How to Become a Good Sales Person

Many people think being good at sales means talking people into something they really don't want. This could not be further from the truth. Being good at sales involves several skills, the most important of which is observation and how you apply yourself to what you observe. Let me explain.

Listen and look. To be good at sales you must get to know your customer. In many cases this must be done quickly as you may only be with them for a short time. Once you know your customer through observation you can begin to use several techniques to greatly increase your chances of making the sale.

FIND COMMON GROUND. Find one or two things you have in common with your customer. Maybe you drive the same kind of car. Do you both have a pet? Do you both have children? Do you dress similarly? Talk about this commonality. It will help you get to know each other. People would rather buy from someone they feel comfortable with.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND LISTEN TO THE ANSWERS. Ask the customer what he or she is looking for. How much do you wish to spend? How much will you use what you are buying (heavily or lightly)? How long do you want it to last? A good sales person listens intently to match the customer to the correct product.

LISTEN FOR OBJECTIONS AND TRY TO OVERCOME THEM. Once you show the customer a product listen for comments like, its too heavy, its too much money, it doesn't have the features I want. You can overcome objections two ways. Show them a product which better fits their desires or explain the positive reasons why the product has the attribute they are objecting too. For example, its too heavy could be because the product is built better and will last longer than others. Its too small could be because the product is designed to be easily portable and great for camping or taking on trips. These positive comments can many times completely overcome the objection.

ASK FOR THE SALE. To be a good sales person you must ask the customer to buy. Many sales are lost because the customer was almost ready to decide but was never asked to make the purchase. This is done after all objections are overcome and it is done politely. "Would you like to take it home?", "Do you think this will do the job for you?" or "Shall I get one in a box for you?" are all polite ways of asking for the sale.

HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE. A good sales person has the right attitude toward the product and the customer. (Here comes several "shoulds".) You should think positively and greet your customer with a smile and a kind hello. You should be selling a product you believe in. You should genuinely want to help the customer buy a product he or she will be satisfied with. A good sale benefits both the seller and the buyer. If it does not, you should not complete it. Sometimes, a good sales person must honestly tell the customer that he or she does not have the correct product available.

In this short article only the basics can be presented. Many entire books have been written on this subject. However, if you follow the above suggestions you will be well on your way to becoming a good sales person.

Learn more about this author, James Dreamer.
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