Ø Tip
121: Make a Daily Checklist
Having a daily sales
checklist will help you to identify the accounts and
customers you need to
approach that day.
Ø Tip
122: Time Allotment
Allot a specific amount
of time each day when you – or a member of staff - will
focus solely on selling
activities.
Ø Tip
123: Selling Time is Sacred
Don’t be distracted by
things such as e-mails or personal phone calls during your
selling time.
Ø Tip
124: Know your Competitor
Know what your
competitor is selling and the prices he’s selling them at to keep
an upper edge.
Ø Tip
125: Be Optimistic
People prefer optimism
over pessimism, so try to remain optimistic at all times
and your customer might
follow suit.
Ø Tip
126: Start Conversations
Don’t wait for a
customer to pluck up the courage to talk, approach him first and
strike up a
conversation.
Ø Tip
127: At Ease
Customers may be excited
at the prospect of buying, but they could also be
nervous. Take the time
to put them at ease.
Ø Tip
128: Observe your Customers Body Language
Watching your customer’s
body language will help to guide you on if they are
really interested or
not.
Ø Tip
129: Avoid Silly Mistakes
When making a sale you
need to make doubly sure that you have all the facts
right, and don’t make
any silly mistakes that could end up costing you the sale.
Ø Tip
130: Have Morals
Don’t be prepared to do
absolutely anything in order to make a sale. Have some
morals and know what’s
right and what’s wrong.
Ø Tip
131: Have Flexible Selling Tactics
What might work for one
customer won’t necessarily work for another, so be as
flexible with your
tactics as you can.
You may also like this: How To Generate Money from your Website
Ø Tip
132: Practice
Practice what you have
learnt and then perfect it for a great sales pitch.
Ø Tip
133: Brainstorm
Two heads are better
than one, and three heads are better then – well you get
the picture. Brainstorm
with staff, family and friends to see what ideas come up.
Ø Tip
134: Be Persuasive
Persuade your customers
that your product is the best that they could buy, will
make them look
fantastic; will impress their boss, etc.
Ø Tip
135: Enhance the Experience
Offer cups of coffee or
donuts or have nice music playing. Generally enhance the
experience of the sale.
Ø Tip
136: Waiting Room
Make the waiting room as
pleasant as possible. Ensure it’s as clean as it needs
to be and is welcoming.
Ø Tip
137: Shorten the Cycle
I mean the sales cycle.
If it drags on too long customers may get bored or tired
and walk away.
Ø Tip
138: Stand behind your Product
Be prepared to back it
100%, especially if someone has negative things to say
about it.
Ø Tip
139: Experiment
Don’t be afraid to try
new techniques or sell new products. Variety is the spice of
sales as well as life.
Ø Tip
140: Get Some Sleep!
I don’t mean on the job,
but at home. Rest well and have a fresh energy about
you the next day.
Ø Tip
141: Don’t be Afraid
Don’t be afraid to ask
questions or hear the answers.
Ø Tip
142: Take a Break
Everyone needs a break
in order to recharge their batteries, so make sure you
take regular ones.
Ø Tip
143: Do Not Walk Away
Always let the customer
walk away first otherwise you could come across as
being dismissive.
Ø Tip
144: Don’t get flustered
Try to remain calm and
not get flustered in the event of an awkward customer or
situation. Take a deep
breath, smile, and make the sale.
Ø Tip
145: Never be Rude
It can be hard to be
polite sometimes, but never ever be rude to a customer.
Your next potential
customer may overhear you and walk away.
Ø Tip
146: Don’t Sound Desperate
Try not to sound
desperate even if you are. Sales are harder to make when the
customer knows how
desperate you really are.
Ø Tip
147: Make Yourself Known
Introduce yourself and
explain who you are in relation to the sale or product.
Ø Tip
148: Have Patience
Some customers can try
the patience of saints, but make sure you don’t lose
your patience or you
could lose your sale too.
Ø Tip
149: Be Accountable
If you make a mistake
then don’t pass the buck, accept it, apologize and move
on. Be accountable for
your own actions.
Ø Tip
150: Never Hit on a Customer
Never hit on a customer,
especially if their partner is with them. This is probably
one of the worst
mistakes you could make.
Ø Tip
151: Blog
Make an online Blog
where you can keep a daily record of your business for
customers, old and
potential, to read.
Ø Tip
152: Visualize the Sale
Visualizing the sale
helps us to achieve it.
