The businesses make a lot of mistakes in the process of selling or closing deals with customers. These mistakes have affected many sellers because a number of customers/clients have left them.
There are facts I would like to share with you here what you as businesses should know to sell fast.
BUYER-SELLER DYAD
Buyer-Seller Dyad being fundamental to understanding salesmanship is recognition. It involves buyer-seller interactions. Sociologists use the term “dyad” to describe a situation in which two people interact.
The salesperson and the prospect, interacting with each other, constitute one example of a “buyer-seller dyad”. Another is the interaction of a seller using advertising with a particular prospect in the reading, listening, or viewing audience.
In both advertising and personal selling, the seller seeks to motivate the prospective buyer to behave favourably toward the seller. Whether or not the buyer reacts as the seller desires depends upon the nature of the interaction.
The opportunity for interaction is less in the advertising case than in personal selling. However, advertising and personal selling often supplement or support each other, and the buyer reacts to their combined impact.
Good communication is a key to successful marketing, and it is particularly important for positive personal selling results. The buyer-seller dyad is flexible and efficient, closes sales, and provides feedback.
RELATIONSHIP & CONSULTATIVE SELLING
RELATIONSHIP
Candour is the honesty of the spoken word. The proof used to support claims is credible. Subsequent events prove the salesperson’s statements to be true.
Likability is rooted in each party’s perception of “having something in common” with the other. This is an emotional factor, yet a powerful force in buyer and seller relationships.
CONSULTATIVE SELLING
Meeting customer needs by listing to them, understanding and caring about their problems, paying attention to details, and following through after the sale.
THE EIGHT STEP MODELS OF THE SALES SEQUENCE
The sales process is a basic framework that must be flexible and adaptable, as each individual sales situation is different and presents its own problems. The seven steps models of the sales sequence include:
- Planning: At the preparatory stage, the salesperson should have a good general knowledge of;
The company: its systems, procedures, prices and terms
The product: especially new products and/or uses for existing products
2. Market knowledge
Customer knowledge and maintenance of a good customer records;
Equipment, samples and sales aids: ensuring that the right equipment, including order books and trade directories is carried;
Journey planning: an organized journey plan giving details of appointments covering existing customers and time for generating new business or prospecting;
Personal preparation: i.e. personal grooming and dress
3. Establish positive first impressions: A sales meeting should start in a pleasant yet business-like way. Time is important, but so is being polite. Likewise, good personal selling involves listening as well as asking questions.
It is also about being accommodating. If a buyer sets a time limit, this should be respected, although an
offer to stay longer is often necessary and can be useful.
4. Preparation and demonstration: Salespersons should list out major selling points relating to the products or services they are selling. The most important of these will be points that give some advantage over competitors’ products.
In the presentation and demonstration the salesperson should concentrate on the unique sales
propositions (USPs) that are appropriate to that particular customer’s needs and interests
5. Negotiation: The principal role for the salesperson is to know the limits of acceptance and non-acceptance. The salesperson may negotiate with the customer aspects like price, discounts, credit and selling rights. Often the final margin of negotiation is retained by the sales manager.
The salesperson should obtain as much information as possible about the buyer’s needs and level of
potential business and assess its potential worth. Concessions should be held back as long as possible. If not, they cease to be concessions. Negotiation is a key element of major sales activities.
6. Overcoming objections: These might be commercial objections that relate to matters like price, credit or delivery. These are common and salespersons should be trained in techniques for handling them.
An objection on commercial grounds could be a disguise for a real objection or even simply be a buying ploy
e.g. a buyer might argue that a competitive product has a better finish, but not fully explain how the quality
of finish is better.
When it is a disguise, or excuse, it is up to the salesperson to discover, by shrewd questioning, the real objection. A skilled salesperson can use customer objections to close a sale by suggesting that if the objection is answered, will this result in a sale.
However organizational buyers are experienced enough to recognize when salespeople are using objections
as a closing technique, and will be skilled enough to be able to pose an apt reply.
7. Closing the sale: The objective of most sales interviews is to obtain a sale, although others might be to discuss matters like service provision. There are a variety of closing techniques, which the salesperson can use:Basic close: when the salesperson thinks there is a sale and starts filling in the order form;Alternative choice: offer a choice as a trial close, e.g. ‘Do you want grey or black?’
Summary questions: from a prepared list, ask the buyer questions like: ‘Is this a problem?’ Here an answer of ‘no’ might represent a step towards closing a sale;
Closing on a final objection: if a final objection still exists, identify it and then offer to do something about it. The customer cannot then object any more.
8. Follow-up is needed to avoid loss of contact or to bring about repeat business. After closing a sale it is important that the salesperson ‘ties up’ loose ends such as delivery times.
To this end a follow-up call should be made, and if unforeseen problems occur, the salesperson can rectify them and not lose the sale or future business.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Good communications require listening as well as speaking skills. Charts, models and brochures may also help in the sales process. Sales personnel can be trained to be good speakers, knowing what to say and how and when to say it.
Listening and speaking are dual parts of effective communication. As well as developing selling skills, salespeople should develop technical expertise that can be applied during the presentation process.
There are occasions when a customer might ask questions that appear simplistic. Salespeople represent a limited number of products to a variety of customers, so what is an unusual problem to one customer may seem routine to the salesperson.
Each sales situation is different, so patience is required in explaining to the buyer what might seem to be a simple matter.
Showing customers you are listening is important. This can be done by non-verbal communication like eye contact, facial expressions or other forms of ‘body language’.
Using non-verbal cues, the salesperson is able to signal understanding of what the customer is saying without speaking and so regulate the speed of the conversation as well as the depth and detail of the customer’s discussion.
What we do not want are people who talk while we are speaking or show other signs of lack of interest. This is emphasized, because salespeople, by their nature, tend to be talkers rather than listeners.
When talking there is often a feeling of control where one is asserting one’s beliefs, and with this there is a feeling that by so doing, one will succeed. The problem is that this ignores the needs of others.
Salespeople should aim to satisfy others by offering goods and services that fit precise requirements. Such requirements can be practical or can relate to less tangible buyer behavioural needs.
Editors
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