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Published by Allen Brown
In the business world, sales is everything. If you’re pitching your idea to a potential client or customer for the first time, you will need to present what you envision and how it would solve a problem or make a difference to your client’s world.
If you’re needing to keep a client up to date about the project they’ve bought into, the way that you present how it’s unfolding can dramatically change their perception of how well it’s going – and how much faith they have in your expertise to carry it out!
An essential reminder for sales – and one that many people don’t get right – is never to lie. Not only is this likely to get you into far bigger trouble if your customer or client finds out, but they will also have much less faith in your work and your integrity. Being caught in a lie could compromise your relationship with your client or customer altogether.
Critical not to lie, but you do want your pitch, presentation, or project to make a great impression of its future impact. To help you improve your sales performance, in various sectors, here are some expert tips.
Develop a timeline for your client’s buy-in
It’s important that you understand how quickly you want your potential client to move to a customer. What can really help is to set your goals for your clients, using a set timeframe as your guideline. But, a challenge will be to optimize the process of sale and move your client – without rushing them – to make a decision about whether they are interested and keen to learn more.
Watch out for defensiveness while making a sale
Even if you don’t intend to, a potential client or customer may say something or respond in a certain way which you end up having a reaction towards. If something is said or done that irks you, be careful not to become defensive. You do not want to undermine their authority or jeopardize their stake in the project. Watch out for facial expressions, quick comments, and indicators that might be threatening.
Stay in control of your emotions by not letting them dictate your behavior. Be aware of how you feel and involve your unsettling insights into your sales strategy. Maintaining a harmonious and calm relationship is key!
Personalize your message
There is nothing worse than being sold a standard, emotionless pitch that you know is being regurgitated to anyone and everyone in the same manner. Show your client or customer that you care about them by using appropriate language tailored to their speech. It will also be important that you know what you’re selling very well, and how your sale will help a variety of people. If your customer isn’t picking up your vision on the first go, adapt easily by knowing when to use a different approach.
To personalize your message in a way that will make your client or customer feel seen and understood, you should also consider connecting with them before jumping into your pitch. Ask them how they’ve been and take a genuine interest in them as a person. Get to know their wants and needs! The better you can relate to your client, the more at ease you will make them feel. This will influence their trust in the relationship and in whatever you’re selling.
Believe in your offer
A highly underrated sales tip is to continually instil confidence in your own project, product, or service. Develop a stronger vision for what you want out of your work and constantly put effort into improving your skills as a salesperson! The best part is that you’re already here, doing research and showing that you’re always willing to learn more about the job. This enthusiasm does shine through and your belief in your offer is highly influential in your ease of sale and comfort chatting about what you sell. If you believe in your work, your client is much more likely to believe in you too!
Engage potential clients with interesting conversation
One of the most fundamental ideas in sales is that before convincing someone about the value of your product, you need to show them that you’re worth working with. And one way you can achieve this is through the art of conversation. Develop interesting talking points to vary your sales pitch.
The downside to chatting comfortably with a client is if you constantly find yourself talking too much! Conversation is fantastic – and the more interesting the better – but there is a point at which your client may become more suspicious of your sale when overtalking. To this end, it would be best to learn to be economical with your words, driving a compelling argument or pitch without making it sound like you are just there to soften them with smooth conversation.