How to Succeed in Sales

Succeeding in business often means succeeding in sales. Whether you are literally selling a product or selling an intangible service, what really determines your success is YOU. As a Marketing Management major at Virginia Tech, just about every upper-level course had some form of sales incorporated into the curriculum. I have also held several jobs in sales ranging from working in a department store to working in the auto rental industry. All were very different jobs, but the one common vein was sales therefore I feel somewhat qualified to offer my advice on how to be a great salesperson.

The most important tip for being a successful salesperson is being able to sell yourself. If your customer does not feel comfortable dealing with you as a person, then he/she is not likely going to want to hear about what you are offering. You must dress the part, you must smile, you must look them in the eyes and you must be confident. It sounds silly, but it works: practice in front of a mirror. Flash yourself your biggest grin and offer your reflection your hand as many times as it takes until it feels like second nature, just do not get to the point where it is phony. A customer can feel when you are not sincere, and if they do not trust you, they will go elsewhere.

The second tip is to know your customer. Find out as much as you can about his/her history with your company, if any. If there were problems in the past do not avoid them, address them and assure the customer that they will not occur again. (There you go building that trust!) Have empathy for your customer's situation. If they are standing in front of you after, for example, just totaling their car, don't dive right in to get to the finish line. Ask if they are okay, let them tell their story-and actually listen. Then, once they feel comfortable, get down to the business at hand. Ask a lot of questions so that you can accurately determine the best product/solution for the problem. It may take more time than you think you have, but I guarantee that they will seek you out if they ever need that product or service again.

The third tip is to know your product inside and out. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone into the electronics department of a store, asked a question, and have only been met with a blank stare. Not only is it infuriating to not get my questions answered, I am not going to purchase something from someone who does not know the product. Having an intimate knowledge of what you are selling allows you the confidence to answer a customer's questions and also to handle any doubts that they may be having about purchasing your product. This holds true whether you are selling computers, athletic shoes or insurance.

The fourth tip seems obvious, but it is often overlooked. Ask for the sale! This applies more to the personal selling fields where one would be out making sales calls. As a rental car agent, part of my job was to visit local insurance agencies, hotels, and auto repair facilities to simply ask that if they had someone in need that they refer that person to our agency. It was so simple and so effective. Most of the businesses that we would visit were flattered that we thought of them and always appreciated the notepads, pens and other goodies that we would bring, just to keep our presence known. You can get a lot of referral business this way by getting your name/company out there into the community.

The final tip I have is to follow up with your customers, especially those who have had problems in the past. You need to make sure that the promises you made to get the business are being upheld, or you will lose that customer's trust-and his business-for good. Even if you know that everything went well, it cannot hurt to follow up a few days later and ensure that everything is still fine. Problems can occur after the transaction that sour a customer's opinion, resulting in the loss of future business. However, just checking up on the customer and assuring them that you want to know if anything is unsatisfactory so that you can remedy the situation will give your customer the confidence that you are someone with which they want to continue doing business.