5 sales tips for professionals

When we talk about sales, we think of different techniques for each of the industries in this field. The truth is that they are not very different, in fact they are very similar and as a professional salesman, you may know some, but we will refresh your memory to improve your work.

1. Keep your chin up

The first impression your body language leaves with a potential client occurs before your direct interaction ever starts. The way you carry yourself as you approach your meeting will give your prospect a sense of your confidence (or lack thereof), and will provide his or her subconscious mind with plenty of circumstantial evidence to use when forming judgements about the quality of the product or service you will be offering.

So, when you walk, do what most of us are hard-wired to do when passing by a reflective surface: suck in your gut, square your shoulders, take long, purposeful strides, and hold your chin up high. That’s right, the same posture that helps us convince ourselves that we haven’t gained that much weight since high school can help convince ourselves and our customers that we really do know what you’re talking about.

2.Get Visual

It’s proven that images are incredibly persuasive when it comes to selling, research now shows that the human brain is able to process a visual image up to 60,000 times faster than the same information in text form. In an article by Mike Parkinson, leader of Billion Dollar Graphics, it was noted that images have both a cognitive and an emotional component, which speeds up processing and engages the imaginative part of the brain. They are also processed into long-term memory, a fact that Dr. Lynelle Burmark has studied. This means people recall total images while they only retain a very small amount of verbal information or what they read.

3. Listen More

Selling isn’t about talking, and you don’t have to be the type of person who wants to command a room in order to sell. Sales is about listening to a potential customer to understand who they are, what challenges they face, and what problems you may help them solve.

In fact, the experts at SalesHQ recommend you apply the 80/20 rule to sales: Just 20 percent of the interaction should be you talking, and listen for the rest.

4. Not Being Direct

While it is essential not to be pushy or overbearing to a customer, giving them an option to opt out of the sales call is never a good tactic. Avoid starting the conversation with "do you have a few minutes?" or "is this a good time to talk?"

A better option, according to Jill Konrath, author of Agile Selling, is to immediately present how your product will make a difference for the organization you are selling to. Focus on knowing a problem your customer is facing and addressing how your product or service will address this problem.

5. Know How To Close The Deal

I think one of the biggest mistakes that sales representatives make is not understanding how to move from presenting the product to actually getting the buyer to commit.

In fact, I recommend rehearsing the close as much as the presentation, and even having a few different options to allow your prospect to choose from. This will allow you to present different options that can go with the flow of the conversation in a natural, comfortable and confident way.

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