Ø Tip
153: Make Lists
It’s easy to forget
things, especially when there’s a lot to remember, so make lists
to help jog your memory.
Ø Tip
154: Take Action
If something needs doing
then do it. Not taking action is the same as not caring
about your business.
Ø Tip
155: Performance Reviews
Review your sales
performance honestly to see if and where you can improve.
Ø Tip
156: Seasons for Selling
Easter eggs don’t tend
to sell well at Christmas and Christmas trees don’t sell
well on Valentines Day.
Choose the right product for the right season.
Ø Tip
157: Climate
Selling the right
products for the climate can be crucial. No-one wants to buy
bikinis in winter or thermal
underwear in the summer.
Ø Tip
158: Work at Work
Don’t sit behind your
desk playing card games on the computer or texting your
friends. If it’s quiet
find something work related and constructive to do.
Ø Tip
159: “I’ll think about it”
If a customer tells you
this then try and offer a deal they can’t refuse. They didn’t
say no now did they?
Ø Tip
160: “To be honest with you”
“To tell you the truth”
and “to be honest with you” are red flags to most people.
Are you really being
honest with them? They might not think so if you say
something like this.
Ø Tip
161: Adjust your Attitude
Don’t behave as though
the world and every customer in it owes you a favor.
Watch your attitude or
you’ll be watching your customers leave.
Ø Tip
162: Know your Weaknesses:
Everyone has weaknesses,
so know yours and work on turning it into a strength.
Ø Tip
163: Discount
Offering discounts, no
matter how small, will encourage people to buy.
Ø Tip
164: Be Approachable
Help customers to feel
more comfortable by being approachable. Don’t sit there
with a frown on your
face when they walk in the door.
Ø Tip
165: Be Creative
You don’t have to use
the same displays or advertising as everyone else. Being
creative will get you
noticed.
Ø Tip
166: Do what you Say you’ll do
If you give a promise, a
guarantee or a returns policy then stick by it. Don’t make
a promise you’re not
prepared to keep.
Ø Tip
167: Product Placement
If you own a store then
product placement is vital. Customers like to feel
comfortable when they
shop, but if that naughty lingerie is by the window or door
they may go elsewhere.
Ø Tip
168: Research
If your customer is
another business, do your research about them beforehand. It
might give you the upper
hand.
Ø Tip
169: Deliver on Time
If you say you’ll
deliver an item on a specific date then make sure you do, or
have a legitimate reason
why not.
Ø Tip
170: Don’t be a Stalker
Making a couple of calls
to a prospective customer is fine, but after 3 or 4 calls
they may feel like
you’re stalking them. Back off.
Ø Tip
171: Make Appointments
Make appointments rather
than just turn up. It can go a long way.
Ø Tip
172: Stay Connected
Stay connected to your
client before and after a sale. Confirm an appointment
and do a follow-up call
to ensure good customer relations.
Ø Tip
173: Be a Prospector
Just like gold, you need
to prospect for customers sometimes too.
Ø Tip
174: Limit Choices
Sometimes too many
choices can confuse a customer and they will leave before
they can make a
decision. Limit the choices and they’ll find it easier to buy.
Ø Tip
175: “Yes, But”
“Yes it does look
out-dated, but it is the latest model”, this approach agrees with
the customer while
answering the objection at the same time.
Ø Tip
176: Counter-question
By repeating an
objection voiced by a customer he may respond with something
like: “I just meant…”
which leaves it open for you to move forward.
Ø Tip
177: Offer a Service
Free delivery or gift
wrapping can be just the thing to get a person to buy from
you.
Ø Tip
178: Give a Choice
That sweater is so nice
in black, but you also have it available in red, blue and
white too. Make sure
your customer knows the choices.
Ø Tip
179: Offer Incentives
If you offer a client an
incentive such as a free weeks grass cutting, they will be
more inclined to choose
your business.
Ø Tip
179: “Better not wait”
This can be a good way
of getting someone to buy something quickly. “Better not
wait because I only have
1 left” etc.
Ø Tip
180: Tact
Be tactful towards
customers. Stating the obvious such as their breath smells
and do they want to buy
some mints is not going to win you a sale.
Ø Tip
181: Be a Problem Solver
If there’s a problem
don’t ignore it. Find a solution and learn from it.
Ø Tip
182: Think
Think about what you
want to achieve today and set out to do it.
