Sales Tips from a £10,000,000+ Expert

In today's competitive market, it can be challenging for independent businesses to compete with big brands, who have a huge marketing spend in order secure new customers.

In this post I will share some of the best sales techniques I have learned over 21 years working in sales with independent local businesses. In this time I have personally engaged with tens of thousands of customers so have picked up some tips along the way, which you can hopefully implement to help your business thrive.

The key to increasing your sales figures is not just about learning how to sell. It is about building relationships, understanding your customer's needs, and creating a positive experience. A good salesperson can connect with customers on a deeper level, which is invaluable and can lead to increased sales, customer loyalty and referrals.

Understanding Your Customer

The first step in improving your sales figures is understanding your typical customer. There are 3 main questions to ask yourself: Who are they? What do they want? What problems are they trying to solve? Once you've established the answers to these questions we can work out how your business can meet their needs.

Creating Customer Personas

Creating customer personas can help you understand your target audience. A customer persona is a semi-fictional character that represents your ideal customer. Your marketing should be geared towards find more customers that meet your customer persona.

• Demographics: Age, gender, income level, and education.

• Psychographics: Interests, values, and lifestyle choices.

• Pain Points: What challenges do they face that your product or service can solve?

  
  

By understanding these aspects, you can tailor your approach to meet the specific needs of each customer.

Listening Skills

Listening is a crucial part of sales and is where most inexperienced sales reps go wrong. Sales is not about pitching your product to each and every customer, a far smarter approach is to let the customer explain their needs whilst you listen and take the information on board.

Listening to your customers does not just mean hearing their words but understanding their emotions and needs.

• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer. This generally provides much longer answers and helps uncover deeper insight.

• Reflect Back: Repeat back what you have heard. This is a very powerful tool and shows the customer that they are being heard and valued. Also this provides the customer with confidence that you know exactly what they are looking for and can help them find the solution.

  
  

Building Rapport

Building rapport with customers is essential for successful sales. People buy from people. As a local or independent business you have an advantage over national companies, who may be required to take a more formal, structured approach. Use common ground to find connections with your customers, if they like you and trust you they are far more likely to make a purchase from you and potentially recommend you to friends and family.

Personalisation

Personalisation can go a long way in building rapport. If people feel the quote or offering you have put forward has been tailored specifically for them they will feel much more valued than a generic offering that is often provided by larger organisations. When following with customers it's always a nice personal touch to use the customer's name and reference past interactions.

• Follow-Up: After a sale, a simple follow-up call or email can make customers feel appreciated. After you have followed up once, rather than bombard customers with constant follow ups and run the risk of being a nuisance, ask their permission to catch up, agree a certain day or time that you can contact them if you have not heard in the meantime, this shows you value both your own time and theirs.

• Special Offers: Some potential customers may simply not be in a position to buy initially, this doesn't mean they will not ever make a purchase. Staying in regular contact whilst providing something of value is a great way to ensure when they are ready to buy then will come back to you. For example sending links to useful articles or blogs you think your customer may be interested in whilst asking for nothing in return. This builds up a high level of trust which means when you are able to put a special offer on you will have lots of potential customers to market the offer to.

  
  
  
  

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The best salespeople I have worked with have always been excellent at this, by putting yourself in the customer's shoes, this enables you to address any potential issues.

• Acknowledge Concerns: If a customer has a concern do not avoid it, acknowledge it. Let them know you understand their feelings. Use examples of other customers who had the same concerns.

• Provide Solutions: Once you understand their concerns, offer solutions that address their needs. Use examples of how you helped other customers overcome issues and what steps you will be taking to help them.

  
  

Effective Communication

Effective communication is at the heart of successful sales. You must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively.

Clarity and Conciseness

It's important to communicate clearly and concisely. Your sales proposal should be tailored to each individual customer. A good technique here is mirroring, whereby you subtly mimic your customer's behaviour to build rapport and trust. This could include the formality of your language, the tonality of your voice and general body language.

• Use Simple Language: Ensure that you can explain products and services in a way that is easy to understand. It's important to remember that most of your customers are not going to be as passionate about your business as you are. I'd recommend to avoid jargon and complex language.

• Be Direct: Get to the point quickly. Customers appreciate straightforward communication. You may have heard the phrase 'elevator pitch' - this is the principal of imagining you are in a lift with 30-60 seconds to very quickly explain who you are, what you offer and the value you provide.

  
  

Storytelling

Storytelling can be a powerful tool in sales. Use stories to illustrate the benefits of your products or services.

• Relatable Scenarios: Share stories that customers can relate to. This helps them visualise how your products and services can solve their problems.

• Emotional Connection: Stories can create an emotional connection, making customers more likely to remember your brand.

