Professional Salesmanship Lesson January2020

What is SALESMANSHIP ?
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Today, everybody’s primary goal is to earn big income, but not everybody
wants to work towards the achievement of this goal. Selling is one career that people
don’t want to get into; this is because of the misconception that it is not easy to sell.
Another fact is people belittle salesman. They cannot imagine themselves

knocking at different doors, approaching people they do not know, or being denied
an appointment being set through a phone call.
If we could only develop a high degree of liking for selling, we can earn as
much as a six figure income monthly.
Let us try to see the difference between salesmanship and selling.

SALESMANSHIP is the act of persuading another to respond favorably to a
product, service or idea. It involves a prospective customer realize the value of
goods and services towards fulfilling his needs and wants. On the other hand,
SELLING is transferring the title in goods, service or idea with valuable
consideration.
To be a salesman is a mission, of helping people satisfy their daily needs and

wants. The act of selling can be an enjoyable process for people who like people.
SALESMANSHIP is the art of persuading one to spend money ☺
☺ It is an art of persuading one to buy goods and services which will give
him lasting satisfaction.
☺ Art of helping prospects and customers to achieve their goals
☺ Art of solving customer’s problems
☺ Art of converting human needs to wants – persuasion and not compulsion
☺ Art of influencing others
The SALE takes place in the mind of the customer ☺
Mental stages of a customer ☺

A – attention
I – interest
D – desire
A – satisfaction
Forms of Selling ☺
1. Personal Selling – is a face to face communication between a prospect and a

salesman.
2. Non-Personal Selling
The SELLING Process ☺

1. Prospecting
Is listing out probable customers
2. Pre-Approach
Is knowing and assessing the customer’s needs, attitudes, values as to
approach in a fair way
3. Approach
☺ Greet/welcome
☺ Introduction
☺ Finding out a common platform
☺ Suggesting the product to satisfy his needs
☺ Demonstration if any
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☺ Meeting objections
☺ Final agreement
4. Close
Equilibrium?
Yes?
No ?
Important Aspects of SELLING ☺
1. It does not only involve men

2. It determines the needs of the customer and offers him the goods and services.
3. The word “attempt” must be given consideration.
4. Persuasion is selling
5. Satisfy your customers needs
6. In selling you can sell anything
7. Professionalism is observed
Advantages of a SELLING Job☺
1. Unlimited earning
2. More chances fro promotion & growth
3. Less employment requirement
4. Less tensions and intrigues
5. More fun and adventure
6. More incentives and fringe benefits
7. Offers awards and rewards
8. Opportunities to travel and meet people
9. Less working hours
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10.Working without strict supervision
Disadvantages of a SELLING Career☺
1. Long hours of work

2. Compensation is not on a regular basis
3. Lots of frustration
4. It calls for hard work and perseverance
Five P’s of SELLING☺
1. Preparation
2. Promotion
3. Pre-Approach
4. Presentation – attention, interest desire, action
5. Post Sales Activities
Salesmanship not by Salesman☺
1. Politicians
2. Priest, ministers
3. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, secretaries
4. An applicant
5. A lover
6. An organization
Types of Salesmanship ☺
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Creative here we educate the public creating in them the desire to demand for
new products and services.
Competitive here yesterday’s novelty becomes today’s necessity.
Who is a prospect?
☺ a prospect is a MAAN
M – money/purchasing capacity
A – authority
A – accessibility
N – need
For effective salesmanship we need KASH!

K – knowledge
* about yourself
* about your company and products
* about your customers and their buying motives
* about your competitors and their products
A – aptitude/attitude
* foster sales aptitude (intelligence) and develop a positive attitude
S – skill
* develop only through regular practice
H – habit
*personal habits
*work habits
Words to Remember 😊
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1. Accompaniment visit/accompaniment report - when a manager or supervisor
or trainer accompanies a sales person while working on the sales territory, usually
while meeting prospects or customers.
2. Account - a customer, usually a business-to-business organization; a major

account is a large organization; a national account is a customer with branches or
sites that constitute a nationwide coverage, which typically requires special pricing
and senior sales attention.
3. Active listening - term used to describe high level of listening capability and
method, in which the sales person actively seeks to understand how the speaker feels,
and what their issues are, in which the type of listening extends far beyond common
inattentive listening.
4. Added value - the element(s) of service or product that a sales person or selling
organization provides, that a customer is prepared to pay for because of the benefit(s)
obtained. Added values are real and perceived; tangible and intangible. A good,
reliable, honest, expert, informed sales person becomes a very significant part of the
selling organization's added value, as perceived by the customer, if not by the selling
organization.
5. Advantage - the aspect of a product or service that makes it better than another,
especially the one in-site or that of a competitor.
Two 2 SELLING ASAP ☺
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SELLING viewed today as an ART and a SCIENCE, with an emphasis on
practicing AGILITY ( power to move quickly) to enhance PERFORMANCE ☺
Selling involves the salesperson’s unique style (art) of applying a systematic
process (science) to understanding customer’s needs and wants and matching
benefits of the salesperson’s product or service to those desires.
AGILITY ☺
An AGILE salesperson is :
☺ one who is quick to see opportunities
☺ clever in shortening sales cycles
☺ able to meet customers needs faster
☺ capable of creating flexible and custom focused values
☺ quick at learning and unlearning
PERFORMANCE ☺
☺ sales people must perform
☺ sales performance is measured in a multitude of ways
☺ selling requires a continuous emphasis on earning and maintaining long
term customer satisfaction not just meeting the quota
What is PROFESSIONAL SELLING?

It is the interpersonal communication process in which a seller uncovers
and satisfies the needs and wants of a prospect to the mutual, long term benefit
of both parties.
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Effective sales people are interpreters and translators who can enable the
complex systems of the buying organization and the selling organization to
work together for the benefit of both.
The Changing Face of SELLING
Values and expectations of the sales organization and the selling process :
Traditional (typified by 1960's Modern (essential today to sustain

through to 1980's and amazingly still success in business-to-business and
found today) consumer markets)
Customized, flexible, tailored product

1. Standard product.
and service.
2. Sales function performed by a 'sales- Sales function performed by a 'strategic

person. business manager.
Seller has strategic knowledge of

customer's market-place and knows all
3. Seller has product knowledge. implications and opportunities resulting
from product/service supply relating to
customer's market-place.
Strategic interpretation of the customer

organization's market opportunities, and
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4. Delivery service and supporting assistance with project evaluation and
information and training are typical decision-making are added value aspects
added value aspects of supply. of supply.
Just-in-time (JIT) is taken for granted, as

are mutual planning and scheduling;
5. Good lead-time is a competitive competitive advantages are: capability to
advantage. anticipate unpredictable requirements,
and assistance with strategic planning and
market development.
Value is assessed according to the cost to

the customer, plus non-financial
6. Value is represented and judged implications with respect to CSR
according to selling price. (corporate social responsibility),
environment, ethics, and corporate
culture.
The benefits and competitive strengths of

7. The benefits and competitive strengths
the product or service now include many
of the products or service are almost
significant intangibles, and the onus is on
entirely tangible, and intangibles are
the selling organization to quantify their
rarely considered or emphasized.
value.
Benefits of supply extend way beyond

8. Benefits of supply extend to products
products and services, to relationship,
and services only.
continuity, and any assistance that the
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selling organization can provide to the
customer to enable an improvement for
their staff, customers, reputation and
performance in all respects.
Selling price is market driven (essentially

9. Selling price is cost plus profit margin,
supply and demand), although certain
and customers have no access to cost and
customers may insist on access to cost and
margin information.
margin information.
Seller knows the needs of the business

10. Seller knows the business customers'
customers' customers and partners and
needs.
suppliers.
Whole organization sells (customers

11. Sales person sells (customers only
expect to be able to deal with anybody in
deal with sales people, pre-sale).
supplier organization, pre-sale).
Sales people need to be able to sell

12. Sales people only sell externally to
internally to their own organization, in
customers.
order to ensure customer needs are met.
Strategic emphasis is on customer

13. Strategic emphasis is on new
retention and increasing business to those
business growth (ie, acquiring new
customers (although new business is still
customers).
sought).
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14. Buying and selling is a function, with Buying and selling is a process, in which
people distinctly responsible for each many people with differing jobs are
discipline within selling and customer involved in both selling and customer
organizations. organizations.
15. Hierarchical multi-level management

Management structures are flat, with few
structures exist in selling and customer
management layers.
organizations.
16. Authority of sales person is minimal, Authority of sales person is high (subject
flexibility to negotiate is minimal, to experience), negotiation flexibility
approvals must be sought via exists, and exceptions are dealt with
management channels and levels for quickly and directly by involving the
exceptions. relevant people irrespective of grade.
Selling organization is structured in a

17. Selling and buying organization are
matrix allowing for functional efficiency
divided strictly according to function and
and also for inter-functional collaboration
department, inter-departmental
required for effective customer service,
communications must go up and down
all supply chain processes, and
the management structures.
communications.
18. Supplier and customer organization Open communications to, from and across
functions tend to talk to their 'opposite all functions between supplier and
numbers' in the other organization. customer organization
19. The customer specifies and identifies The selling organization must be capable
product and service requirements. of specifying and identifying product and
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service requirements on behalf of the
customer
The selling organization must be capable

20. The customer's buyer function
of researching and justifying customer
researches and justifies the customer
organization's needs, on behalf of the
organization's needs.
customer
21. The customer's buyer probably does

not appreciate his/her organization's
The seller will help the buyer to
wider strategic implications and
understand the wider strategic
opportunities in relation to the seller's
implications and opportunities in relation
product or service, and there will be no
to the seller's product or service
discussion with the seller about this
issues.
The seller will help the buyer to

understand and align the many and
various criteria within their own
(customer) organization, so that the
22. The buyer will tell the seller what the
customer organization can assess the
buying or supplier-selection process is.
strategic implications of the supplier's
products or services, and make an
appropriate decision whether to buy or
not.
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Nowadays, more is demanded from the selling process. The analysis below refers
both to the development in recent decades of what customers require from the selling
function, and also to the progression of a relationship between supplier and customer.
The Development of the SELLING Function :
basic early selling - standard commodities products,

price and reliability - there is little to build on,
1. Pure transaction
business may be spasmodic, hand-to-mouth and
unpredictable.
continuity, consistency, sustainability, and some

understanding of the customer's real issues are seen
2. Relationship and trust to have a value by both selling and buying
organization; intangibles begin to be regarded as
relevant benefits.
a longer-term supply arrangement is seen as an

advantage by seller and buyer, because it brings extra
intangible benefits of co-operation and support other
3. Management and
areas of the customer's business - eg., training,
information
technology, product development - which improve
the customer's own competitive strengths and
operating efficiencies.
activities of the buying and selling organization

4. Partnership
become almost seamless where connected; the
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supplier is virtually part of the customer's
organization and treated as such; 'out-sourcing'
generally require this degree of collaboration, which
involves a level anticipation, innovation and
integrated support that is very difficult to un-pick,
even if it were in the customer's interests to do so -
not surprisingly, in terms of selling relationships this
is the pinnacle to aim for....
Non-Manipulative Selling ?
☺ Today’s skillful salespeople practice non-manipulative selling.
Only after salespeople and customers reach a mutual agreement about value
does a sales occur.
☺ Satisfied customers repeat their purchases because they are satisfied
with the value of the relationship.
☺ Taking care of existing customers reduces sales cycle time and
increases efficiency.
Thriving in a Highly Competitive Selling Environment ☺

