This is a Guest post by Jill Konrath of Selling To Big Companies.
Here are Top 5 tips that a new sales person should learn:
1. Be different.
Sellers find it hard to realize that customers don’t care about the product or service. Customers care about the difference that the seller can make for their company.
I sell sales training. If I will approach a company and speak to the VP of Sales and tell them that, the company will not be interested with my offer. But if I change my approach and focus on the substantial results that they will get from the service that I offer, doors will open wide.
2. Take one step at a time.
When I first started selling, I immediately wanted to become successful. I was eager to close early and impressed my prospects with my immense product knowledge. But the more I rushed things, my prospects became more resistant to moving forward. They would trash problems and complaints that I could not solve. But when I started to slow down, plan carefully and disseminate information over multiple discussions, my sales suddenly increased.
3. Research before making the call.
Personalized messages based on your research about their company will get the attention of corporate decision makers. Standard messages sent to everyone are deleted instantly. Take the time to do your homework and do some research. Companies will listen to voicemails that are made especially for them.
4. Plan different modes of entry.
If you want to set up a meeting with a corporate decision maker, plan different modes of entry. Use multiple formats in your campaign— try voicemail, email, direct mail, invitations to teleseminars, conferences and etc. Establish at least 7-10 contacts to crack into corporate accounts.
5. In your cutsomer’s shoes.
It doesn’t matter what you say. What matters is what your customer’s hear. Before leaving a message on your prospect’s voicemail, try leaving it on yours. Listen to it and evaluate how you sounded. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. Would you listen to that message? Would you take the time to call back and respond to that message? Rework your script until you finally created something worth hearing and worth responding to.
How about you? What tips can you suggest to new sellers?
Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She’s a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings, kick-off events and professional conferences. For timely and provocative sales advice, visit www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com.
