The First 7 "Sales Tips Of The Day"

Last week I started a brand new LinkedIn series called "Sales tip of the day". Each day I post a key sales tip with some supporting thoughts and ideas on how to make the most of it.

Over the last week it's become a lot more successful than I anticipated! I have had quite a few people message me and ask for some of the tips that they've missed in the series so here are the first 7 "Sales tips of the day":

Sales tip of the day #1: Be yourself.

It's very easy when selling to be a sales person, you may be reading a script or following a process which will take you away from acting naturally. 

Make sure you find opportunities to be yourself, connect and relate to your customer, relax a bit! Remember people buy from people and people don't like to be sold to, so if you can show them you're a real person you'll connect with them far better and stand a far greater chance of getting the sale. 

Plus you'll probably enjoy the conversation more as you'll be more relaxed and you'll be yourself. 

Sales tip of the day #2: Give before you take

If you're looking to ask for a sale one of the best ways to increase your chances of getting a yes is to give before you take. 

That could be giving some unique industry insight, a free trial, tickets to an event, a seminar, a webinar, something that offers them something and gives them the opportunity to get you know you more along the process. It all adds to the value you offer them and it builds the layers of trust. 

Remember though it has to be something valuable to them, whilst a free trial may be valuable, they will still see it as a sales tool. Try to find things that aren't necessarily related to your product to give as well, such as an e-Book or online webinar about your industry. 

Social plays a great role in this because you can share content that isn't connected to your product but is from you and your brand. They'll enjoy the content and know that it's something you've provided them. 

This also works well if you're struggling to get hold of a prospect. Offer them something, give them something and they'll be more likely to respond as it's less intrusive. If you're chasing people this week to close them but struggling, find something to give them first. 

Sales tip of the day #3 - Listen more than you talk

Talking about this tip always makes me chuckle because it's so obvious and simple, yet so many sales people forget it the moment they start talking to a prospect!! Some of the biggest barriers to getting the sale, such as not creating value, objections and trust can all be overcome just by listening more. 

- Ask more questions

- Listen to their answers

- Encourage them to elaborate

- Relate to them

- Listen to them some more...

- Show them you understand

- Keep listening! 

You want them to feel comfortable talking to you so they open up about what their problems are or what challenges they have so you can actually find the right solution for them. If you're busy chatting on about the features and benefits of your product you will miss the opportunity to find out what they want, why they want it and what they need to buy. 

There are plenty of sales people out there spending more time talking AT their prospects so why not take advantage of that and be the one sales person who actually LISTENS, I guarantee your prospects and customers will appreciate it and you'll see the impact in your result. Everyone loves to be listened too, especially your prospects!

Sales tip of the day #4 - Don't be afraid to say no! 

It's an easy trap in sales to fall into, you're so desperate to get the sale that you feel you need to do or agree with whatever your prospect says. The risk you take is that you commit to something you can't actually deliver. You risk looking like a salesperson who's only interested in the sale and you potentially lose credibility. 

By saying no you actually show them you're confident in what you're doing, you show them you know what you're talking about and it allows you to maintain control of the sale. 

- Challenge them if they have incorrect information or opinion

- Say no if they ask for too much 

- Disagree with them if you feel they're wrong

Whilst there are a lot of people who just like to be told what they want to hear,  the people they often trust are those who dare to challenge them. Be confident in who you are, be confident in your role as a sales professional, be confident in your knowledge of the product and industry and be confident in leading the sales process. 

Saying no could be the secret to getting the yes

Sales tip of the day #5 - Ask for help

It's one of the hardest things for someone to do, to put their hands up and to admit that their struggling or failing. No one wants to do it, we want to be successful not a failure. However asking for help could be the key to unlocking your potential, to achieving great results and to achieving success quicker. 

I had one of my sales team come to me yesterday for help. They asked me to listen to one of their prospecting calls as they were struggling to create solid opportunities. I listened and found several key areas for improvement. The feedback I gave was honest and very black and white. 

The first challenge is to ask for help, the second challenge is to listen and accept the feedback. My sales rep took the advice, read it all and thanked me for my honesty. 3 hours later they sent me another call and asked me to listen...

That call was AMAZING! They listened to all of my feedback, actioned every point I made and the call went great. They felt 10 times more confident and they achieved the sale at the end. 

Step 1: If you need help, ask for it

Step 2: Listen and accept any feedback 

Step 3: Step out of your comfort zone and implement the change. 

Sales tip of the day #6 - Believe in what you sell 

Take a little step back for a moment.....

Think about when you talk to your friends about your favourite TV series, favourite band/song, favourite sports team etc...You will usually speak about it with IMMENSE passion and excitement! I know if I was going to talk to someone about Game of Thrones I would probably nerd out! 

That passion though is infectious and it makes the people listening interested. This is the level of belief you need to have when you're selling your product. You need to be excited to talk about it because YOU believe in it, you're passionate about it and you want others to feel the same and benefit it. 

It shouldn't be that you're excited because you want to sell it but because you yourself like it and genuinely believe in it. There's a great book called "Raving Fans" and that's exactly what you should be. 

When you yourself believe in your product you can connect with your customers better and help them believe in your product enough to buy it. 

Sales tip of the day #7 - Don't sell! 

Think about it for a minute, do you actually like being sold to? Probably not and that's likely to be the same for your customers. We all fear being sold something we don't want or need by a pushy sales person. 

The secret to success in sales is actually often not to sell! There's a great quote:

"Only when you immerse yourself fully in serving your customer will you achieve the sale"

If people don't want to be sold to, don't sell to them. Instead help them, serve them, provide value, help connect them with something that can truly help them. This is not to say you shouldn't be motivated by the sale or following a sales process, but the customer shouldn't feel like they are being sold to. 

- Take the time to actually get to know them

- Let them feel in control of the process

- Make visible efforts that you're working for them 

- Allow them to see you as a human 

Some of the best sales people I've bought from are those who I don't feel I'm going to some intense sales meeting with but those who I'm catching up over coffee with. When all the barriers are down, everyone is relaxed and there is trust, that's where sales success is created. 

Have you been enjoying the series? Do you have any future suggestions for a sales tip of the day? Let me know in the comments below and I'll make sure I keep them coming!

If you enjoyed this post please click LIKE and click SHARE to share it with your network. Please also take time to read some of my other recent posts.

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About the author: Daniel Disney is the Founder and Owner of The Daily Sales. With 15+ years successful sales and sales management experience, Daniel is the author of one of the most popular sales blogs in the world (178 sales blogs written). With an overall social audience of over 150,000 followers and content reaching 7,000,000+ every month Daniel is one of the top influencers in the sales industry. Daniel is available for Keynote Speaking, Sales Training, Blog + Book Writing, Sales Coaching, Mentoring, Marketing Consulting and Influencer Advertising. Check out his profile for more information.

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