☺ Salesperson must do their homework before meeting with prospects :
☺ study the market
☺ study the prospect’s needs
☺ put the customer first
☺ engage in continuous learning and professional development
Understanding the Customer ☺

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☺ To motivate the prospect to buy a product or service salespeople must :
☺ understand how their prospects minds works
☺ be able to uncover the prospects hidden needs or wants
Timely and Timeless Components of Selling ASAP

Part I Understanding the Environment
The changing world of sales
Selling ethically
Building lifetime value
Part II Implementing the Sales Process ASAP

Understanding why buyers buy
Preparation
Attention
Examination
Prescription
Conviction & Motivation
Completion & Partnering
Part III Mastering Sales Agility ASAP
Selling major accounts
Managing yourself and your time
Taking a Lifetime View of Customers
Product
Product Use
Customer
Age
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Gender
Buying Styles
Buying Team
Segment
Contacts
Events
Apply what you Learn ☺
☺ pay close attention to the way people interact with each other
☺ go shopping – pay particular attention to the many ways salespeople
attempt to persuade you to buy
☺ talk to others and listen to their opinions about selling
Components of ASAP ☺
☺ understanding the sales environment
☺ implementing the sales process
☺ mastering sales agility
The Power of Influence ☺
☺ The power of influence rest in the skillful salesperson’s ability to :
☺ provide continuous value to customers
☺ engage in long-term relationships with customers
☺ adapt to changing needs and preferences of customers
Selling Is . . .
Selling is the one game in town that

pays the bills, that keeps the doors open,
that nobody wants to admit they do.
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"I'm not in sales, I'm a supervisor,
doctor, lawyer, banker, administrator, accountant."
"Don't look at me, I'm just the secretary,
nurse, receptionist, shipping clerk."
Funny - if nobody sells . . . how do you get new students,
new patients, new clients, new customers?
Selling is everyone's business

and when it's not, you're in trouble ...
Think about it... Remember the time you decided not to go back to a company,
because the shipping clerk sent you the wrong item,
the receptionist was cold & surly,
the manager didn't have time to talk to a mere customer,
the doctor had you wait two hours.
That's selling . . . negative selling.
Remember - everyone sells,

and not just externally, but internally as well.
When you want a raise,

you sell your boss on your skills & value.
When you set new policies and procedures you sell

these to your staff in a way they can accept,
or you'll soon find they'll ignore them . . .
When you expect more of your staff than you're willing
to properly train and supervise them for,
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you're whistling up a hollow tree,
because they're only as good as the training you give them.
But there's more to selling than that.
Selling is knowing . . .
Who's your competition?
Who's your customer, client, patient or public?
And what's important -- you or them?
What your service, idea, or product is - and isn't;
what your public's needs are;
and what services or products you offer to fit those needs.
When to market and where;
Where your competition isn't and then being there;
Why some things are accepted
and others not.
Selling is knowing...
How to treat your public
as you would like to be treated;
How to market and merchandise better
than your competition;
How to listen and learn from your staff
as well as your public;
How to assess your own knowledge, or lack of it
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about your services, ideas, goods or products;
and how to make it easier for your public
to accept what you are offering.
And finally,
SELLING IS knowing
that this business is after all, a profession . . .
THE PROFESSION of selling.
Let us not pretend

it's someone else's problem.
1. Mark-up - this is the money that a selling company adds to the cost of a product
or service in order to produce a required level of profit.
2. Needs-creation selling - a selling style popularized in the 1970's and 80's which
asserted that sales people could create needs in a prospect for their products or
services even if no needs were apparent, obvious or even existed. The method was
for the sales person to question the prospect to identify, discover (and suggest)
organizational problems or potential problems that would then create a need for the
product.
3. Negotiation/negotiating - the trading of concessions including price reductions,

between supplier and customer, in an attempt to shape a supply contract so that it is
acceptable to both supplier and customer. Negotiations can last a few minutes or
even a few years, although generally it's down to one or two meetings and one or
two exchanges of correspondence.
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4. Objection - a point of resistance raised by a prospect, usually price ("it's too
expensive"), but can be anything at any stage of the selling process; overcoming
objections is a revered and much-trained skill in the traditional selling process.
5. Open/opening - the first stage of the actual sales call also called the introduction.
Developing a Sales Personality THREE 3

Selling is a highly misunderstood profession. Many people when asked what
they think of salespeople instantly use terms such as pushy, greedy or some unkind
adjective. Yet professional selling is not what most people think, professionally
trained salespeople are among the most important individual within a company.
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SALES PERSONALITY is the sum total of all the salesman’s physical,
emotional, psychological, social and intellectual traits needed to obtain a favorable
response from prospects and customers.
The first impression is lasting and a pleasing personality will help a sales
person get the attention needed for a good sales.
Important Aspects of SALES PERSONALITY ☺
1. Physical Traits ~ physical appearance and grooming, poise, diction and voice
quality, language, manner’s and facial expression.
2. Emotional Traits~ self-control, even-temperament, tact, optimism and
enthusiasm.
3. Psychological Traits ~ Courtesy, humility, cheerfulness, dependability,
initiative, determination to succeed, courage, self-confidence, persistence,
persuasiveness, reliability, adaptability and sincerity.
4. Social Traits ~ smile, call your prospect by first name, show sincere interest,
sympathize, respect and be thankful.
5. Intellectual Traits ~ analytic ability, problem-solving ability, ability to learn
quickly, originality, creativity and decisiveness.
Ways of Improving SALES PERSONALITY ☺
1. Self-Introspection ~ is an analysis of one’s strengths and weaknesses.

2. Seminars and Workshops ~ can be very useful in improving a sales
personality.
3. Reading Books and other Literature ~ when you apply and imitate what
you read, certain improvements can likewise be revealed in your own
personality.
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4. Tips and Advice ~ don’t react negatively on tips and advice instead, ponder
on them and use them for your own good.
5. Interact with your Prospect ~ be flexible to every type of customer you will
meet.
Mental Characteristics of a SALESMAN☺

1. Honest ~ the mental characteristic with great emphasis on the morals.
2. Responsible ~ carrying out promises made and seeing a job through.
3. Courageous ~ it is the mental and moral force that causes one to face
danger, fear or difficulty.
4. Loyal ~ it is an attribute based upon trust and confidence.
5. Resourceful~ the ability to handle new situations and unexpected
difficulties.
6. Confident ~ means having faith or trust in one’s action or endeavors.
7. Imaginative ~ the power to form mental images of things that are not before
him.
8. Showmanship ~ the skillful or the creative way of imagining things based
upon past experiences that are sometimes necessary in selling.
9. Ambitious ~ the desire to attain one’s goal to prove one’s worth in society,
to do something worthwhile, and to realize our dreams.
10. Adaptability ~ adjusting to different situation’s that the environment calls
for.
11. Industrious ~ diligence in an employment or pursuit.
12. Observant ~ full recognition and notation of facts and occurrences.
13. Enthusiast ~ strong feeling of excitement.
14. Courteous ~ respect and consideration of others.
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15. Tactful ~ diplomatic way of saying or doing the right thing at the right
time.
16. Dominant ~ not an attitude of “lording it” over other people or controlling
other people’s right but rather the ability to make others feel his authority.
17. Human Relations ~ involves proper communication and exchange of
ideas among individuals.
FIVE P’s of Successful SELLING ☺
1. Product
2. Personality
3. Perseverance
4. Prospect
5. Picturesque Presentation
SALESMAN’S AIM
1. To sell himself
2. To sell the company
3. To sell the product
10 Traits of an EFFECTIVE SALESPERSON ☺
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1. Ego Strength ~ a healthy self-esteem that allows one to bounce back from
rejection.
2. A Sense of Urgency ~ wanting to get it done now.
3. Ego Drive ~ a combination of competitiveness and self esteem.
4. Assertiveness ~ the ability to be firm, lead the sales process, and get one’s
point across confidently.
5. Willingness to Take Risk ~ willing to innovate and take a chance.
6. Sociable ~ outgoing, friendly, talkative, and interested in others.
7. Abstract Reasoning ~ ability to understand concepts and ideas.
8. Skepticism ~ a slight lack of trust and suspicion of others.
9. Creativity ~ the ability to think differently.
10.Empathy ~ the ability to place oneself in someone else’s shoes.
SALESMAN’S JOB ☺
1. Communicator – the salesman must be an expert in communicating with his

prospects.
2. Problem solver – a salesman realizes that the buyer has problems which calls
for a solution and it is his job to help the buyer solve the problem.
3. Educator – he must be ready to point out, explain, discover and to show his
prospects advantages in buying the product.
4. Human relations expert – he must fully understand the role of personality in
the process of making buying decisions.
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Common Duties and Responsibilities ☺
1. Direct Selling – promoting company goodwill

2. Advising and Counseling – involves the supplying of information to help
solve the customer’s merchandising, marketing or management problems.
3. Handling Complaints – requires the salesman to make the adjustment
himself or to recommend a settlement, to the home office for its consideration.
4. Attending Sales Meetings – the salesman must attend this meetings to be
updated on information about new products, policies, etc.
1. Buying Signal - is a comment from a prospect which indicates that he is

visualizing to whatever extent buying your product or service. The most common
buying signal is the question: "How much is it?" Others are questions or comments
like: "What colors does it come in?", "What's the lead-time?", "Who else do you
supply?", "Is delivery free?" "Do you use it yourself?", and surprisingly, "It's too
expensive."
2. Buying Warmth - behavioral, non-verbal and other signs that a prospect likes
what he sees; very positive from the sales person's perspective, but not an
invitation to jump straight to the close.
3. Call/Calling - a personal face-to-face visit or telephone call by a sales person to

a prospect or customer.
4. Canvass/Canvassing - cold-calling personally at the prospect's office or more

commonly now by telephone, in an attempt to arrange an appointment or present a
product, or to gather information.
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5. Close/Closing - the penultimate step of the 'Seven Steps of the Sale' selling
process, when essentially the sales-person encourages the prospect to say yes and
sign the order.
THOUGHTWARE ☺Four 4
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Thought ware represents the thinking process salespeople use as they
continuously learn about customers.
Customers are often grouped by type of relationship. The following are the
advantages :
☺ avoidance of unneeded duplication of effort
☺ knowledge of loyalty patterns
☺ identification of cross sell and up sell opportunities
☺ identification of significant events in the life of the customer
Where does Selling Fit in the Organization ?
Manpower (personnel) Money(finance) Materials (manufacturing)
Marketing
Sales
All Organizations Perform Selling Activities

“Nothing happens in the economy until someone sells something to someone else
~ Arthur H. “RED” Motley ~
Steps of the Sales Process ☺

☺ Preparation
☺ Attention
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☺ Examination
☺ Prescription
☺ Conviction & Motivation
☺ Completion & Partnering
“ Over 70% of new marketing graduates start their careers in sales. “ Almost 50%
of finance majors start in some type of sales career, and a growing number of other
business majors (e.g. accounting, management, management information systems)
are moving towards beginning their career in sales.” ~ Dan Weilbaker (2001)
Why become a Professional Salesperson ?

