tips to succeed in sales

Block out 30 minutes a day or 2 hours a week to move to a quiet location with nothing but a blank piece of paper. During this time, ask yourself how you can secure more sales from your existing customers and make notes of your thoughts. Your best ideas will always come when you step back from the business long enough to examine how you can take your customer relationships to a higher level.

Its important to understand why people do business with you. Have you ever asked your customers why they chose you? Have you ever asked those who chose your competitors why they did not decide to do business with you? Find out if theres anything about your sales process that needs to be modified. The information is free, and it may wind up being the best feedback youve ever received.

Tilting your head slightly when you are listening to someone speak communicates that you are giving them your undivided attention. Its amazing how this simple type of body language can convey a powerful message.

Don t just say hello and jump into your telephone presentation without taking a breath or allowing the other party to participate. Your greeting should err on the side of formality. Begin with Mr., Mrs. or Ms, as in Good morning, Mr. Smith. Or Good evening, Mrs. Jones. Everyone else says, Hello. Be different. Be professional.

My name is Sally Smith with ABC Company. We re a local firm that specializes in helping businesses like yours save money. Don t get too specific yet. Don t mention your product. If you do, that allows the other party to say, Oh, we re happy with what we ve got. Thanks anyway, and hang up. By keeping your introduction general, yet mentioning a benefit, you ll pique your prospect s curiosity and keep them on the line longer.

Always thank the potential client for allowing you a few moments in his busy day. Tell him that you won t waste a second of his time. I want to thank you for taking my call. This will only involve a moment of your time so you can get back to your busy schedule. Don t say that you ll just take a moment. The feeling evoked by them hearing that you ll take anything from them will put them off.

It s best if you can provide the purpose within a question. If we can show you a way to improve the quality of your product at a lower cost, would you be interested to know more? This is very likely to get a yes response. At this point, you re ready to start selling an opportunity to meet this person or to get their permission to provide them with more information. You re not selling your product yet you re selling what your product will do for him.

Get a confirmation to meet, either in person or to teleconference to get the information you need in order to give a solid presentation. If he s so interested that he wants to do it right then and there, that s OK.

If your meeting is more than a few days in the future, send a letter of confirmation immediately. If the meeting is tomorrow, send an e mail confirmation. Keep it short and upbeat.

Time is precious only 86,400 seconds in a day. Average people waste most of those seconds in unproductive or unrewarding ways. Successful people manage their time efficiently. They are aware of how they spend it and make conscious choices to use it wisely whether to work, relax or regenerate with family.