Ø Tip
183: Seize the Day
Don’t wait until tomorrow
to try to make a sale. That’s a day – and a sale–
wasted.
Ø Tip
184: Find the Silver Lining
Even if you lose a sale
or it’s a quiet day, try to stay positive. Use the time to
polish up on your
technique or to send out your news letters.
Ø Tip
185: Know When to Give Up
Time-wasters are a fact
of life. Know when to give up on trying to sell something
to someone who never had
any intention of buying.
Ø Tip
186: Fit the Product to the Customer
Finding the right
product for the customer can be a lot easier than finding the
right customer for the
product.
Ø Tip
187: Know When to Close a Deal
Don’t drag things out
too long or you might lose the sale. Know when to close it
up.
Ø Tip
188: Be Likeable
People are not going to
buy from a person they don’t like, no matter how good
the product is.
Ø Tip
189: Don’t Talk About Yourself
Engage your customer in
conversation, but not about yourself. It isn’t relevant to
the sale.
Ø Tip
190: Never Argue
Never argue with a
member of staff in front of a customer, or a customer –
period.
Ø Tip
191: Don’t Criticize
Don’t criticize your
product, your staff or your competitor in front of a potential
customer.
Ø Tip
192: Lose your Ego
If your ego is a big one
then you might be a little intimidating without realizing it.
Ø Tip
193: Stick to your Principles
Don’t be talked into
something you’re not happy or comfortable with.
Ø Tip
194: Give Value for Money
It may be tempting to
hike the price up to make more money, but people will
probably go somewhere
cheaper before buying from you.
Ø Tip
195: Know the Decision Maker
If you have a couple of
customers come in together then quickly work out who is
the decision maker, and
work aim your selling skills at that person.
Ø Tip
196: Reduce the Chaos
More order and less
chaos will clear up your mind and leave it more open to
making a sale.
Ø Tip
196: Wrap it up
Wrap up the sale, but
offer a wrapping service too. Busy customers love it.
Ø Tip
197: Find a Buyer
Don’t wait for a buyer
to come to you, go out and find the buyer.
Ø Tip
198: Analyze the Market
Know what the market
buying habits are and how they can be reached. What is
their socio-economic
level? Analyze and work with the result.
Ø Tip
199: Find the Action
Job fairs, conventions
and seminars; just 3 places you should go to find the
action. Make your business
known there.
Ø Tip
200: Join a Professional Organization
It will boost your
credibility and could have member benefits such as mailing lists,
as well as provide
networking opportunities.
Ø Tip
201: Give Things Away
Provide giveaways
through your website, or leave a bunch of pens with your
business logo on at a
meeting to get your name out there.
Ø Tip
202: Affiliate Marketing
A great way to get
customers is by offering programs for affiliate marketing.
Ø Tip
203: Ask
Asking for the sale
might seem blunt, but the worst that can happen is they say
no, in which case smile,
leave your card and ask for referrals before moving on.
Ø Tip
204: Assess Your Sales Skills
Be honest with yourself
about your own sales skills, and change what you feel is
lacking.
Ø Tip
205: Gather Insight
Ask colleagues or staff
what they feel about your sales technique. Their insight
could be just what you
need.
Ø Tip
206: Get Feedback
From colleagues as well
as customers to ensure that everyone is happy.
Ø Tip
207: Shorten your “To Do” List
If your list is too long
you’ll spend more time reading it than carrying out the tasks
on it, and you won’t
have any time left for selling.
Ø Tip
208: Scarcity
If your product is in
short supply make sure you let your customer know this.
Ø Tip
209: Urgency
The offer ends soon.
This gives people a valid reason to buy it straight away.
Ø Tip
210: Risk-Free
People don’t like taking
risks when buying something, so if it’s ‘risk-free’ they will
be more likely to
purchase it.
Ø Tip
211: Be Nice to Children:
If a customer has a
child with them make sure you include him or her in some of
the conversation.
“Wouldn’t it be great to have this car? It even has a secret
place for you to hide
your candy/doll/ toy from your brother.”
Ø Tip
212: Watch your Language
It doesn’t matter if you
have the mouth of a sailor if you are at the bar with your
friends, but when you
are selling something the last thing a customer wants to
hear is you cussing up a
storm.
Ø Tip
213: Watch your Tone
Your tone of voice can
say more than your actual words. Don’t let exasperation,
frustration or boredom
come through in your tone.