☺ opportunity
☺ job satisfaction
I3 Rationale
☺ Independence
☺ Income
☺ Impact
Rewards of Selling
1. Intrinsic
Includes the good feeling one gets from helping a customer solve a
problem ☺
2. Extrinsic
Includes pay and promotional opportunities ☺
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Route to Management
☺ Selling is an excellent route to management
☺ Starting in sales can lead to many other career advancements
The FACE of SELLING
Today’s sales force is made up of people of both genders and various ethnic
origins ☺
Inside and Outside Sales

At a broad level, professional selling can be divided into two types ☺
☺ Inside Sales
☺ Telemarketing
☺ Retail Sales
☺ Outside Sales
☺ Prospecting – finding potential customers/clients
B2B and B2C

Business to Business Selling ~ the salesperson represents a company and sells
to other companies
Business to Consumer Selling ~ the salesperson sells directly to the consumer
Classifications of Selling
☺ Retail Selling
☺ Trade Selling
☺ Missionary Selling
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☺ Technical Selling
Types of Selling: A Traditional Look

☺ Responsive Selling
☺ Creative Selling
☺ Needs-Base Selling
☺ Consultative Partner Selling
☺ Problem Solution Selling
☺ Customer Centered Selling
☺ Value Based Selling
Success in Sales?
Successful salespeople possess the following :
☺ Motivation to succeed
☺ Empathy
☺ Ego Drive
☺ Service Motivation
☺ Conscientiousness
☺ Ego Strength
Sales Productivity a Measure to Success ☺

Sales Productivity is the ratio of sales revenues to what a salesperson inputs
into making those sales.
How salespeople use their time is critical to sales productivity success.
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1. Opening benefit statement/OBS - traditionally an initial impact statement for
sales people to use at first contact with prospect, in writing, on the phone or face-to-
face - the OBS generally encapsulates the likely strongest organizational benefit
typically derived by customers in the prospect's sector.
2. Open plan selling - a modern form of selling, heavily dependent on the sales
person understanding and interpreting the prospect's organizational and personal
needs, issues, processes, constraints and strategic aims, which generally extends the
selling discussion far beyond the obvious product application.
3. Open question - a question that gains information, usually beginning with who,
what, why, where, when, how, or more subtly 'tell me about..'
4. Package - is another term for the product offer; it's the whole product and service
offering at a given price, upon given terms.
5. Partnership selling - very modern approach to organizational selling for

business-to-business sales.
5 FIVE The Essence of Selling

ASAP ☺
The right knowledge used the right way to improve the salesperson’s ability
to do the right things for customers more expeditiously.
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How does salespeople use their time ?
44% non selling activities

41% selling activities
15% service related activities
Customer Relationship Management

It is a strategy and process that utilizes technology.
To Identify, attract and retain customers
To leverage the sales organization’s relationships with it’s customers.
The agile salesperson uses CRM technology to assist him in managing

customer interactions and transactions.
Tool for the Salesperson

☺ Central Role
Store and share information
Communicate
Collaborate
Transact Business
The Customer Focused Salesperson
Willing to Learn
Manages what they learn
Realizes improved results
Achieves Customer Loyalty
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The Five Basic Principles of Good Salesmanship
1. Believe in your Product
2. Knowledge
3. Performance
4. The Pitch
5. Reading the Customer
10 Basic Skills every Salesman should have

1. Effective Communicator
2. Ability to Listen
3. Asks Great Questions
4. Problem Solver
5. Well Organized
6. Self-Starter and Self-Finisher
7. Positive Self-Image
8. Well Mannered
9. Naturally Persuasive
10. Person of Integrity
The Qualities & Skills of a Successful Salesman

1. Empathy
2. Ego
3. Honesty
4. Product Knowledge
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THE ART OF SALEMANSHIP is the absence of salesmanship ☺
Phases of a Sales Career and their Characteristics:

1. The art of salesmanship is showmanship
2. The art of salesmanship is the concealment of salesmanship
3. The art of salesmanship is the absence of salesmanship
1. The art of salesman is showmanship ` characterized by the development of

sophisticated and polished presentation skills that almost unfailingly dazzle (
but do not always win business).
Positive aspects ~ good exhibition of product knowledge wrapped in

exceptional presentation skills. You receive many compliments on style.
Negative aspects ~ One sided approach that doesn’t take into

consideration much of what is going on with the customer. If their eyes don’t
light up on one of your presentation points, you’re in trouble.
2. The art of salesmanship is the concealment of salesmanship ~ characterized

by a well prepared, interactive questions that elicit the “right responses” from
the customer.
Positive aspects ~ interaction with and feedback from the customer
Negative aspects ~ often a stacked deck. Leading questions usually

reveal what you think the issues and problems are, not what the customers
know they are.
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3. The art of salesmanship is the absence of salesmanship ~ characterized by a
quiet, relaxed, well-prepared salesperson who forgets every aspect of
technique and just listens and reacts in “real time”.
Positive aspects ~ It’s so easy to tell the truth.
Negative aspects ~ It often takes a lifetime in sales before one has the
confidence to say almost nothing and communicate effectively.
The Importance of Good Salesmanship ☺

1. Have a Product Worth Selling
2. Be Committed
3. Be Polished
4. Do your Homework
5. Know your Audience and what is Important to them.
6. Tap into Available Sales Training Resources
7. Familiarize yourself with the Presentation Tools
8. Be Persistent
9. Deliver what you Promise
10.Follow Up
Talents are Inborn but Skills are Learned ☺
Anyone can learn to be an effective salesperson and a good salespeople can

become great ones by honing the following skills :
1. Maintaining Self Confidence
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2. Good Listening
3. Persuasiveness
4. Building Strong Relationships
5. Self-Motivating
1. Advertising/advertising and promotion - the methods used by a company to

publicize and position its products and services to its chosen market sectors,
including product launches, image and brand building, press and public relations
activities, merchandising (supporting and promoting the product in retail and
wholesale outlets), special offers, generating leads and enquiries, and incentives to
distributors, and agents, and arguably sales people. A&P methods are sometimes
described as above-the-line (media advertising such as radio, TV, cinema,
newspapers, magazines) or below-the-line (non-'media' methods or materials such
as brochures, direct-mail, exhibitions, telemarketing, and PR).
2. Appointment - a personal sales visit to a prospect, usually arranged by phone.
3. Benefit - the gain (usually a tangible cost, but can be intangible) that accrues to
the customer from the product or service.
4. Buyer - most commonly means a professional purchasing person in a business;

can also mean a private consumer. Buyers are not usually major decision-makers,
that is to say, what they buy, when and how they buy it, and how much they pay are
prescribed for them by the business they work for.
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5. Buying facilitation - also known as facilitative buying. Extremely advanced form
of personal selling, in which the central ethos is one of 'helping organizations and
buyers to buy & not selling to them.
6. Questioning - the second stage of the sales call, typically after the opening or
introduction in the Seven Steps of the Sale. A crucial selling skill, and rarely well
demonstrated. The correct timing and use of the important different types of
questions are central to the processes of gathering information, matching needs, and
building rapport and empathy. Questioning also requires that the sales person has
good listening, interpretation and empathic capabilities.
7. Research/research call - the act of gathering information about a market or

customer, that will help progress or enable a sales approach. Often seen as a job for
telemarketing personnel, but actually more usefully carried out by sales people,
especially where large prospects are concerned.
AIDA ☺Six 6
AIDA is the original sales training acronym, from the late 1950's, when selling
was first treated as a professional discipline, and sales training began. AIDA is even
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more relevant today, if you have to remember just one sales or selling model,
remember AIDA. Often called the 'Hierarchy of Effects', AIDA describes the basic
process by which people become motivated to act on external stimulus, including the
way that successful selling happens and sales are made.
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
The AIDA process also applies to any advertising or communication that aims
to generate a response, and it provides a reliable template for the design of all sorts of
marketing material.
Simply, when we buy something we buy according to the AIDA process. So

when we sell something we must sell through the AIDA stages. Something first gets
our attention; if it's relevant to us we are interested to learn or hear more about it. If
the product or service then appears to closely match our needs, aspirations, and
resources, particularly if it is special, unique, or rare, we begin to desire it. If we are
prompted or stimulated to overcome our natural caution we may then become
motivated or susceptible to taking action to buy.
Some AIDA pointers:
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Attention
● Getting the other person's attention sets the tone: first impressions count, so
smile - even on the phone because people can hear it in your voice - be happy
(but not annoyingly so) be natural, honest and professional.
● If you're not in the mood to smile do some paperwork instead. If you rarely
smile then get out of selling.
● Getting attention is more difficult than it used to be, because people are less
accessible, have less free time, and lots of competing distractions, so think
about when it's best to call.
● Gimmicks, tricks and crafty techniques don't work, because your prospective
customers - like the rest of us - are irritated by hundreds of them every day.
● If you are calling on the phone or meeting face-to-face you have about five
seconds to attract attention, by which time the other person has formed their
first impression of you.
● Despite the time pressure, relax and enjoy it - expect mostly to be told 'no
thanks' - but remember that every 'no' takes you closer to the next 'okay'.
Interest
● You now have maybe 5-15 seconds in which to create some interest.
● Something begins to look interesting if it is relevant and potentially
advantageous. This implies a lot:
● The person you are approaching should have a potential need for your product
or service or proposition (which implies that you or somebody else has
established a target customer profile).
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● You must approach the other person at a suitable time (ie it's convenient, and
that aspects of seasonality and other factors affecting timing have been taken
into account)
● You must empathize with and understand the other person's situation and
issues, and be able to express yourself in their terms (ie talk their language).
Desire
● The sales person needs to be able to identify and agree the prospect's situation,
needs, priorities and constraints on personal and organizational levels, through
empathic questioning and interpretation.
● You must build rapport and trust, and preparedness in the prospect's mind to do
business with you personally (thus dispelling the prospect's feelings of doubt
or risk about your own integrity and ability).
● You must understand your competitors' capabilities and your prospect's other
options.
● You must obviously understand your product (specification, options, features,
advantages, and benefits), and particularly all relevance and implications for
your prospect.
● You must be able to present, explain and convey solutions with credibility and
enthusiasm.
● The key is being able to demonstrate how you, your own organization and your
product will be suitable, reliable and sustainable in 'matching' the prospect's
needs identified and agreed, within all constraints.
● Creating desire is part skill and technique, and part behavior and style. In
modern selling and business, trust and relationship (the 'you' factor) are
increasingly significant, as natural competitive development inexorably
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squeezes and reduces the opportunities for clear product advantage and
uniqueness.
Action
● Simply the conversion of potential into actuality, to achieve or move closer to

whatever is the aim.
● Natural inertia and caution often dictate that clear opportunities are not acted
upon, particularly by purchasers of all sorts, so the sales person must suggest,
or encourage agreement to move to complete the sale or move to the next stage.
● The better the preceding three stages have been conducted, then the less
emphasis is required for the action stage; in fact on a few rare occasions in the
history of the universe, a sale is so well conducted that the prospect decides to
take action without any encouragement at all.
AIDCA
More recently (c.1980'-1990's) the AIDA acronym has been used in extended
form as AIDCA, meaning the same as AIDA with the insertion of Commitment prior
to the action stage. Arguably Commitment is implicit within the Action stage, but if
it suits your sales training purposes then AIDCA is an acceptable interpretation.
Commitment here means that a prospective customer is more likely to progress to the
Action stage if their commitment to the proposition can first be established. As ever,
adding detail make the thing less elegant and flexible, which in this case makes
AIDCA non-applicable to selling methods that do not involve a two-way
communication, for example, the structure of a sales letter or advert, for which AIDA
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remains more helpful. For two-way sales communications, discussions, presentations,
etc., then AIDCA is fine.
● Attention
● Interest
● Desire
● Commitment
● Action
1. Perceived - how something is seen or regarded by someone, usually by the

