The Art of Sales (And Tips On How To Manage Your Sales Team)

Selling. Cold calls, introductions, interviews, appointments, proposals, referrals, call cycles, building rapport, listening, asking for the order, overcoming objections, closing the sale, and rejection. There's a lot to know about the business of selling. No wonder many people are a bit overwhelmed when they are asked to do it.

And it's not a job for the faint-hearted. Selling is a communication-rich activity, with lots of verbal and non-verbal clues to simultaneously recognise, understand and respond to. It's a tough job looking after the interests of the customer and the company at the same time. Especially when you have to do this many times a day, every day.

The sales process does not usually proceed in a linear, one-way direction. The participants will often meander along paths filled with associated ideas, go back to items already discussed, find answers for problems (overcome objections) and explore the features and benefits offered. An effective selling style will display a relevant and appropriate personal manner combined with a strong focus on the required outcome.

On many occasions handling a sale is much like steering a boat across a strong current. There is a need to constantly assess the amount of 'drift', making minor adjustments to stay on course for the destination.

A skillful sales person can handle these diversions and carefully guide the prospect to recognise why they should make the decision to purchase 'this' product from 'this company'.

For those working outside the field of professional selling, it's common for the sales process, and sales people, to be misunderstood. Indeed, there are those who think of sales staff as being universally pushy, overbearing, and making the customer feel ill at ease.

However this type of behaviour is usually the result of inexperience or poor sales training. Over recent years the art of selling has been transformed into a process now often referred to as 'consultative selling'.

More than just a buzzword, consultative selling refers to the process of developing a clear understanding of your customers needs and following this with a logical presentation of how your product or service can help your customer be satisfied. In effect consulting with your client to determine their needs and develop a solution.

Modern, effective sales people have mastered the skill of identifying the needs of individual prospects, matching those needs with benefits offered by their product or service, and closing the sale by ensuring the customer can see real value in the deal being offered. It's a win-win result.

Throughout the process an experienced sales person will generate a level of trust with the customer that can stand the test of time.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your sales team:

* Respect the personal barriers they must overcome on a daily basis.

* Have a territory management plan in place.

* Provide appropriate supervision to ensure good sales practices are maintained.

* Ensure the customer has regular contact with other people (or departments) within your business other than the sales person.

* Comprehensively train your sales people on company procedures, their responsibilities and your expectations.

* Have a procedure for listening to, assessing, and acting upon feedback from people in the field.

* Avoid involving sales people in non-sales activities such as deliveries and collecting account payments. These tasks will undermine the sales relationship and will adversely impact on your sales results. Keep your sales person as the 'good guy'.

Selling is an art - the art of guiding the sales process to a mutually satisfying conclusion.

(c) 2005 MySalesTutor.com

Stuart Ayling is known as the 'Sales Tutor'. Stuart offers a unique sales training eCourse at MySalesTutor.com. This 16-day course give you the skills and confidence to handle any sales situation and close more sales. Stuart has developed this eCourse specially for independent professionals, service providers, and business owners, based on sales "best practices" and proven trust-based sales techniques.

---

Is Sales Process & CRM Stopping Sales?

Standard metrics and KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) are created usually... Read More

Book of Lists Marketing for Pressure Washing Companies

The American Business Journals produces a Book of Lists each... Read More

Determining Sales Fit; the Key Growth Process for Your Business

Help your organization grow by assessing the right indicators in... Read More

Disclosure Laws Favor International Terrorists

The Federal Trade Commission has rule that are supposedly in... Read More

Why Performance-Based Recruiting Produces Top Sales Performers

Many recruiting ads and job descriptions include "knockout factors" that... Read More

Raise Your Fees Overnight!

Do you want to make more money?Yes, I guess that... Read More

How to Increase The Sales Of Promotional Products

I have searched for a new way to increase the... Read More

Retail Operations - Effective Branch Manager Support and Guidance

Performance and behaviour management is by far the most difficult... Read More

6 Steps to Avoid Losing Summer Sales

It's a fact - the online world dies down in... Read More

The Nine Warning Signs that You Need a Sales Video

Corporate videos are an important sales tool that can often... Read More

Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Turning Strangers to Friends with Power of Freebies

In the last issue I shared with you a technique... Read More

The Spirit Of Change

A Highly Conscious Approach To Business Management. For more on... Read More

How To Become A Better Sales Manager

YIPPEE! Kendra won, or should I say, "She was hired,"... Read More

5 Secrets to Managing Your Sales Manager Productively

Many people believe that the main reason for representatives leaving... Read More

The Top 5 Issues Facing VPs of Sales

A recent study of 2,663 sales organizations by Think Training,... Read More

Sacking Clients: Brand Power Wheel

Remember in the last message we talked about your directional... Read More

Sales Coaching... Fact or Fiction?

The old adage in selling has always been, "Find out... Read More

To Increase Your Sales and Revenue Make Sure To Add Value

What are you and your company's services and products worth... Read More

The Product or the Sale

This is a quandary not unlike the chicken or the... Read More

Change in Sales Organizations Starts with Me

Question: What do the following have in common?- I spend... Read More

Do You Really Want Local County Contracts?

If you really want to secure government contacts at the... Read More

Snuff Out the Competition Without Leaving a Mark!

Does the competition drive you crazy? Are they relentless about... Read More

Building Trust For Lifetime Success

Trust.One word.One very powerful word that can increase both first... Read More

A Coachs Handbook For Sales Managers

This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express... Read More

The Achilles Heel of Management Coaching

While heading home at day's end, you begin reflecting on... Read More

Make Time, Not Excuses

There are four primary activities that successful salespeople engage in... Read More

How We Build a 90% Failure Rate into the Sales Process

I recently began doing training in the banking industry. Across... Read More

3 Secrets That Set The Context For Sales Success

In today's competitive environment, every organization is trying to improve... Read More

Beyond the Golden Rule

There are several types and sub types of people in... Read More

Are Your Business Proposals Losing You Sales? 10 Steps to Get the ?Yes? You Deserve

Your ability to write an effective and persuasive business proposal... Read More

Not Enough Fresh Sales Leads? Marketing is the New Sales

Your sales are down and leads are rare. The phone's... Read More

Seven Deadly Sales Mistakes That Cost Business Owners Big Money - And What To Do About Them

1. LOOKING for a "quick fix" to close more sales... Read More

Sales Marketing: 12 Sneaky Tricks To Help You Outsell Your Competition

Business can be like war sometimes.You may have to fight... Read More