  
  

Overcoming Objections

Every salesperson faces objections. Your ability to calmly handle objections effectively can turn a "no" into a "yes."

Anticipate Common Objections

It's important to identify common objections that you or your team may face and prepare responses. If you do not already know your most common 10 objections from customers I would strongly recommend to start documenting this information. Especially if you overcame the objection to make a sale at this can help you again in the future.

• Price Concerns: If customers are worried about price, highlight the value and benefits of your product. If you have built enough rapport with the customer you should be able to establish their budget to work out if a sale is a possibility.

• Competitor Comparisons: If customers mention competitors, focus on what makes your product unique. It is important to show that you are an expert in your field and as such you are aware of your competitors. My advice is rather than speak negatively and highlight the weaknesses of your competitors, a more professional approach is to refer back to the customer's requirements and explain why you feel your product or service is a better fit for them, this also shows that you have listened.

  
  

Stay Calm and Positive

When faced with objections, it is essential to remain calm and positive.

• Listen First: Allow the customer to express their concerns fully before responding. Interrupting or trying to overturn their objection shows immaturity and is likely to agitate the customer.

• Provide Reassurance: Reassure the customer that their concerns are valid, but explain how you will overcome their concerns. Use examples of similar situations and how you overcame this.

  
  

Closing the Sale

Closing the sale is the final step in the sales process. This is the most important part and can take lots of practice. Before attempting the close the sale it's important to ensure that you have overcome any objections the customers may have.

Recognising Buying Signals

It is essential to recognise buying signals. These can be verbal or non-verbal cues that indicate a customer is ready to buy. I've seen lots of salespeople talk themselves out of a sale, where they didn't recognise the buying signals. When you see the buying signals this is the point the close the deal and ask for the order!

• Verbal Cues: Phrases like "How soon can I get this?" or "What are the next steps?" indicate interest.

• Non-Verbal Cues: Body language such as nodding or leaning forward can also signal readiness to buy.

  
  

Trial Close

A trial close is a technique used to gauge the customer's readiness to buy.

• Ask for Feedback: Questions like "How does that sound to you?" can help assess the customer's interest.

• Be Direct: If the customer seems ready, ask for the sale directly. For example, "Shall we get you started?"

  
  

Regular Training Sessions

Hold regular training sessions to keep skills sharp and introduce new techniques.

• Role-Playing: Use role-playing exercises to practice different sales scenarios as part of your training with your staff. This particularly good to practice overturning objections and asking for the sale.

• FMBO Training: We are always happy to share our experiences and tips and can provide sales training packages.

  
  

Feedback and Coaching

It's important to get constant feedback on sales and provide coaching to your team.

• One-on-One Meetings: Schedule regular check-ins to discuss performance and areas for improvement. If you are the only person within your business carrying out sales I'd recommend looking to get a mentor as it will be a lot easier for someone who is not involved within your business to provide an overview.

• Encourage Healthy Competition: Create a culture where team members are incentivised to succeed both as a team and individually. Reward your best performers.

  
  

Measuring Success

To ensure your sales training is effective, it is essential to measure success.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Identify KPIs that align with your business goals. It's important to track all your figures. For example if you run a home improvements business how many appointments and sales per month are you targeting for your salespeople?

• Sales Growth: Track overall sales growth over time. Record all your figures.

• Customer Retention: Measure how many customers return for repeat purchases.

  
  

Adjusting Training Based on Results

Use the data collected to adjust your training programs as needed.

• Identify Weak Areas: If certain techniques are not yielding results, consider revisiting those topics in training.

• Celebrate Successes: Recognise and celebrate improvements to motivate your team.

  
  

The Power of Teamwork

Sales training should also emphasise the importance of teamwork.

Collaboration

Encourage collaboration among team members.

• Share Best Practices: Create opportunities for team members to share successful techniques and strategies.

• Support Each Other: Foster a supportive environment where team members can help one another.

  
  

Team Goals

Set team goals to encourage collaboration and accountability.

• Group Targets: Establish sales targets that the entire team works towards.

• Celebrate Team Achievements: Recognise and reward the team when they reach their goals.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Sales training is a vital component of local business success. By focusing on understanding customers, building rapport, effective communication, overcoming objections, closing sales, continuous learning, measuring success, and teamwork, your business can thrive in a competitive market.

Investing in your team's sales skills will not only boost sales but also create a positive customer experience. Remember, happy customers are more likely to return and recommend your business to others.

As you implement these training techniques, keep in mind that success takes time. Be patient, stay committed, and watch your local business flourish.

If you want to discuss how our business can help you please get in touch today.

Many Thanks

Sean

FMBO