prospect or customer, irrespective of what is believed or presented by the seller, ie
what it really means to the custom
2. Preparation - in the context of the selling process this is the work done by the
sales person to research and plan the sales approach and/or sales call to a particular
prospect or customer. Almost entirely without exception in the global history of
selling, no call is adequately prepared for, and sales that fail to happen are due to
this failing.
3. Presentation/sales presentation - the process by which a sales person explains

the product or service to the prospect (to a single contact or a group), ideally
including the product's features, advantages and benefits, especially those which are
relevant to the prospect. Presentations can be verbal only, but more usually involve
the use of visuals, commonly bullet-point text slides and images on a computer
display or projected onto a screen.
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4. Product - generally a physical item being supplied, but can also mean or include
services and intangibles, in which case product is used to mean the whole package
being supplied.
5. Product offer - how the product and/or service is positioned and presented to the
prospect or market, which would normally include features and/or advantages and
also imply at least one benefit for the prospect. One of the great marketing challenges
is always to define a product offer concisely and meaningfully.
6. Proposal/sales proposal - usually a written offer with specification, prices,

outline terms and conditions, and warranty arrangements, from a sales person or
selling organization to a prospect. Generally an immensely challenging part of the
process to get right, in that it must be concise yet complete, persuasive yet objective,
well specified yet orientated to the customer's applications.
7. Proposition - usually means product offer, can mean sales proposal. The initial
proposition means the basis of the first approach.
8. Prospect - a customer (person, organization, buyer) before the sale is made, ie a

prospective customer.
7 SEVEN The Seven Steps

of Selling ☺
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The Seven Steps of the Sale is the most common traditional structure used for
explaining the selling process. This structure is usually represented as the Seven
Steps of the Selling, but it can be five, six, eight or more.
This structure assumes that the appointment has been made, or in the instance
of a cold-call, that the prospect has agreed to discuss things there and then. The
process for appointment - making is a different one, which is shown later in this
section. Aside from the questioning stage, this structure also applies to a sales visit
which been arranged for the purpose of presenting products/services or a specific
proposal following an invitation, earlier discussions or meetings. For these pre-
arranged presentations, it is assumed that the sales person has already been through
the questioning stage at prior meetings.
THE SEVEN STEPS OF SELLING:
1. Planning and preparation

2. Introduction or opening
3. Questioning
4. Presentation
5. Overcoming objections/negotiating
6. Close or closing
7. After-sales follow-up
Planning and Preparation
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Generally, the larger the prospect organization, the more research you should
do before any sales call at which you will be expected, or are likely, to present you
company's products or services.
● Know your own product/service extremely well - especially features,

advantages and benefits that will be relevant to the prospect you will be
meeting
● Ascertain as far as you can the main or unique perceived organizational
benefit that your product or service would give to your prospect
● Discover what current supply arrangements exist or are likely to exist for the
product/service in question, and assess what the present supplier's reaction is
likely to be if their business is at threat
● Understand what other competitors are able and likely to offer, and which
ones are being considered if any
● Identify as many of the prospect organization's decision-makers and
influencers as you can, and assess as much as far as you can what their needs,
motives and relationships are
● Try to get a feel for what the organizational politics are
● What are the prospect's organizational decision-making process and financial
parameters (ex., budgets? year-end date)
● What are your prospect's strategic issues, aims, priorities and problems, or if
you can't discover these pre-meeting, what are they generally for the market
sector in which the prospect operates?
● Prepare your opening statements and practice your sales presentation
● Prepare your presentation in the format in which you are to give it (eg., MS
Power point slides for laptop or projected presentation) plus all materials,
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samples, hand-outs, brochures, etc., and always have spares - allow for more
than the planned numbers as extra people often appear at the last minute.
● Prepare a checklist of questions or headings that will ensure you gather all the
information you need from the meeting
● Think carefully about what you want to get from the meeting and organize
your planning to achieve it
Introduction
● Smile - be professional, and take confidence from the fact that you are well-
prepared
● Introduce yourself - first and last name, what your job is and the company you
represent, and what your company does (ensure this is orientated to appeal to
the prospect's strategic issues)
● Set the scene - explain the purpose of your visit, again orientate around your
prospect not yourself, ex "I'd like to learn about your situation and priorities
in this area, and then if appropriate, to explain how we (your own company)
approach these issues. Then if there looks as though there might be some
common ground, to agree how we could move to the next stage."
● Ask how much time your prospect has and agree a time to finish
● Ask if it's okay to take notes (it's polite to ask - also, all business information
is potentially sensitive, and asking shows you realize this)
● Ask if it's okay to start by asking a few questions or whether your prospect
would prefer a quick overview of your own company first (this will depend
on how strongly know and credible your own company is - if only a little you
should plan to give a quick credibility-building overview in your introduction)
Questioning
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● The main purpose of questioning is to confirm or discover the strongest or
unique perceived organizational benefit that would accrue to the prospect
from the product/service - it may be one (usually) or two (occasionally) or
three (rarely) key things, which may be obvious to seller and buyer, or not
obvious to either, in which case questioning expertise is critical
● Questioning must also discover how best to develop the sale with the
organization - how they decide, when, people and procedures involved,
competitor pressures, etc.
● Good empathic questioning also builds relationships, trust and rapport -
nobody wants to buy anything from a sales person who's only interested in
their own product or company - we all want to buy from somebody who gives
the time and skill to interpreting and properly meeting our own personal needs
● You will have prepared a list of questions or headings - now use it
● Use open questions to gather information - for example, questions beginning
with Who, What, Why, Where, When, How
● When training or learning the skills of using open questions it helps to refer
to the Rudyard Kipling rhyme: "I keep six honest serving men, They taught
me all I knew; Their names are What and Why and When, And How and
Where and Who.." - from Just So Stories, 1902, The Elephant's Child.
● Use "can you tell me about how..." if you are questioning a senior-level
contact - generally the more senior the contact, the bigger the open questions
you can ask, and the more the other person will be comfortable and able to
give you the information you need in a big explanation
● 'What...? and 'how...?' are the best words to use in open questions because they
provoke thinking and responses about facts and feelings in a non-threatening
way
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● Use 'why?' to find out reasons and motives beneath the initial answers given,
but be very careful and sparing in using 'why' because the word 'why?' is
threatening to most people - it causes the other person to feel they have to
defend or justify themselves, and as such will not bring out the true situation
and feelings, especially in early discussions with people when trust and
rapport is at a low level
● Listen carefully and empathically, maintain good eye-contact, understand, and
show that you understand - especially understand what is meant and felt, not
just what is said, particularly when you probe motives and personal aspects
● Interpret and reflect back and confirm you have understood what is being
explained, and if relevant the feelings behind it
● Use closed questions to qualify and confirm your interpretation - a closed
question is one that can be answered with a yes or no, ex., "Do you mean that
when this type of equipment goes down then all production ceases?", or "Are
you saying that if a new contract is not put in place by end-March then the
existing one automatically renews for another year?"
● When you've asked a question, SHUT UP - do not interrupt
● Your prospect should be doing 80-99% of the talking during this stage of the
sales call; if you are talking for a third or half of the time you are not asking
the right sort of questions
● Do not jump onto an opportunity and start explaining how you can solve the
problem until you have asked all your questions and gathered all the
information you need (in any event never be seen to 'jump' onto any issue)
● All the time try to find out the strategic issues affected or implicated by the
product/service in question - these are where the ultimate decision-making
and buying motives lie.
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● If during the questioning you think of a new important question to ask note it
down or you'll forget it
● When you have all the information you need, acknowledge the fact and say
thanks, then take a few moments to think about, discuss and summarize the
key issues/requirements/priorities from your prospect's organizational (and
personal if applicable) perspective
● Questioning is traditionally treated by conventional sales people and
conventional sales training as a process to gather information to assist the sales
person's process, and this is how it is typically positioned in the old-style
'Seven Steps of the Sale'; however, modern sales methodology treats
questioning in a radically different way - as an essential part of a
facilitative process whose purpose is to help the buyer decide
Presentation
● The sales presentation should focus on a central proposition, which should be

the unique perceived benefit that the prospect gains from the product/service
● During the questioning phase the sales person will have refined the
understanding (and ideally gained agreement) as to what this is - the
presentation must now focus on 'matching' the benefits of the product with the
needs of the prospect so that the prospect is entirely satisfied that the
proposition
● The sales person therefore needs an excellent understanding of the many
different organizational benefits that accrue to customers, and why, from the
product/service - these perceived benefits will vary according to the type of
customer organization (size, structure, market sector, strategy, general
economic health, culture, etc)
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● The sales presentation must demonstrate that the product/service meets the
prospect's needs, priorities, constraints and motives, or the prospect will not
even consider buying or moving to the next stage; this is why establishing the
prospect's situation and priorities during the questioning phase is so vital
● The above point is especially important to consider when the sales person has
to present on more than one occasion to different people or groups, who will
each have different personal and organizational needs, and will therefore
respond to different benefits (even though the central proposition and main
perceived benefit remains constant)
● All sales presentations, whether impromptu (off the cuff) or the result of
significant preparation, must be well structured, clear and concise,
professionally delivered, and have lots of integrity - the quality and integrity
of the presentation is always regarded as a direct indication as to the quality
and integrity of the product/service
● It follows then that the sales person must avoid simply talking about technical
features from the seller's point of view, without linking the features clearly to
organizational context and benefit for the prospect - also avoid using any
jargon which the prospect may not understand
● Sales presentations must always meet the expectations of the listener in terms
of the level of information and relevance to the prospect's own situation,
which is another reason for proper preparation - a vague or poorly prepared
sales presentation sticks out like a sore thumb, and it will be disowned
immediately
● When presenting to influencers, which is necessary on occasions, it is
important to recognize that the sales person is effectively asking the
influencers to personally endorse the proposition and the credibility of the
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selling organization and the sales person, so the influencers' needs in these
areas are actually part of the organizational needs of the prospect company
● The presentation must include relevant evidence of success, references from
similar sectors and applications, facts and figures - all backing up the central
proposition
● Business decision-makers buy when they become satisfied that the decision
will either make them money, or save them money or time; they also need to
be certain that the new product/service will be sustainable and reliable;
therefore the presentation must be convincing in these areas
● Private consumer buyers ultimately buy for similar reasons, but for more
personal ones as well, ex., image, security, ego, etc., which may need to
feature in this type of presentations if they form part of the main perceived
benefit
● While the presentation must always focus on the main perceived benefit, it is
important to show that all the other incidental requirements and constraints
are met - but do not over-emphasize or attempt to 'pile high' loads of incidental
benefits as this simply detracts from the central proposition
● Presentations should use the language and style of the audience - ex., technical
people need technical evidence; sales and marketing people like to see flair
and competitive advantage accruing for their own sales organization;
managing directors and finance directors want clear, concise benefits to costs,
profits and operating efficiency; and generally the more senior the contact, the
less time you will have to make your point - no-nonsense, no frills, but plenty
of relevant hard facts and evidence.
● If the sales person is required to present to a large group and in great depth,
then it's extremely advisable to enlist the help of one or two suitably
experienced colleagues, from the appropriate functions, ex., technical,
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customer service, distribution, etc., in which case the sales person must ensure
that these people are properly briefed and prepared, and the prospect notified
of their attendance.
● Keep control of the presentation, but do so in a relaxed way; if you don't know
the answer to a question don't waffle - say you don't know and promise to get
back with an answer later, and make sure you do.
● Never knock the competition - it undermines your credibility and integrity -
don't even imply anything derogatory about the competition
● If appropriate issue notes, or a copy of your presentation
● Use props and samples and demonstrations if relevant and helpful, and make
sure it all works properly
● During the presentation seek feedback, confirmation and agreement as to the
relevance of what you are saying, but don't be put off if people stay quiet
● Invite questions at the end, and if you are comfortable, at the outset invite
questions at any time - it depends on how confident you feel in controlling
things
● Whether presenting one-to-one or to a stern group, relax and be friendly - let
your personality and natural enthusiasm shine through - people buy from
people who love and have faith in their products and companies
Overcoming Objections-Negotiating
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Decades ago it was assumed that at this stage lots of objections could appear, and
this would tend to happen, because the selling process was more prescriptive, one-
way, and less empathic; however, successful modern selling now demands more
initial understanding from the sales person, even to get as far as presenting, so the
need to overcome objections is not such a prevalent feature of the selling process.
nevertheless, objections do arise, and they can often be handled constructively,
which is the key, if objections arise, firstly the sales person should qualify each one
by reflecting back to the person who raised it.
To establish the precise nature of the objection - "why do you say that?" is usually
a good start. It may be necessary to probe deeper to get to the real issue, by asking
why to a series of answers - some objections result from misunderstandings, and
some are used to veil other misgivings which the sales person needs to expose.
● Lots of objections are simply a request for more information, so definitely

