter is crucial to portraying an image of an established and progressive business.
A well-groomed and cordial greeter who will show potential client’s to the meeting room, and offer coffee or other appetizers is a value-added bonus to setting the stage for a deal to be made.

February 10, 2015/by Zack Steel

Business Matters Articles

Rhythm of Sales

people having a conversation about housing

Is there a rhythm to conversations? Is there a pattern to the dialogue of a discussion? Does the tone of speech and inflection affect the way message is delivered to the recipient?

Perhaps there is a rhythm of sales as well. The sound of confident sales person speaking, using relevant industry jargon and expressing one’s voice with enthusiasm is of great comfort to a prospective purchaser. In a way, a relationship is being built through a sales call.

A potential customer will be more likely to complete a purchase, if the sales person has good manners and cheerful countenance. The ability to make small talk and to speak in terms that are relevant to the prospective customer’s interests will prove valuable in securing a sale. Every salesman has a set process for his sales pitch and every transaction has momentum of combined perspectives.

It is important that the sales pitch be concise yet informative. The sales person should speak in an upbeat manner and definitely be smiling. Even if the consumer cannot see through the phone; a smiling representative will project a joyful presence, which gets transmitted through vibrations through the line. Sitting up straight, maintaining good posture and taking notes on the customers comments are useful strategies for ensuring high sales levels.

There is a rhythm to a sale. Like any interaction, both parties should find the discussion interesting and informative, but not boring. A concerted effort must be made by the negotiator or sales agent for each party to the transaction to ensure that the sales process is concise and focused on the deal. There must be no room for personal matters or opinions on any matter not related to the deal at hand to surface. Otherwise the sale could easily be lost and not recoverable.

People are by nature interested having conversations about whatever is on their mind at the time. A sales meeting or purchase process is not the correct venue for personal discussions or for the airing of opinions or views on global matters or personal issues.

Therefore, a star sales representative should keep sentences short and to the point and maintain a constant rhythm to their pattern of speech. The sales professional will redirect any discussion that is off the point of the deal and refocus attention on what is most important. This will ensure a lower call to sale ratio, with more leads maximized to the fullest potential.

July 29, 2014/by Zack Steel

Posts

Sales Pitch

Saleability

Salesman’s Toolkit

Rhythm of Sales

Any more questions for Aaron? Feel free to get in touch!