Ø Tip
214: Don’t Expect Anything, Earn It
Don’t just take it for
granted that you’ll make the sale. You have to earn it, not
simply expect it.
Ø Tip
215: Show Off
If the remote control
car you’re selling can do a lot of tricks, then show it off so
that customers can
actually see it working.
Ø Tip
216: Know your Value
Your business may be
valuable, and so might your stock, but without you they
are worth nothing. Value
yourself.
Ø Tip
217: Don’t Interrupt
If a customer is
talking, never interrupt. Nothing gets the hackles up like being
interrupted when you’re
trying to make a point or ask something.
Ø Tip
218: Know the Budget
If you find out the
budget of your customer you will know what price range you
have to work within. If
you don’t find out the budget then chances are you will be
trying to sell something
that is way too expensive for them to afford.
Ø Tip
219: Ask About Concerns
Ask if your customer has
any concerns about a particular product, and then try to
allay them or offer
alternatives.
Ø Tip
220: Exchange Commitments
Show your customer that
you are prepared to commit to making him the best
offer, providing he
commits to buying it.
Ø Tip
221: 1 Opportunity
You have 1 opportunity
to make a good 1st impression, so use it wisely and don’t
waste it.
Ø Tip
222: Remove the Fluff
Remove the fluff and
sell the product. Don’t overdue the personal enthusiasm
because it will just
look as though you’re desperate to make the sale.
Ø Tip
223: Analyze Needs
Analyze the needs of
your customers and then try to fulfill them.
Ø Tip
224: Plan Your Next Step
Don’t leave everything
to the last minute in a sale. Plan ahead and know what
you’re going to say or
do next.
Ø Tip
225: Confirm you Understand
Confirm that you
understand what your customer wants so that they know they
are being listened to
and understood.
Ø Tip
226: Look for Opportunities
There are opportunities
to make a sale everywhere, but you need to keep looking
for them. Stay alert and
stay selling.
Ø Tip
227: Don’t Rush
You may be in a rush to
sell something but you need to remember not to rush
your customer.
Ø Tip
228: Be Prepared to Lower the Price
Lowering the price a
little can mean the difference between selling for a huge
profit and selling for a
large one. Better to make any kind of profit than none at
all.
Ø Tip
229: Take Notes
Taking notes will help
you to remember specifics in case they are needed later
on in the sale.
Ø Tip
230: Avoid Looking Annoyed or Disappointed
You probably feel these
emotions sometimes, but don’t let your customer see or
feel them from you.
Ø Tip
231: Leave an Opening for the Customer to Return
If the sale didn’t go
through make sure you leave the door open for the customer
to return at a later
date. “Feel free to come back any time and we’ll see what else
we can do for you.”
Ø Tip
232: Don’t Procrastinate
Stop putting things off
until tomorrow or next week or next month or – you see
what I mean. Do it, and
do it now!
Ø Tip
234: Use a Contest
Having a contest can bring
in a lot more customers because they are all in with
the chance of winning
something they might not otherwise own. Even if you just
have a small raffle.
Ø Tip
235: The right Time
There is never a wrong
time for making a sale, but there are some times that are
better than others. Know
when this is for your particular business and work with
it.
Ø Tip
236: Leave a Voicemail
Don’t just hang up if
nobody answers. Leave a voicemail saying who you are and
why you’ve called. If
you are calling with a special offer then make sure you say
this.
Ø Tip
237: Be Different
Just because you sell
cars doesn’t mean you have to look or be like the car lot
down the road. Be
different and stand out from the crowd.
Ø Tip
238: Go Above and Beyond
We all remember when
someone did something for us that went definitely above
and beyond what they got
paid to do. Be that person and make your customers
remember you.
Ø Tip
239: Be as Specific as Possible
If you can’t remember
specifics then have a tick-sheet with you to jog your
memory. People want to
know details about something they are buying.
Ø Tip
240: Think Big
You may be selling home
made clay vases, but there’s nothing to say that your
designs are not going to
become famous and make you a fortune some day.
Thing big and aim for
the stars.
Ø Tip
241: No Bull
What’s the point of
giving your customers a load of bull that you know isn’t true?
You’ll get nothing but
future complaints and lose customers to boot. Be honest!
Ø Tip
242: Involve the Community
If the community is
involved in reviewing and commenting on your product then
it’s a great way of
advertising.