avoid responding by trying to re-sell the benefit - simply ask and probe
instead; the best standard response is something like "I understand why that
could be an issue, can I ask you to tell me more about why it is and what's
important for you here?.."
● Try to avoid altogether the use of the word 'but' - it's inherently confrontational
● An old-style technique was to reflect back the objection as a re-phrased
question, but in a form that the sales person is confident of being able to
answer positively, for example: the prospect says he thinks it's too expensive;
the sales person reflects back: "I think what you're really saying is that you
have no problem with giving us the contract, but you'd prefer the payments
staged over three years rather than two? - well I think we could probably do
something about that..."
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● Another old-style technique used to be to isolate the objection (confirm that
other than that sticking point everything else was fine), then to overcome the
objection by drawing up a list of pro's and con's, or analyzing to death all the
hidden costs of not going for the deal, or re-selling the benefits even harder,
and then to close powerfully, but these days such a contrived approach to
objection handling is likely to insult the prospect and blow the sales person's
credibility
● It is important to flush out all of the objections, and in so doing, the sales
person is effectively isolating them as the only reasons why the prospect
should not proceed, but then the more modern approach is to work with the
prospect in first understanding what lies beneath each objection, and then
working with the prospect to shape the proposition so that it fits more
acceptably with what is required.
● Avoid head-to-head arguments - even if you win them you'll destroy the
relationship you'll go no further - instead the sales person must enable a
constructive discussion so that he and the prospect are both working at the
problem together; provided the basic proposition is sound most objections are
usually overcome by both the seller and the buyer adjusting their positions
slightly; for large prospects and contracts this process can go on for weeks,
which is why this is often more in the negotiating arena than objection
handling
● You've handled all the objections when you've covered everything that you've
noted down - it's therefore important to keep notes and show that you're doing
it
● By this stage you may have seen some signs that the prospect is clearly
visualizing or imagining the sale proceeding, or even talking in terms of your
working together as supplier and customer; this is sometimes called buying
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warmth. Certain questions and comments from prospects are described as
buying signals because they indicate that the prospect may be visualizing
buying or having the product/service. In the old days, sales people were taught
to respond to early buying signals with a 'trial close', but this widely perceived
as clumsy and insulting nowadays. Instead respond to early buying signals (ie
those received before you've completed the presentation to the prospect's
satisfaction, and answered all possible queries) by asking why the question is
important, and then by answering as helpfully as possible
Closing
● In modern selling, even using the traditional Seven Steps process, every sales
person's aim should be to prepare and conduct the selling process so well that
there are few if any objections, and no need for a close
● The best close these days is something like "Are you happy that we've covered
everything and would you like to go ahead?", or simply "Would you like to
go ahead?"
● In many cases, if the sales person conducts the sale properly, the prospect will
close the deal himself, and this should be another aim for the sales person -
it's civilized, respectful, and actually implies and requires a high level of sales
professionalism
● The manner in which a sale is concluded depends on the style of the decision-
maker - watch out for the signs: no-nonsense high-achievers are likely to
decide very quickly and may be a little irritated if you leave matters hanging
after they've indicated they're happy; cautious technical people will want
every detail covered and may need time to think, so don't push them, but do
stay in touch and make sure they have all the information they need; very
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friendly types may actually say yes before they're ready, in which case you
need to ensure that everything is suitably covered so nothing can rebound later
● For the record here are some closes from the bad old days - the traditional
golden rule was always to shut up after asking a closing question, even if the
silence became embarrassingly long - (a who-talks-first-loses kind of thing) -
use them at your peril:
● The pen close: "Do you want to use your pen or mine?" (while producing the
contract and pen)
● The alternative close: for example - "Would you like it delivered next Tuesday
or next Friday?", or "We can do the T50 model in silver, and we have a T52
in white - which one would you prefer?"
● The challenge close: "I know most men wouldn't be able to buy something of
this value without consulting their wives - do you need to get your wife's
permission on this?.." or "Most business people in your position need to refer
this kind of decision to their boss, do you need to refer it?"
● The ego close: "We generally find that only the people who appreciate and are
prepared to pay for the best quality go for this service - I don't know how you
feel about it?"
● The negative close: "I'm sorry but due to the holidays we can't deliver in the
three weeks after the 15th, so we can only do it next week, is that okay?"
● The guilt close: "Over three years it might seem a lot of money, but we find
that most responsible people decide they simply have no choice but to go for
it when it's less than a pound/dollar a day to protect your.../safeguard
your..../improve your... (whatever)."
● The sympathy close: "I know you have some reservations that we can't
overcome right now, but I've got to admit that I'm pretty desperate for this sale
- my manager says he'll sack me if I don't get an order this week, and you're
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my last chance - I'd be ever so grateful if you'd go ahead - and I promise you
we'd be able to sort out the extra features once I speak to our production
people..." (How could anyone live with themselves using that one?.)
● The puppy dog close/puppy dog sale: "Let me leave it with you and you see
how you get on with it..."
● The last ditch close: (sales person packs case and goes to leave, but stops at
the door) "Just one last thing - would you tell me where I went wrong - you
see I just know this is right for you, and I feel almost guilty that I've not sold
it to you properly, as if I've let you down....."
● The pro's and con's list: "I can appreciate this is a tough decision - what
normally works is to write down a list of all the pro's and con's - two separate
columns - and then we can both see clearly if overall it's the right thing to
do..."
● The elimination close: "I can see I've not explained this properly - can we take
a moment to go through all the benefits and see which one is holding us back
from proceeding?" (At which the sales person lists all the benefits - the
positives, and runs through each one to confirm it's not that one which is
causing the problem, crossing a line through each as he goes. When he crosses
the last one out he can claim that there really seems to be no reason for not
going ahead...)
Follow-Up
● After-sales follow-up depends on the type of product and service, but

generally for every sale the sales person must carry out a number of important
processes:
● All relevant paperwork must be completed and copies provided to the
customer - paperwork is will cover the processing of the order, the
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confirmation of the order and its details to the customer, possibly the
completion of installation and delivery specification and instructions
● Sales reporting by the sales person is also necessary, generally on a pro-forma
or computer screen, typically detailing the order value, product type and
quantity, and details about the customer such as industrial sector - each sales
organization stipulates the sales person's reporting requirements, and often
these are linked to sales commissions and bonuses, etc.
● The sales person should also make follow-up contact with the customer - as
often as necessary - to confirm that the customer is happy with the way the
order is being progressed; this helps reduce possible confusion and
misunderstood expectations, which are a big cause of customer dissatisfaction
or order cancellation if left to fester unresolved
● Customer follow-up and problem resolution must always be the responsibility
for the sales person, who should consider themselves the 'guardian' of that
customer, even if a well-organized customer service exists for general after-
sales care
● Customers rightly hold sales people responsible for what happens after the
sale is made, and good conscientious follow-up will usually be rewarded with
referrals to other customers
● Follow-up is an important indicator of integrity; when a sales person makes a
sale he is personally endorsing the product and the company, so ensuring that
value and satisfaction are fulfilled is an integral part of the modern sales
function
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1. Deal - common business parlance for the sale or purchase (agreement or
arrangement). It is rather a colloquial term so avoid using it in serious company as
it can sound flippant and unprofessional.
2. Decision-maker - a person in the prospect organization who has the power and
budgetary authority to agree to a sales proposal.
3. Deliverable(s) - an aspect of a proposal that the provider commits to do or supply,

usually and preferably clearly measurable.
4. Demonstration - the physical presentation by the sales person to the prospect of

how a product works. Generally free of charge to the prospect, and normally
conducted at the prospect's premises, but can be at another suitable venue.
5. Demographics - the study of, or information about, people's lifestyles, habits,

population movements, spending, age, social grade, employment, etc., in terms of
the consuming and buying public; anyone selling to the consumer sector will do
better through understanding relevant demographic information.
6. Discipline - within the context of an organization this means the same as function,
i.e. job role.
7. Distribution/sales distribution - the methods or routes by which products and

services are taken to market.
8. FAB's - features advantages benefits - the links between a product description, its
advantage over others, and the gain derived by the customer from using it. One of
the central, if now rather predictable, techniques used in the presentation stage of the
selling process.
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9. Feature - an aspect of a product or service, eg., colour, speed, size, weight, type
of technology, buttons and knobs, gizmos and gadgets, bells and whistles, technical
support, delivery, etc.
10. Field - means anywhere out of the sales office.
Characteristics ☺Eight
8
& Behavior Pattern of
Consumers
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Do you know why people buy your product or service? If you want to be
successful, you must. It is important to understand and really know what moves a
customer to buy a product.
Why has marketing to consumers become more complicated? It is because our

understanding of consumer buying behavior is constantly improving. Let us look
into the consumers buying decision process and the different factors that influence
it.
The Buying Decision Process
1. Need Recognition – the consumer is moved to action by a need.

