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Is selling a science? I think not. A physiological war of words? Certainly not. If it has to be pigeonholed let's call it an art, an art which can be learned if you follow a few rules. Think of it as the salesman's equivalent of painting by numbers!

One of the biggest mistakes a salesman can make is to list the features of the product or service he wants to sell. What's wrong with that I hear you say? Well, more often than not he'll real off loads of features which are of no interest to the purchaser. Does the young mum struggling to keep three kids under control need to know that this car does zero to sixty miles per hour in seven seconds? No. She needs to be shown the benefits that the car offers. This car has five doors'. That's better! But it would be better still if he said' seating the children in the back of the car is made easier by these wide rear doors'. In other words sell the benefits of your product (what it does) rather than the features( what it has) I've heard a kitchen salesman say this range has eighteen mil carcasses made from mdf and nickel plated hinges'. So what? They are features! He should have said There's no chance of the doors falling off because we use exceptionally strong materials, and there's no way the hinges will rust because they are nickel plated'. These are benefits!

Assumptive selling. Now this is one of my favourite techniques. Ask a barman for a vodka and more often than not he'll give you a standard measure in a glass. He may say Single or double?' to which the usual answer will be single' But the switched-on bar salesman will assume the drinker wants a double measure. He'll dispense the standard measure into the glass, pause, look the customer in the eye and say large?' Chances are the customer will say why not!'

Assumptive selling also relies on the use of open questions - that is questions which cannot be answered with a yes or no. The double glazing guy is working on his stand and attempting to get a prospective client to make an appointment for a home visit. Would you like someone to come round to give you a quote?' The stock answer is no I'll call you' But if the salesman says I can get someone to you tomorrow morning or would you prefer Friday?' the client is more likely to give a positive answer. It won't always work, but it's worth trying.

An essential ingredient in the selling process is getting intermediate decisions from the customer at every stage of the sales process. This is done quite easily by offering alternatives. Take the car salesman again. I've got this one in red or would you rather have that one in silver? It comes with velour upholstery - perhaps you would prefer leather. Do you want it straight away or at the beginning of the month?' Assume the person in front of you is about to buy and ask your open questions accordingly.

There is of course much more to selling than this. I could go on for pages! Closing the sale for example can be made much easier by following a few basic rules and I will publish my thoughts on that subject in a future article. But what I've given you here are a few techniques on which to build.

Sell the benefits not the features.

Use open questions

Assume the sale is yours

Happy selling!

Learn more about this author, Keith Hillman.
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