Ø Tip
243: Have a Party
If you sell something
like cosmetics or kitchen-ware, encourage customers to
hold a party and give
them a commission on anything that sells.
Ø Tip
244: Find the Emotion
People buy based on what
emotion they are feeling or needing, and not because
of logical thought.
Discover the emotion and use it.
Ø Tip
245: Be Accepting
Accept a person as they
are and not how you want them to be. Just because you
want them to be rich or
full of enthusiasm for your product doesn’t mean they are
going to be.
Ø Tip
246: Let the Customer get Tactile
And by this I mean with
the product, not with you. If he can touch it he will want it
more.
Ø Tip
247: Have a Wingman
Use a co-worker or
friend as your security blanket and use him to boost your
Confidence while you
make the sale.
Ø Tip
248: Category Choice
If you’re selling items
online then make sure you place it in the right category. If
you’re selling a vehicle
but mistakenly put it in the garden furniture section then
you’ve just lost a few
thousand dollars.
Ø Tip
249: Take Pictures
If you need to place
your item online or in the classifieds then make sure you
take a good picture of
it in a well lit area.
Ø Tip
250: Product Tips
If possible, offer tips
on how to use your product or service so that customers can
see just how easy it is.
Ø Tip
251: Google Alert
Using Google Alert will
let you know when someone has used your name on their
website, blog or Twitter
etc, giving you opportunity to answer any questions or
concerns that may have
been brought up.
Ø Tip
252: Top ten List
Have your own top ten
lists to keep track of your ten best prospects, and
encourage them to move
towards a sale.
Ø Tip
253: Good Contacts
Always strive to make
new contacts every day to broaden your market range.
Ø Tip
254: Exceed Customer Expectations
If a customer asks “is
it too much trouble to…?” tell him nothing is too much
trouble, because when it
comes to making a sale nothing should be too much
trouble.
Ø Tip
255: Make a Difference
Rise above the
competition and do things that will make a difference to your
customer.
Ø Tip
256: Be Ready
Be ready for anything or
anyone that comes along. Being ready means you’re
prepared to make that
sale.
Ø Tip
257: Mention Awards or Testimonials
If you’ve received an
award or testimonial for your product or business, mention it
to your customer. It
will reassure him that you are a business that takes pride and
can be trusted.
Ø Tip
258: Keep it Simple
Don’t make things any
more complicated than they need to be.
Ø Tip
259: Innovate
Continually look for
ways in which to make serve your customer and make them
feel important.
Ø Tip
260: Be Grateful
Send new customers a
simple thank you card to show them you appreciate their
business. word of mouth is
a great seller, and when they tell their colleagues or
friends you might have
even more customers.
Ø Tip
261: Buy a Lotto Ticket
Sending a lotto ticket
to a prospect with a little note saying something along the
lines of “I’ve given you
the chance to win big, how about giving me a chance
too?” gets attention and
hopefully an appointment.
Ø Tip
262: Fax Humor
Keep customers smiling
by sending those faxes of jokes and amusing cover
sheets.
Ø Tip
263: Introduce Staff
Introduce staff so that
if a customer has to deal with a staff member in your
absence they will know
who they are and will feel more comfortable.
Ø Tip
264: Use the Radio
Consumers listen to the
radio 24 hours a day, so advertising your product on it
will mean you reach
literally thousands of people daily.
Ø Tip
265: Maintain
Ensure that you maintain
your business and don’t let it slump because it’s not
working as you want it
too. You can build it up if you look after it.
Ø Tip
266: Family Photos
Have photos of your
family on your desk to help customers see you are a family
man and not just a
salesman.
Ø Tip
267: Compatibility
If there’s a
compatibility issue between you and the customer realise it and hand
the business over to
another staff member before the customer walks away.
Ø Tip
268: Determination
Stay determined to not
only making it work, but to provide the best service
possible for your
clients.
Ø Tip
269: Dedication
Be as dedicated to the
job at hand as possible so that you don’t lose interest in
making the sale.
Ø Tip
270: Try it on for Size
If you sell clothing or
shoes make sure there is a place where your customers
can try on the garments
prior to buying.
Ø Tip
271: Manage your Business
Don’t let your business
manage you. Stay in control at all times.
Ø Tip
272: Know your Niche
Find out what your niche
is, and use it to your advantage by providing what is
wanted.