2. Choice of an Involvement Level – the consumer decides how much time and
effort to invest in the remaining stages.
3. Identification of Alternatives – the consumer collects information about
products and brands.
4. Evaluation of Alternatives – the consumer weighs the pros and cons of the
alternative identified.
5. Decision – the consumer decides to buy or not to buy.
6. Post Purchase Behavior – the consumer attempts to resolve anxieties about
the choice made.
Factors That Influence the Consumer Buying Decision
1. Social and Group Forces – culture, subculture, social classes, reference

groups and family and households.
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2. Psychological Forces – motivation, perception, learning, personality and
attitude.
3. Information – commercial and social sources.
4. Situational Factors – When consumers buy, where consumers buy, why
consumers buy and conditions under which consumers buy.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FILIPINO CONSUMER
1. Personalism – a trait among Filipinos which gives more emphasis or

importance to the user rather than to the product or service.
2. Authoritarianism – Filipino consumers regard with high esteem individuals
in authority.
3. Small-Group Centeredness – Filipino consumers are well identified with
small groups. “Status symbol and his peers influence his buying process.”
COMMON ATTITUDES OF BUYERS
1. Attitude of Dependency – the buyer’s decision to buy is totally dependent on

the salesman patience.
2. Attitude of Skepticism or Suspicion – this is manifested by the buyer’s tone
of voice, by his tendency to ridicule etc.
3. Friendly Attitude – this is clearly indicated in the buyer’s talkativeness,
interest in discussing irrelevant matters etc.
4. Businesslike Attitude – this attitude is evident by the prospects intelligent
questions and willingness to buy the product based on the value or merits of
the product or service.
CONDITIONS WHICH MAY AFFECT PROSPECT’S ATTITUDES
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1. Physical Environment Factors – temperature, humidity, altitude,
ventilation, illumination and distraction.
2. General Organic States – fatigue, hunger, sleepiness, moodiness, comfort,
discomfort, anger, anxiety, frustration and triumph.
3. Specific Conditions induced by Chemical – alcohol, tobacco, caffeine,
morphine and medicine taken for cold and pain.
4. Incentives and Motives – praise, reproof, rivalry, reward and punishment.
Words to Remember:
1. Retention/customer retention - means simply keeping customers and not losing

them to competitors.
2. Sales cycle - the Sales Cycle term generally describes the time and/or process
between first contact with the customer to when the sale is made. A typical Sales
Cycle for a moderately complex product might be:
1. Receive inquiry
2. Qualify details
3. Arrange appointment
4. Customer appointment
5. Arrange survey
6. Conduct survey
7. Present proposal and close sale
3. Sales funnel - describes the pattern, plan or actual achievement of conversion of

prospects into sales, pre-enquiry and then through the sales cycle.
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4. Sales pipeline - Prospects need to be fed into the pipeline in order to drop out of
the other end as sales. The length of the pipeline is the sales cycle time, which
depends on business type, market situation, and the effectiveness of the sales
process.
5. Sector/market sector - a part of the market that can be described, categorized

and then targeted according to its own criteria and characteristics; sectors are often
described as 'vertical', meaning an industry type, or 'horizontal', meaning some other
grouping that spans a number of vertical sectors, eg., a geographical grouping, or a
grouping defined by age, or size, etc.
6. Segment/market segment - a sub-sector or market niche; basically a grouping

that's more narrowly defined and smaller than a sector; a segment can be a horizontal
sub-sector across one or more vertical sectors.
7. Service contract - a formal document usually drawn up by the supplier by which

the trading arrangement is agreed with the customer. Also known as trading
agreements, supply agreements, and other variations.
8. Solutions selling - a common but loosely-used description for a more customer-

orientated selling method than the Seven Steps; dependent on identifying needs to
which appropriate benefits are matched in a package or 'solution'. The term is based
on the premise that customers don't buy products or features or benefits - they buy
solutions.
9. Steps of the sale - describes the structure of the selling process, particularly the
sales call, and what immediately precedes and follows it.
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10. Forecast/sales forecast - a prediction of what sales will be achieved over a given
period, anything from a week to a year. Sales managers require sales people to
forecast, in order to provide data to production, purchasing, and other functions
whose activities need to be planned to meet sales demand.
9 NINE The Rules of Selling ☺
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The "art of selling" is simply knowing how to present whatever it is that you're
selling, to the buyer in such a manner that he feels buying it from you will solve his
problems or fulfill his dreams. A career in sales has three separate and distinct
phases or levels of growth. The three phases are:
1. The art of salesmanship is showmanship
2. The art of salesmanship is the concealment of salesmanship
3. The art of salesmanship is the absence of salesmanship
Here are the characteristics of each. See if you can recognize where you
regard yourself in the art of salesmanship:
1. The art of salesmanship is SHOWMANSHIP. Characterized by the
development of sophisticated and polished presentation of skills that unfailingly
dazzles (but do not always win the business).
Positive aspect: good exhibition of product knowledge wrapped in
exceptional presentation skills.
Negative aspect: One sided approach. It does not take much of what is going
on with customer the customer into consideration.
2. The art of salesmanship is the CONCEALMENT of salesmanship.

Characterized by well prepared, interactive questions that elicit the “right responses”
from the customer.
Positive aspect: Interaction with and feedback from the customer.
Negative aspect: Often a stacked deck. Leading questions usually reveal what
you think the issues and problems are, not what the customer knows they are.
3. The art of salesmanship is the ABSENCE of salesmanship. Characterized
by a quiet, relaxed, well prepared salesperson who forgets every aspect of the
technique and just listens and reacts in the real time.
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Positive aspect: It’s so easy to tell the truth.
Negative aspect: It often takes a lifetime in sales before one has the
confidence to say almost nothing and communicate effectively.
THE RULES OF SELLING

Every game need rules. If selling is called the “selling” game, then by all
logic there should be rules. Some think there are too many people offering too many
rules. Because there are too many rules most people think selling is difficult. There
are penalties attached to breaking the rules – lost sales, lost raises, and maybe even
lost jobs.
For every rule expounded by a “sales expert” there is no opposite “rule” to

contradict that rule. No wonder selling is so confusing. People in sales find
themselves wanting to break the rules all the time because rules get in the way of
making the sale.
One rule that seems to hold fast and true in every selling situation is “AT
FIRST GLANCE OR AT FIRST HEARING THE PRESENTATION MUST
BE LOGICAL TO THE CUSTOMER AT THEIR LEVEL OF
UNDERSTANDING”.
The difficulty for the person doing the selling is to determine just what is
logical and understandable to a customer, this is where presentations fall down. The
most difficult task in merchandising of anything is for the seller to look at what he
is offering and the way he is presenting it, as if the seller knew nothing about the
product.
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1. Know your product or service
Know it inside and out backward and forward. You should know it’s
strengths, weaknesses, and all its features. Also understand the factors that influence
it’s supply and demand. All of these will strengthen your presentation and help the
customer make a more informed purchasing decision. There should be nothing that
anyone can tell you about what you solicit. You will definitely be asked questions,
so be prepared to demonstrate all aspects of your product or service in response.
2. Know your prospect

Along with knowing your product comes knowing your prospect. Strive to
know all you can about your target demographic and potential clients. Make sure
you deal with the decision maker. You should know their purchasing habits, what
motivation determines their choice, and how long a buying decision takes. You must
understand how your product fits into their overall purchasing strategy. When you
know the buying habits of your prospect, you can use it to develop a longer-term
sales plan—that means repeat business. Put yourself in the most favorable position
to get a "yes" by focusing on what most concerns your prospect.
3. Believe in your own words

You will never be effective selling something you do not believe in,
particularly to someone who is already skeptical. Your lack of enthusiasm will be an
obvious as you attempt to convince your potential buyer. When you emanate passion
and confidence, you break down the wall of doubt the cynic has built. To not be a
pillar of strength during your presentation is a sure-fire ticket to an abrupt "no." If
you are lucky enough to sell a product you do not believe in, you still lose because
you risk killing referral business and losing the trust of your customer.
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4. Be Transparent
Too often, we give strong pitches with lots of hype and little information. We
will say, "If you want these benefits, buy my product." This is done with the hope
that a prospect's curiosity about your bold claims will be enough to convince them
to purchase. The idea that if you divulge too much information, you could dissuade
your prospect is a far too common falsehood. Be prepared to give as much
information as needed to convince the potential buyer to make a purchase.
Transparency builds trust. Things people do not understand will always be greeted
with "no." The more information available when making a purchasing decision, the
more likely they are to say "yes." Another benefit of being transparent is the more
resources you divulge free of charge, the more likely you are to generate interest in
your product/service.
5. Gain trust by associating yourself with things they respect

By offering endorsements and testimonials, especially from well-known
sources that your target market respects, you strike the chord of "trust." Many a
skeptic has purchased based on the recommendations of individuals they respect.
Secure associations along these lines and look to align yourself with trusted agencies
through strategic partnerships. Major endorsements mean less resistance
And lots of sales.
6. Offer a free trial, incentive, bargain or guarantee

The structure of your offer can play a key role in building trust and enticing
your prospect to buy. There are many variations of each, but incentives and
guarantees are great ways to gain your potential buyer's confidence. Guarantees and
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free trails allow the skeptic to try the product/service before determining if your offer
is a good fit. Incentives and discounts are also valuable tactics as they make the cynic
feel they are getting a value. People always love the feeling of getting something for
free and buying when it is a low/no-risk transaction. By guaranteeing the quality of
your product/service, you disarm the skeptic and encourage them to buy. You also
communicate an important message that you are confident in what you sell.
7. Compare & differentiate yourself from your competitors

Know the nature of your business. Is it commodity based, where the low price
bidder wins? Is the strength of your brand a factor? Is there something unique about
your offer? You must understand your competitors and their advantages and
disadvantages. Once you have both the knowledge of your competitors and an
understanding of the skeptic's needs, you can choose the most effective marketing
angle. We offer such phrases as :
“ The lowest cost…………….” you play for the desire of value
“ The official………………..” you validate for authenticity
“The best …………………” you show superiority
“The only…………………” you offer exclusivity
If possible, demonstrate the differences that make your product/service unique
or superior.
8. Sell the relationship and not the product

Contrary to popular belief, the best salespeople not only close deals, they
foster relationships. Relationships are more valuable to both you and the prospect
than a one-time transaction. For the salesperson, relationships bring repeat business
and the ability to cross-market your offerings; increased referrals because you gain
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access to the prospect's network base, and the ability to charge a premium because
of the higher perceived value of your relationship. Relationships help build trust.
These bonds let the customers know they will not be abandoned after the transaction
is finished. Ultimately, they are buying a relationship with you and your firm, not
the product/service, so approach
Selling that way.
9. Focus on the benefit offered and value delivered

Self-interest is the skeptic's primary concern, so focus on how your
product/service solves their problem, fulfills their need, or satisfies their desire. If
your prospect is solely bottom-line focused, your presentation should be centered on
how your product or service will make or save them money. If your product satisfies
a desire, focus on how it fills an emotional void. Emotional selling differs from
bottom-line selling because it focuses on feelings rather than metrics. Remember to
focus on the benefits that concern your potential buyer; anything else will make a
skeptic lose interest and you lose the sale.
10. Isolate their objection

In life and business, two of the greatest challenges are making intelligent
decisions and properly following through on them. One of your fundamental goals
as a salesperson is to help people make informed decisions. To do so, ask two types
of questions: those to better understand your potential buyer and his/her needs, and
questions designed to lead your prospect to buy. A series of well-placed questions
will allow you to isolate any objections. You should brainstorm every possible
reason a skeptic will not buy from you and comprise an effective solution or rebuttal
for each. Any other question should be crafted in a way that allows for only one
reasonable answer, and that answer should compel your prospect to agree with you.
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11. Don’t seem desperate
Your emotional state will be apparent to a customer. Never appear as though
you "need" a sale. Everyone avoids a hard-pressed individual. Often we are
conditioned to give to and buy from those who do not need our money. It is the same
principle that makes us more likely give a rich man fifty-cents to make phone call
because he has no change, than to a homeless man in need who makes the same
request. Therefore, it is imperative that you operate from a mindset of abundance.
Understand there is always a bigger sale out there, so you need not be pressed for
this one. Your confidence will put the cynic at ease and make them more likely to
buy from you.
The Power of Confidence

People want to buy from sales people who are confident in their abilities.
Taking control of the circumstances and situations around you will develop your
self-confidence. When you consider the amount of rejection that many sales people
encounter, the fact that many salespeople lack self-confidence is not surprising. Top
performing people in any industry typically possess a high level of self-confidence.
They may not necessarily possess this confidence all their lives.
Mental baggage is a collection of all the situations we have experienced or

encountered during our lifetimes. We carry all this baggage around in our heads and
draw from it when appropriate situations present themselves. Perhaps you tried to
join a school sports team when you were a child. Your athletic abilities in that
particular sport were average; for that reason you were unable to make the team.
You filed away this experience in your subconscious until a similar situation to it
came along. You immediately recalled the previous performance and outcome, and
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told yourself that you were not capable of successfully meeting the current
challenge.
Consequently, you did not make the effort required to meet it. We all carry
around this mental baggage. It influences us in everything we do, both in our
business and personal lives. How it affects us when we sell is very simple. Mental
baggage may consist of customers who have been rude, abrupt, or angry toward you.
Baggage can include situations from earlier in our work careers or even from our
childhoods. As time progresses, this mental baggage weighs heavier and heavier.
Yet we continue to drag it around with us into every sales situation. Over time our
attitude turns sour, we become pessimistic and jaded, and we get frustrated with
challenging customers and prospects. Our productivity drops, our performance
slides, and our job security may even be threatened. We become increasingly bitter
toward our chosen occupation, the customers we serve, and life in general. Our
mental baggage is a weight on our shoulders.
How do we prevent this from happening?

