How is your ability to make the sale?

How is your ability to make the sale?

Written By Jeffrey Gitomer
@GITOMER

KING OF SALES, The author of seventeen best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude. His live coaching program, Sales Mastery, is available at gitomer.me.

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How is your ability to make the sale?

“Jeffrey, what’s the BEST way to make a sale?”

When I’m asked this question (I’m asked it all the time), what the salesperson’s really asking is, “What’s the EASIEST way to make a sale?”

EASY ANSWER: The easiest way to make a sale is lower your price to a point that you make no profit. Not a good option.

REAL ANSWER: There is no EASIEST way to make a sale.

And, just like there is no easiest way to make a sale, there is no BEST way to make a sale – BUT there are several elements that contain the word BEST that you must self-evaluate in order to discover why the sales takes place, or why not.

KEY POINT OF UNDERSTANDING: Selling is NOT manipulating. Selling is harmonizing.

Oh, you can occasionally make a manipulative sale. But if you’re still in the 1970’s trying to “find the pain,” or “sell an up-front contract,” or “make a cold call,” or “close the sale,” you’re toast. Sales toast.

Here are the BEST ways to make a sale:

  • The best way to make a sale is to have your reputation precede you by word of mouth from your Google ranking, and from your business social media presence.
  • The best way to make a sale is to be known as a valued resource before you start.
  • The best way to make a sale is to be friendly before you start.
  • The best way to make a sale is to meet with the CEO or actual decision maker.
  • The best way to make a sale is not to be salesey, or cocky, or condescending.
  • The best way to make a sale is to find some common ground before you start the selling process.
  • The best way to make a sale is to ask intelligent, emotionally engaging questions that draw out both needs and buying motives.
  • The best way to make a sale is to walk into the meeting with two ideas that favor the customer.
  • The best way to make a sale is to have done pre-call preparation in terms of the customer.
  • The best way to make a sale is to convey value rather than features and benefits.
  • The best way to make a sale is to focus on how they profit and produce.
  • The best way to make a sale is to focus on outcomes and ownership.
  • The best way to make a sale is to relax throughout the entire sales conversation.
  • The best way to make a sale is to respond in a heartbeat.
  • The best way to make a sale is to make yourself available when a customer needs you.
  • The best way to make a sale is to support and prove all your claims with video testimonials from existing customers who love you and are loyal to you.
  • The best way to make a sale is to ask for a date of beginning, or some type of commitment to move forward, AFTER you are certain you have removed all risks and removed all barriers from your prospect’s buying process.
  • The best way to make a sale is to have multiple relationships at different levels and departments within the same company.
  • The best way to make a sale is to earn the status of trusted advisor.
  • The best way to make a sale is to create an atmosphere where the customer wants to buy.
  • The best way to make a sale is to make the passion of your belief transferrable.

And there are questions you must ask yourself that enable the list of the BEST ways to make a sale:

  • Am I always achieving my PERSONAL best?
  • Am I always PREPARING to be my best for every sales call?
  • Is my ATTITUDE set on positive, and geared for positive outcomes?
  • Is my BELIEF in my product, my company, and myself always at the highest level?
  • Do I believe in my HEART that the customer is better off having purchased from me?
  • Am I always doing my BEST for every customer, every time?

REALITY: As a customer, I do NOT need a salesman. I need productivity, an idea, morale, a profit provider, and a trusted advisor.

Is that you?