Ø Tip
273: Pick your Time
Making a telephone call
at dinner time sounds rude, but very often it is the best
time as everyone is home
and you are more likely to get a direct answer rather
than a “I’ll have to ask
the wife.”
Ø Tip
274: Clean it Up
Make sure what you’re
selling is clean beforehand. No-one wants to buy dirty
clothes, even if they
are second hand. And it’s the same with things like vehicles
or carpets too.
Ø Tip
275: Don’t Make your Customers Wait
Nobody likes waiting
around like a spare part for someone to come and serve
them. if you see a
customer who likes like they’re waiting go and ask if you can
help them.
Ø Tip
276: Batteries not Included?
If you sell something
that requires batteries before it can be used, supply them. it
can make all the
difference between someone buying it straight away or turning it
down because they don’t
want the extra hassle of having to find batteries.
Ø Tip
277: Supply your Own
Don’t just rely on a
manufacturer’s description on an item, or what it can do.
Supply your own insight
to a product to let the customer see what a ‘real’
person’s view is.
Ø Tip
278: Stay in Control
Stay in control of a
sale and you’ll stay in control of your business. Don’t let
things get out of hand
or you might end up out of pocket.
Ø Tip
278: Copy the Customer
If you copy or repeat
what the customer has expressed to you it will have 2
effects. It will show
your customer that you listened to him, and it will help you to
remember what was said
for future reference.
Ø Tip
279: Ask Open Ended Questions
“What would benefit you
the most from our product?” instead of “Can you see the
benefit?” leads on to
answers that you can actually work with.
Ø Tip
280: Don’t be Choosy
It doesn’t matter who
you sell to, so long as you sell. So don’t be too choosy just
because you don’t like
the look of someone.
Ø Tip
281: Let People Know
Wherever you may be, let
people know what you’re selling. Even at social
gatherings it can be
dropped into a conversation.
Ø Tip
282: Keep It Fresh
If you’re selling things
like flowers or plants then make sure they are fresh. Noone
wants to buy things that
are only going to last a day before wilting.
Ø Tip
283: Check Those Dates
If you sell food items
then make sure you check the expiration dates regularly.
No-one will continue to
buy from a grocer whose food is off.
Ø Tip
284: Broken Packaging?
It is still sellable.
Offer it at a discount and make some money from it.
Ø Tip
285: Display Models
If someone wants to buy
something and you only have a display model left, sell it
at a knocked-down price
to ensure the sale. You’ll be getting more in anyway.
Ø Tip
286: Safe Environment
Make sure that the
environment you sell in is safe for the customers. Accidents
can mean lawsuits.
Ø Tip
287: Respect
Even if you don’t like a
person you need to respect them as a customer if you
want them to buy
something from you.
Ø Tip
288: Agree to Disagree
Sometimes you just can’t
reach a compromise, in which case it’s better to agree
to disagree and move on
rather than waste any more time.
Ø Tip
289: Customers Have an Opinion
Let your customers voice
their opinions, even if you don’t agree with them.
they’re entitled to it
and you might make a sale because of it.
Ø Tip
290: Showing your Hand too Soon
If you do this then you
might end up selling for a lower price than you wanted.
Hold off a little and
see if your customer will come up in price a little more.
Ø Tip
291: Be Authentic
This means being open
about your concerns and issues with a client. Letting
them know that not
everything can be achieved, and asking them what is most
important to them leaves
a good impression and gets the sale.
Ø Tip
292: Make it About the Customer
The customer should come
first in a conversation and you and the product
should come second.
Ø Tip
293: Be Flexible
Show your client that
you are prepared to be flexible in order to make the deal
work for them.
Ø Tip
294: Assume the Best
Always assume the best
in a deal even when others give up on it.
Ø Tip
295: Mind your Manners
Be polite at all times.
More sales are lost because of rudeness than anything
else.
Ø Tip
296: Show the Product Again
Ask if the customer
would like another test drive or if they’d like to try the shoes
on again to reinforce
the customer’s want for the item.
Ø Tip
297: Price Items Clearly
Pricing items clearly
stops any confusion and prevents customers getting
frustrated and leaving.
Ø Tip
298: Accommodating Early Birds
Allowing early birds to
get the best of the bargains can be unfair to those
customers who wait until
the proper time who are prepared to pay the full asking
price.
Ø Tip
299: Take Down Old Signs
Old signs can be
misleading to new customers so make sure they are taken
down when a specific
offer has ended.