Carrying around mental baggage is a natural part of being a human being. It
is the way we view and deal with our baggage that makes the real difference in our
lives. If we look at each experience and consider how we can learn from it, our
baggage will have less hold over us.
When you encounter a sales situation that does not turn out favorably, rather
than focus on the negatives and beating yourself up over it, ask yourself three
questions:
1. What did I do well?
2. What did I miss or forget to do?
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3. What will I do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?
These three questions will help you learn and grow from each situation and
will help improve your future results. Plus, by first focusing on the positive aspects
of the sales interaction, you will give yourself a mental boost.
You must also recognize that some of our baggage is outdated. We may be
relying on information that is several years old. This happened to me at the beginning
of my career.
Let go of your mental baggage and work on developing your personal

confidence. Pay attention to your successes and use these to help you improve your
results.
Selling Yourself - Its Not About You

Selling yourself (or anything else) isn't about talking about you or what you
do; it's about listening and understanding the other person's situation. So if you want
to be INTERESTING then be INTERESTED!
Words to Remember :
1. Strategic Selling - 'strategic selling' describes a broad methodology which began
to be practiced in the 1980's, literally 'strategic' by its nature (the principles involve
taking a strategic view of the prospective customer's organization, its markets,
customers and strategic priorities, etc).
2. Target/Sales Target - in a sales context this is the issued (or ideally agreed) level
of sales performance for a sales person or team or department over a given period.
Bonus payments, sales commissions, pay reviews, job evaluation, life and death,
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etc., can all be dependent on sales staff meeting sales targets, so all in all sales targets
are quite sensitive things. Targets are established at the beginning of the trading year,
and then reinforced with a system of regular forecasting and reviews throughout the
year.
3. Telemarketing - any pre-sales activity conducted by telephone, usually by
specially trained telemarketing personnel - for instance, research, appointment-
making, product promotion.
4. Tele sales - selling by telephone contact alone, normally a sales function in its
own right, i.e., utilizing specially trained tele sales personnel; used typically where
low order values prevent the use of expensive field-based sales people, and a
recognizable product or service allows the process to succeed.
5. Tender - a very structured formal proposal in response to the issue of an invitation
to tender for the supply of a product or service to a large organization or government
department. Tenders require certain qualifying criteria to be met first by the
tendering organization, which in itself can constitute several weeks or months work
by lots of different staff. Tenders must adhere to strict submission deadlines, contract
terms, specifications and even the presentation of the tender itself, and usually only
suppliers experienced in winning and fulfilling this type of highly controlled supply
ever win the business.
Information ☺Ten 10
& Selling
DECISION MAKING PROCESS
SELLING is asking someone to buy what is being offered in return for time,
effort and/or money. It is part of a 4-step decision making process:
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1. Buying - accepting and adopting what is being offered - ideas, information,
policies, procedures, attitudes, skills, knowledge, changes, products, and services.
2. Marketing - determining to whom (plural) and how what is being offered
is presented.
3. Presenting - giving customers information in oral, written and/or physical
format.
4. Selling - helping people buy what is being offered by teaching them how
to sell (justifying a decision/action to or getting confirmation from someone about a
decision/action) what is being offered.
Who goes through these steps? Isn't the customer the only one having to make
a decision?
No, there are many people who come into the decision making even though
they are not the customer:
1. First, by the customer
2. Next, by the customer's FFAACCCs (Family, Friends, Associates,
Acquaintances, Customers/Clients or their own Conscience)
3. Who, in turn, presents the results of going through the steps to their
FFAACCCs
4. And on to their FFAACCCs who go through the same 4 steps, etc.
What makes selling so interesting is that one never knows where the information
will go after contact with the customer is over. At each passing of information from
the first person doing the selling/telling to the last person in the chain is that they all
share the same three fears as it relates to the information and to who was offering it.
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Successful selling happens at each transfer of information when the customer and
their FFAACCCs' fears have been overcome and each believes that they will be a
better person in their own or others' eyes for buying what is under consideration or
has been accepted and put to use.
WHAT CUSTOMERS NEED TO KNOW

Many times, ideas, products or services are not made because of a lack of
information that the customer needs to have when they discuss or think about what
is under consideration or they have bought. Consequences of Lack of Information:
1. Lost sale
2. Cancelled sale
3. Delayed sale
4. Categories of Information:
Hard questions and answers
Soft questions and answers
The “hard questions,” when answered provides customers with the
information they need whenever the topic of the idea, product, service comes up.
Not having one answer may not kill the sale; not having two or more most likely
will.
TEN HARD QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ANSWERED TO PROVIDE

NEEDED INFORMATION
1. Who makes the product and/or who is offering it? What is their history?
Where do they fit into the marketplace? If it is a brand name it is “who makes it and
offers it?” If not a brand name the question is: “who offers it?”
2. How is the product made or how did the idea or service come about?
3. What is it made of or what does the idea or service consist of?
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4. How will others see the product or think about the idea or service?
5. Why and how is the idea, service, or product different from what others
have to offer or the seller has to offer? What makes it better?
6. When, where, how, and by whom will it be used?
7. What kind of care will it require? What does the customer have to do to
make it work or last longer?
8. Product or service design and longevity: what are the roots of what is being
offered and how long will it last or be in vogue?
9. How does it fit into what the customer is doing, planning to do, or would
like to do?
10. How does it fit into the customer's budgets of time, space, effort, and/or
money?
Besides these 10 “hard questions” there are other questions or thoughts called
“soft questions”
swirling around in customers' minds that may never come out into the open.
Nevertheless, they need to be taken into consideration. Customers and those they
talk to are thinking:
1. Am I being asked to buy something I know nothing about from someone I
know nothing about?
2. Does this person really know what they're talking about? Where did they
get their information? Should I be talking to someone else to get the right
information?
3. Does/will the person I'm talking to look at my questions or request as
unimportant or dumb?
4. Will they or are they using language or terms I can't understand?
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5. Are they trying to sell me what is best for them to sell rather than what is
best for me to use?
6. Will they be giving me the information I need and is it in a format I can
use when I discuss the products or services I'm interested in? How will
others view what I have received?
7. Do they understand how I am going to be using it -- for personal use, for
passing it on to others visually, physically or verbally or for conversion
into something else?
8. Are there hidden costs not associated with the prices I'm being quoted?
9. Is there better or more information, services or products available?
10. Will I be able to get additional information, services or products if needed
and, if so, where, how and when can I get it?
Giving customers the “tools” they need and taking into consideration the things
that they may be thinking before the customer takes the information to the next
step(s) will help customers overcome their three buying fears –
1. Their fear of their own lack of knowledge,
2. The fear of the seller's lack of knowledge, and
3. The fear of being criticized for buying, contemplating buying or agreeing
to buy any product or service.
When these fears are overcome, customers and those they talk to will feel that
they are or will be a better person in their own eyes or others' eyes for championing
the product or service under consideration.
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Words to Keep in Mind
1. Package - in a selling context this is another term for the product offer; it's the
whole product and service offering at a given price, upon given terms.
2. Partnership selling - very modern approach to organizational selling for
business-to-business sales.
3. Perceived - how something is seen or regarded by someone, usually by the
prospect or customer, irrespective of what is believed or presented by the seller, ie
what it really means to the customer.
4. Preparation - in the context of the selling process this is the work done by the
sales person to research and plan the sales approach and/or sales call to a particular
prospect or customer. Almost entirely without exception in the global history of
selling, no call is adequately prepared for, and sales that fail to happen are due to
this failing.
5. Presentation/sales presentation - the process by which a sales person explains
the product or service to the prospect, ideally including the product's features,
advantages and benefits, especially those which are relevant to the prospect.
11 ELEVEN All About Selling 😊

The Top 5 Traits of a Successful Salesperson
If you're looking for a successful salesperson to hire, a salesperson who not
only can sell but will sell, look for a salesperson with PRIDE.
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PRIDE is an acronym for 5 characteristics that will help ensure that the
salesperson you hire will get the job done for you and make the revenue results you
desire a reality. PRIDE stands for:
Proven? Respectful? Innovation? Decisive? Enthusiastic?
Proven refers to the candidate's track record. Have they delivered results?
More importantly, who else says so besides them? As you know, resumes can be
fact, or they can be fiction. How can you tell the difference?
A person who has been successful producing results should be able to provide
you with third party proof. Have the candidate bring in their sales awards. Have them
show you the stack-ranked sales reports showing their name at or near the top of the
field.
Salespeople should approach being Respectful from two positions. First,
they need to be respectful of others. Careful listeners, these salespeople would
never be regarded as pushy because they take the time to hear their prospects out.
They keep their egos in check, remembering that everyone can make a valuable
contribution in their own way and that other team members deserve respect, too.
Second, your salespeople need to respect themselves. Expect them to have
a quiet confidence in their own abilities, and a strong desire to use their time, talents,
and skills to produce optimal results. They'll respect their health, physical needs, and
family commitments, and as a result be refreshed, well-balanced, and ready for work
each day.
Self-respect allows salespeople to be assertive, ensuring that they won't allow
themselves to be used as a doormat by prospects who want to waste their time or
abuse a relationship.
An Innovative salesperson is a problem-solver. They're able to quickly
assess a prospect's situation, and then come up with an approach to help the prospect
accomplish their objectives. Reactive salespeople need not apply. Proactive
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salespeople spontaneously look for ways to do the job better, to improve on past
successes, to show better results even faster than before.
Innovative salespeople are easy to manage, because they don't require
instructions. They're pretty much point and shoot; give them an objective to aim for,
and they can creatively approach obstacles and move past them.
A Decisive salesperson can make up their mind. They have effective
analytical skills that allow them to rapidly size up a situation and decide how to best
approach it. Decisiveness is truly important for a salesperson, for how can they
expect the buyer to make a decision when they can't make one themselves?
Decisiveness is often related to owning a clear set of key moral values. It's
easy for salespeople to consistently do the right thing when it's clear to them what
the right thing is. You want decisive salespeople who know when to walk away from
a bad deal, and can separate good prospects from the time-wasters.
Enthusiastic salespeople have become a cliché for all the wrong reasons.
Enthusiasm must be more than an induced rush spawned by a rah-rah motivational
pep talk. If you want enthusiasm that lasts, you need to find salespeople who are
eager to help your customers.
You want salespeople who are excited about what they do and how they do it,
so their curiosity is stimulated and they are inspired to continually learn on their
own. Enthusiasm comes from believing that you can make a difference, that you can
improve someone's lot when they do business with you.
PRIDE is about feeling good about your job. It's about believing in yourself
and your ability to deliver. It's about enjoying yourself, helping the customer, and
making the most of your God-given talents and abilities. It's about recognizing
individual contributions and abilities while respecting the value of the team. When
you hire salespeople with PRIDE, you, your salespeople, and your customers all win.
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7 High Powered Ways To Magnify Your Sales
1. Give your prospects a free trial of your product, service, or let them
read the first chapter or two of your informational product. Your free trial or
sample chapters will show your visitors that you are confident in the quality of your
product and lead to more sales for you by demonstrating how valuable your product
is.
2. Add a bonus for purchasing your product. Provide a unique bonus such
as freebies, a consultation with you, access to your membership site, or a resource
that is only available through you.
Add to your bonus's perceived value by placing an honest amount to it, listing
benefits for it, or by publishing testimonials for it. You could also set up a joint
venture with another business where you offer as a bonus an exclusive free trial of
their product in exchange for a percentage of the profits.
3. Provide a money back guarantee. Your guarantee will help you to get
more people that are unsure about your product to buy from you. Your guarantee
could be a 30, 60, 90 day or lifetime guarantee. In general the longer your guarantee
the more powerful your guarantee will be in getting more of your visitors to buy
your products.
4. Provide your customers with specials, bonuses and discounts on your
products. This will give you an effective way to get more of your customers to buy
your products on a consistent basis while also showing your appreciation for them.
5. Add testimonials for your product. Your testimonials will help you to
convince your visitors that your product will meet their needs. Include your
customer's first and last name and address along with her testimonial. You could also
post your endorser's picture along with her testimonial to increase it's effectiveness.
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6. Survey your customers. Your surveys will help you to pinpoint what you
are doing right and also help to identify things you work on. Add a freebie in
exchange for taking your surveys to increase the number of people that take them.
7. Offer an affiliate program for your customers to join. Provide your
affiliates with useful promotional items that they can use to start selling your
products as quickly as possible.
4 Easy Ways to Boost Your Sales

