You are starting off in sales and are super excited based on all the good things that you’ve heard about it. But then you are unsure of how to begin and in fact are overwhelmed with all the information you’ve received from your sales buddies, books, podcasts etc. You wish it was just easier if there was only one thing you could remember that’ll help you get started in the world of sales. You know what, you are in luck!
A huge caveat here is that while this is a good starting point, there is a lot more to learn if you want to make it big in professional sales. Ok so now that it’s out of the way: If there is only thing that you can learn on sales, it’s this: Think like your customer. Confused? Let me explain.
Have you been a customer ever? Of course, you have. Which also means that there was a salesperson involved. Were you pushed into the sale, or felt cheated? Or was it a pleasant experience where you thought you were consulted into getting a good deal? That’s it. It all boils down to this simple premise: how would you have liked yourself to be treated by your salesperson is the salesperson you have to become.
A lot of things have undergone a change as time has progressed, and sales is no different. Sales is simple and complicated at the same time. Veteran sales people will know what I’m referring to. I’ll delve deeper into some on those aspects in the future. But to put it simply for the subject of the conversation here, the erstwhile sales methods of pushing a product down a prospective customer is not looked at favourably at all. There have been a lot of books written on the subject. Empathy and concern for the customer’s requirement is the underlying theme in most of them.
Sales people are often told, that sales is a numbers game. The higher the number of calls, door knocks, in-person meetings, the higher the sales. While this is not entirely false, the major factor overlooked in this metric is the conversion rate. And the conversion rate isn’t dependent on the number of people you talk to, but how you talk to them.
Customers are not a phone number or a business, they are people who like you and me, have emotions. Treat them as such and you’ll have a greater success in what product/solution you want to put across. We all know of the ‘sales’ folks calling us over the phone or knocking our doors just to shove down something they want you to buy. There is little empathy involved in the process. Do you think you would have reacted a little different if the caller was a little concerned on what you were up to or what your actual requirement was? I know, I would. While not every call with empathy will lead to a sale. In fact statistics say that the best of the sales folks on their best days can convert 10-15% of all their cold prospects into sales. But the fact that other person is thinking of your best interest is appealing any situation.
While there are many ways this can be achieved. The easiest way to do it is just think like your customer. How would you like your salesperson to treat you, and then do just that.