Ø Tip
300: Determine Needs
Determining the needs of
your customers will determine how you go about
making the sale.
Ø Tip
301: Demonstration
Give a demonstration of
the knife, kite or television you are selling. Customers
like to see exactly what
a product is capable of before they buy it.
Ø Tip
302: Ask an Exploratory Question
Start well from the
get-go by asking a question that helps the customer clarify his
own thoughts.
Ø Tip
303: Have Change Ready
If you are selling at a
yard or garage sale then make sure you have plenty of
change to start it with.
You’ll lose a customer if they want to buy a $5 item and
you don’t have change
for the #20 bill they have.
Ø Tip
304: Under Cover
Try to provide cover for
your customers in hot or wet weather. This is especially
important for yard sales
Ø Tip
305: PowerPoint
Create a PowerPoint
presentation with lots of graphics which depict the benefits
Of your product or
service.
Ø Tip
306: Don’t Overwhelm your Clients
Some customers can be
extremely shy or reserved, so try not to overwhelm them
with your personality or
they could make a run for it.
Ø Tip
307: Make the Booking Process Easy
If you provide a service
that someone needs to book, make sure the booking
process is easily
understandable.
Ø Tip
308: Create the Desire to Buy
In order to make a sale
you need to create in the customer a desire to buy. If a
product is what the
customer desires then it will be sold.
Ø Tip
309: Make the Call
If you promised your
contact or customer that you would call them, make sure
that you do, or you can
wave goodbye to the sale.
Ø Tip
310: Relaxed Networking
Networking to advertize
is one thing, but relaxed networking is specifically to form
relationships which can
then go on to create customers.
Ø Tip
311: White Glove Treatment
Treating your customers
as though they are the most important person in the
world sets the stage for
a great sale.
Ø Tip
312: Subliminal Branding:
These are meaningful
touch-points that can be effective without you being in the
customers face.
Ø Tip
313: Join Forces
Join forces with another
company or business. You might both learn something
new and gain from it.
Ø Tip
314: Professional Greeting
A simple “Hello” and
then jumping straight into the sales pitch doesn’t let your
customer participate.
“Hello Mr. Smith, how are you today?” does.
Ø Tip
315: Sell in Bulk
Selling larger
quantities for a discount price will encourage buyers to purchase
more.
Ø Tip
316: Event Marketing
This isn’t simply for
retail. An open house with coffee and desserts is a great way
to meet potential new
customers.
Ø Tip
317: Be a Problem Solver
If your product can
solve a problem for a customer then that person will buy it
from you.
Ø Tip
318: Be Accessible
Answer those calls that
you’re tempted to ignore. Respond to emails when you
can’t be bothered.
Basically be accessible to your customers.
Ø Tip
319: Beat the Beast
The beast inside you is
the voice that tells you to take the easy option. Ignore it.
Selling is hard work –
period.
Ø Tip
320: Make Calls
You have to make calls
if you want to make sales, so tell yourself you’re going to
cal x amount of people a
day – and do it.
Ø Tip
321: Ignore the News
The news is full of
stories about a bad economy, but taking heed of all that
negativity will doom
your career. Think positive and ignore the news.
Ø Tip
322: ‘Fess Up
Admit it when you make a
mistake. You’re human and your customers like you
that way.
Ø Tip
323: A – B – C
Always Be Closing –
enough said.
Ø Tip
324: Beat the Addiction
Don’t get addicted to
making a profit. Just get hooked on making one sale at a
time.
Ø Tip
325: Project Authority
Make what you say believable
and not outrageous in order to project authority
and make clients feel
confident.
Ø Tip
326: Keep Your Customers
Keep your customer
curious as to what will happen when the sale is completed.
Curiosity is a very
powerful tool.
Ø Tip
327: Don’t Waste Time
People’s time is
valuable, and that goes for your customers’ as well as your own.
So don’t waste it.
Ø Tip
328: Makes Sense
You make sense to
yourself, but you need to make sense to your customer too.
Don’t waffle on about
nonsense.
Ø Tip
329: Differentiate
Offer a solution to a
problem that’s better than anyone else’s.
Ø Tip
330: Give and Get
Offer something of value
to the customer, and get a sale in return.
Ø Tip
331: Delegate
You have to know when
it’s a good time to delegate work to someone else as
this frees you up to
concentrate on other things.
