So you want a career in selling:
This is one of the few activities where a person with little or no qualifications can succeed but it is not easy.
Your value is measured by the amount of income you can generate for your employer.
Selling covers many forms
Retail selling eg to the public either in a store or what is sometimes called direct selling.
Wholesale selling where you are usually involved in repeat selling to basically the same clients.
One off selling such as Real Estate, Motor Vehicles, Insurance etc.
While many of the skills you will require apply to all three there are some differences.
Repeat selling requires the building of mutual respect and confidence between you and your clients. Don’t make promises you can’t fulfil as this is the greatest destroyer of confidence between a sales person and their client. Respect comes from your knowledge of your product/service and the industry in which you operate. Time invested in gaining superior knowledge to your competitors in this area will pay off time and time again. You must know as much about your customers business as they do for you to have a common language when discussing propositions with them.
One off selling requires the ability to create a favourable impression within two minutes of meeting a prospective customer. Don’t come the heavy as this is one of the greatest turnoffs in this first meeting situation. Try to establish communications not related directly to the product/service you are promoting. This is usually achieved by asking non threatening questions which can be about the industry in general or an article that has appeared recently pertaining to your industry.
Putting people at ease is an art form in itself because they believe all you are after is their money and it is up to you through your knowledge of your product/service to create the feeling that you may in fact be there to help them. Never deride an opposition product/service you don’t know what their previous decisions have been. Speak kindly of your competitors while pointing out the additional features/benefits of your product/service.
In all forms of selling your appearance can create either a negative or positive responses when meeting a client.
The words you use and the tone of voice are also very important when trying to create a favourable response.
Learn to listen because you will learn more about your customers wants/needs with your mouth shut and your ears open.
Help people to buy most prefer that to being sold to
If you are extraverted by nature selling will come more easily than if you are introverted however personally I started out as an introvert yet today people meeting me would not believe that was where I started from.
