Ability
to sell something to a customer; be it a product, a service, or an idea - is
the fundamental skill required to do many jobs, that is, jobs in the business
world (especially ones with commission-based pay). When it comes to closing a
sale, it's not all about smooth-talking your buyer. It's just as important to
be able to listen intently, think critically, and to intelligently apply
effective sales techniques. By doing these things, not only will your personal
sales increase - your business's will as well. See the steps on sales technique
to improve your selling skills.
Create the impression of urgency. Most customers whether they're conscious of it or not, hate
the idea of missing out on a good deal. Giving the impression that, by passing
on a sale, your customer is missing a special offer or a limited-time deal is
one of the oldest, most effective tricks in the book for getting reluctant
customers off the fence. To do this, try to call attention to certain deals
that won't be offered forever or certain products that are almost out of stock
and encourage customers to "jump" on these opportunities.
- Some businesses even take this to a borderline-unethical extreme, increasing a product's price so that a big, appealing, limited-time deal reduces its price to normal levels. This sort of trickery is unfortunate, but, sadly, common.
Flatter shamelessly (but subtly). The stereotype of the salesperson as a slimy flatterer
isn't entirely unearned - by playing to a customer's ego, you can increase your
chance for success on almost any given sale. The trick here is to genuinely flatter
your customer without seeming transparent, cloying, or phony. Pour on the
honey, but don't overdo it: when your customer takes your exclusive deal on a
new car, she's smart, not an absolute genius. When a heavy
customer tries on a suit, he looks slim, not astoundingly dashing.
Flatter, but be reasonable and realistic.
- When in doubt, it's hard to go wrong by complimenting a customer's taste at having picked a certain product. A simple "great choice!" or "ooh, nice!" can work wonders.
Make customers feel obligated. Most people are more likely to do things for others when
the other person has already done them a favor. Particularly sly salespeople
can take advantage of this fact by giving the customer the impression that
they've received some favor or act of kindness. Sometimes, being attentive and
responsive to a customer is enough - for instance, a shoe salesman who
tirelessly runs back and forth from the storeroom so that a customer can try on
a dozen pairs of shoes has demonstrated serious kindness simply by doing his
job well. Other times, small "actual" favors are necessary, like
getting a customer a drink or clearing time out of your schedule for an
appointment.
- For best results, make sure your efforts are noticed. For instance, if you have to schedule an appointment with your customer, pull out a schedule book and visibly cross out another appointment when you write theirs down.
Don't rush a sale. It's tempting, especially if your commission is on the
line, to pressure a reluctant customer into a sale, rush him to the cash
register, push him out the door, and forget about him. Obviously, this isn't a
smart way to make sales. Customers don't like the idea that they're being
tricked or swindled, so sales tactics that rely too heavily on making fast, high-pressure
pitches can build hostility. Even if these tactics result in short-term sales
gains, negative word-of-mouth can cause long-term downturns and tarnish your
image.
- The smartest salespeople present convincing pitches to the customer, then, let the customer decide to buy the product, rather than pushing them to do it. While good salespeople do everything in their power to play up their product's benefits and minimize its downsides, they never attempt to actually make the decision for the customer.
Be responsible and reliable. Other, slier sales techniques have their place, but if you
do nothing else as a salesperson, try your best to have personal integrity.
When you make a promise to a customer, deliver on it. When you make a mistake,
offer a sincere apology. Respect is at the center of any sales transaction.
Customers want to respect a salesperson enough to be confident they won't be
swindled. Salespeople want to respect customers enough to assume they'll get a
good review for their hard work, and businesses want to respect customers
enough to assume they'll be paid for goods or services rendered. When one of
these respect-based relationships breaks down, sales suffer, so do your part
and earn your customers' respect by being a respectable human being.