Ø Tip
332: Create a Chain
To make endless sales
you need to have an endless chain of prospects.
Ø Tip
333: Relax
You won’t sell anything
when you’re so stressed out you can’t even speak.
Relax!
Ø Tip
334: Call to Action
Make sure that any
advertizing has a ‘call to action’ statement such as: “Phone
us today for a…”
Ø Tip
335: Conviction
Your customers have to
have conviction in a product before they will buy it, so
make sure they have all
the facts about it.
Ø Tip
336: Packaging
Packaging your product
is all important. You won’t get many buyers if you just
throw your stuff in a
tatty brown box.
Ø Tip
337: Determine the Cost
You have to know how
much something costs before you can sell it for a profit.
When determining the
cost ensure you add any taxes, labor and shipping costs.
Ø Tip
338: Pre-empt the Next Sale
Pre-empting gives you
the opportunity to sell more of your product at a later date.
Ø Tip
339: Never say “Proven”
Using words like
“proven” is like going to a policeman and telling him you’re a
thief. People distrust
it.
Ø Tip
340: Highlights
You might use highlight
in a presentation, but never use red or yellow as both
colors can trigger bad
moods.
Ø Tip
341: Make a Connection:
Make a connection with
the buyer as soon as possible. Find a common ground
such as golf or fishing.
Ø Tip
342: Don’t Hesitate
Hesitation in your voice
sounds like you’re unsure about your product.
Ø Tip
343: Don’t Show Insecurity
If you want your
customer to feel secure about your product then you must show
that you are also secure
about it.
Ø Tip
344: Spot Buyers
You need to learn how to
tell the difference between a buyer and a ‘tire-kicker’ to
save time and make
money.
Ø Tip
345: Stay Visible
The more you network and
advertize, the more visible you are and the more
customers you will get.
Ø Tip
346: Publicity
No publicity is bad
publicity, so have a press release on a new item, or make
friends with a reporter.
Ø Tip
347: Sales Incentives for Staff
Offer your staff bonuses
like time off or extra cash, and see how much your
profits increase.
Ø Tip
348: Encourage Up-selling
Make sure that your
staff is aware of up-selling a product in order for your
business to make a
little more cash.
Ø Tip
349: The Inside Scoop
Giving customers the
inside scoop on upcoming sales will mean they buy
something today and come
back again for the sale next week.
Ø Tip
350: Customer Tiers:
Make sure your regular
customers know there is a difference between them and
other customers with
loyalty bonuses etc.
Ø Tip
351: Free Samples
Free samples are a great
way of increasing sales, especially when there is a
complete range of
products from the same company.
Ø Tip
352: Be Prepared:
Making a phone call
expecting to get voicemail can be a bad mistake, especially
if the customer answers
and you aren’t prepared.
Ø Tip
353: Add 1
Suggest 1 additional
item to each customer, and see how many actually do buy
it. It’s a great way for
boosting sales.
Ø Tip
354: Develop Skills
Set 1 day a month aside
where you can brush up on your selling skills.
Ø Tip
355: Read
Reading books related to
your industry will give you more insight into it and
expand your knowledge.
Ø Tip
356: Pause
Sometimes known as the
pregnant pause, this will sometimes prompt the
customer to say
something they hadn’t meant to say, and it gives you more
insight.
Ø Tip
357: Be Early
Getting to the office
early each day gives you more time to prepare for the day
ahead.
Ø Tip
358: Customer Suggestions
Suggest an idea to help
a customer with his business and build a relationship
with him.
Ø Tip
359: Buyer Discounts:
Offering customers
something such as $10 off for every $300 spent is a great
way of getting people to
spend more.
Ø Tip
360: Payment Plans
Giving customers the
option of a payment plan can make all the difference to a
small sale and a large
one.
Ø Tip
361: Lay-Away
Offer a lay-away service
so that your customers can spread the cost of their
purchases.
Ø Tip 362: Don’t be Reluctant
If you
have to do cold calls then try not to show reluctance and make them when
you
feel the most energized.
Ø Tip 363: Opening Statement
Do some
preparations in advance by writing an opening statement to use when
calling.
Ø Tip 364: Beat the Gatekeepers
Gatekeepers,
otherwise known as secretaries, stand guard between you and
your
customer. Make friends with them and gain entry.
Ø Tip 365: Be Persistent
Persistence
always pays off, so don’t give up after the second or third call. Keep
at it!
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