5 Sales Techniques you should learn | Pareto

Great salespeople can possess these traits in abundance, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re guaranteed to become successful salespeople in the long term. To continue to sell better you need to be aware of specific sales techniques that will aid you in your career.

Always look at how you can improve

Too many salespeople get complacent. A few consecutive months, or even years of success, can leave some feeling over-confident about their performance. Sales professionals need to be less reactive when they’re struggling and more proactive. Whether it be keeping up with emerging sales trends or investigating where you went wrong in previous deals, you can never stop learning. Don’t give up, and make sure you expand your knowledge in the sales field, as you’ll then be more prepared to broaden your opportunities in business going forwards. 

Turn cold calls into warm calls

The traditional cold call is not nearly as relied upon as it once was. Cold calling is still crucial, but counts for much less unless you arm yourself with extra information. Before making that cold call you need to do your research, finding out as much as you can about the company before picking up the phone. You may be able to find out valuable information that can then enable you to build more of a connection with your contact, helping you to get through to the decision maker or secure that all-important meeting.

Be more direct

It can be effective leaving your prospect to sit on your proposition, but you can’t afford to be hesitant. Give them the key facts and benefits, and ask them for a time frame for them to make their decision. Too many deals are lost when you fail to win the respect of your customer, so highlight the benefits and let them know the key facts and timeframes from the outset. This way they will appreciate your professionalism and feel that their time is not being wasted.

Inject some personality into your proposition

Being monotone, dull or robotic is exactly how not to sell. We all have our own unique and individual personality, so remember to show this when selling. Continue to project your personality as this is what customers invest in: you. You can still remain professional and come across as the best person for the job, just find the right balance and you’ll soon be seen as somebody your prospect will want to work with. With sales, relationship building is key to success and it's hard to build a relationship if you don't show any personality. 

Mention past success stories

This may seem obvious, but make sure your client knows about your past successes. You’ll give yourself a better chance of securing a deal by demonstrating how you have helped other companies in the past. This would be better displayed visually, so never underestimate the importance of marketing collateral.

Give your prospect materials to take away with them so they can revisit your offer, and if they have something to refer to, they’ll be more likely to be persuaded to do business with you. You’d also benefit from ensuring that when you do have a meeting with your prospect, show that you are technologically competent. To do this you could use animations, infographics and powerpoints to get across your solution to their business need.