Here are 4 easy ways you can boost your sales for little or no new expense
and without making major changes in your selling process.
1. Focus on What Your Customers Really Want your customers really don't
want your products or services. They don't even want what those products or services
do for them. What they really want is to gain the specific feeling they get after buying
and using your products or services.
Emphasize the feelings produced by using your product instead of talking
about what your product is - or how it works.
2. Keep Communicating with Your Previous Non-Buyers most
prospective customers will not buy the first time they see or hear about your product
or service. You're losing a lot of sales if you do not persistently follow up with those
prospects. Your follow up procedure can be as simple as periodically contacting
them with a new offer. Or it can be more complex like distributing a newsletter or
providing updated product information.
3. Encourage Questions even if it may be a nuisance. But answering them
can be very profitable. Prospective customers only take time to ask questions when
they have a high level of interest in your product or service. Providing a satisfactory
answer to a prospect's question often leads directly to a sale. Invite prospects to ask
questions when in live selling situations. And make it easy for them to ask questions,
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for example, list a phone number or email address where you or someone else can
answer their questions.
4. Make Buying Easier every non-essential action in the buying process is
an opportunity for the customer to reverse their decision ...causing you to lose the
sale. Look for ways you can make your buying procedure easier and faster.
Eliminating Objections to Increase Sales

You want to increase the flow of sales revenue, but you are upset by prospects'
seemingly endless objections. Prospects say they're not interested. They tell you your
price is too high, or this isn't
the right time. You've heard all the objections. What can you do to get rid of these
once and for all? Engineering your Marketing.
Plan your marketing to take charge of increasing your sales. Your marketing
can lead prospects to your products and services by making clear paths and removing
obstacles. Channel your prospects' attention and interests and eliminate objections.
Below are the four most common objections and ways to eliminate them.
1. Lack of Interest prospects need to understand what you do before they can
become interested in what you have to offer. It is that simple. If you're marketing
yourself as a lawyer, coach, accountant or fitness center, you're not telling people
why they should be interested. To capture their interest, explain the problems you
solve from their perspective.
2. Lack of Leads you want people to call you to buy your products and
services. But first you have to motivate them to contact you so you can market to
them. Once you have their attention, use your conversation to ask them what they
want and need.
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3. Lack of Credibility you want prospects to see you as the expert; the person
and the firm that has the products and services they can rely on. One of the biggest
challenges to attracting new clients is gaining their trust and being seen as the
essential expert. Use your articles to demonstrate your expertise. Use testimonials
from clients to tell prospects about the results you and your products have achieved.
4. Pricing Objections whether it is a Php100 subscription or a Php1,000
consulting fee, prospects object to price when they don't understand the value of the
purchase. Establish a set of questions you can use to help prospects define what they
want and what you are providing. When price is put in context, it becomes much less
of an obstacle. Still not converting as many prospects to clients as you'd like? Use
questions to find out more about what they want, and what their concerns are. Then
address each of these objections up front and remove them as potential sales killers.
Think of your target market as a reservoir of water waiting to be tapped. If

you eliminate the barriers between them and you, you could send a steady stream of
new clients and customers your way. Start eliminating your prospects' objections
and create a clear path for them to become clients and customers. Help your
prospects get what they want and you'll get what you want, more clients.
3 Fast, Short, Simple Ways to Escalate Your Sales

1. Sell an inexpensive product to sell an expensive product. If people like your
inexpensive product, they will be persuaded to buy your expensive one.
2. Allow your visitors to decided how much they want to pay for your product.
I only recommend it for products that don't sell or ones that hardly sell.
3. Create an extra revenue stream with your web site's articles or content.
Publish the first paragraph of each article and charge people to read the rest.
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SELLING 101
For many individuals in business the hardest part is selling. For the majority
of business owners, the jobs they had before don't prepare them for dealing with
selling products. So, here are some basic tips to help you with sales:
1. Always be sure to go to the head honcho. Ask to see the person in charge,
the individual who makes the decisions. This avoids hearing, "let me ask my
supervisor, my boss, etc." Also, you project an image of confidence in yourself and
your abilities.
2. Don't be long winded. Time is a big factor today for all of us and the
quicker you get to the point the better. So be sure your sales pitch is short, sweet and
to the point. Have 3-5 benefits, don't bore them with all the features. Remember,
always to turn features into benefits.
3. One of the most important things to do, is to listen. Think of yourself as
a problem solver. To solve problems, you need to know what your prospect needs.
So ask them a question and then listen, and really listen. By listening you will be
finding out what will make them buy. Listen to what they say and take it in. Be sure
to write down the points they are making, don't rely on your memory. This also helps
when you are closing the sale because you can refer to each point they made that this
is how you can solve this concern. This is how you get sales, by solving their
concerns and problems.
4. Establish eye contact. When you are making your pitch or answering
questions, you also need to be sure to make eye contact with your prospect and to be
aware of their body language. Good sales people know when they have lost someone.
The prospect eyes glaze over, they don't maintain eye contact with you, they are
looking everywhere else, but at you.
5. Good sales people can change at a moment’s notice. Since this is not
going to happen to you overnight, always be sure that your presentation is well
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organized, covers all the basic points, you know it forward and backwards, and you
ask for the sale.
6. Handle objections with a smile. For many, the moment a prospect has an
objection, they assume the sale is lost. Sometimes they come up with an objection
to see how you will handle it. Again, we are back to good listening habits. You need
to be able to respond to their objections in a truthful but positive way. Most of the
time you will be able to deal with their objections and convince them of the benefits
of your product or services. Sometimes however, there will be objections you can't
get rid of.
7. Closing the sale. You should be able to sense when to do so. Remember to
be aware of your prospects body language. The impatient tapping of fingers people
does. Some people lean forward in anticipation of your completion of your
presentation. It is very hard to say exactly when to ask, as it is a very subjective
thing. Seasoned sales people will tell you that usually there is a moment, you need
to seize the opportunity and close the sale, or it is gone.
7 Phrases you can’t say in sales

The big challenge with these words is that they undermine the credibility of
salespeople and they encourage defensive barriers to spring up in the minds of the
prospective buyers. Talk about salespeople shooting themselves in the foot! These
phrases either degrade what could be a great sale down to a pedestrian transaction
or they scare off buyers. And worse, less experienced salespeople think they are
supposed to say these phrases in order to entice buyers. No matter whether you are
selling products, services, and/or ideas, avoid using these phrases! They will
make buyers distrust you. Here are the seven deadly phrases in sales:
1. Trust me. Instructing people to trust a salesperson is pretty much like
setting up a too-familiar joke whose punch line is going to be "you are an idiot so
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just give me lots of your money now." The pairing of trust and me signals buyers to
put up their defense shields and turn on their BS filters (for Better Sense, of course).
Trust is one of the two concepts that the more somebody asks for it, the more elusive
it becomes. Trust? like love? cannot be requested effectively. Although it is plentiful,
it has to be earned to be genuine. And besides, it is the buyer's prerogative to decide
whom to trust, when, and how much. Asking for trust will actually hinder the
salesperson from getting it. ( "Believe me when I say?" is in the same league.)
2. I'm your friend. It is tempting for a salesperson to think a buyer is a new
friend after the two share fifteen minutes excitedly discussing a mutual experience
or passion. However, too many salespeople mistake rapport for friendship. The two
are not the same. Friendship requires an emotional investment and real commitment.
Friendship takes time, energy, and some sacrifice. Friendliness is a great way to ease
any tensions in the sales process but over-friendliness can raise resentment in buyers'
minds.
3. Nobody can sell this cheaper than me. Nobody? First off, the world is a
big place with a lot of others selling things a lot like what other salespeople have. If
the salesperson really has the world's lowest price on something and can-do business
both legally and profitably, instead of wasting time one-on-one with prospects, he
or she should put up a website and rake in the dough. And second, the problem with
bragging about being cheapest (besides triggering buyers' skepticism) is that it is a
lousy way to make a profit. A more satisfactory approach is to show the value of the
product, service, or idea. Value takes into account integrity, experience, service,
reliability, trustworthiness, uniqueness, desirability, return, and how the buyer will
be better for buying. Promoting value ahead of price is a rock-solid strategy for long-
term success.
4. We are the best! Okay, maybe there are a few situations in which this is
credible. And I am not opposed to the power of positive thinking as a confidence
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builder. But the truth is buyers have learned that ninety-nine percent of the
salespeople who say it are lying. A phrase like this turns on them BS filter. Best, like
beauty, is in the eye of the buyer? not the salesperson.
5. Always and never. This pair stands on the same quicksand as "We are the
best." They sound like exaggerations and are frequently perceived as stretching the
truth. For example, how truthful do these two statements sound? "We always provide
quality service." "Our delivery drivers are never late." Many people simply don't
take always and never at face value. To many, always and never were so abused they
became synonymous with frequently and occasionally. For example, "I never lie"
was readily perceived as a lie and was reinterpreted to mean "I occasionally lie."
6. What you need is... This is actually a great phrase after high levels of
rapport and trust have been developed. But even then this is pretty presumptuous on
the part of the salesperson because he is not the one who has to live with the
purchase.
7. This is perfect for everyone. This is another statement that is hard to accept
as true (Is Likas Papaya whitening soap perfect for everyone?). Some other phrases,
such as "The check is in the mail," undermine rather than build.
Top 5 Characteristics of Great Salespeople

1 - Results Focused
One of best things about being a salesperson is you have a tremendous
amount of freedom and discretion in how you use your time. In return, you must be
able to stay focused on the big picture and not let small problems or dramas distract
you. If you sell for yourself and you are not focused on results, then you are not in
business.
2 - Courageous
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We all experience fear at one time or another. Great salespeople are
courageous in that they are able to act and move forward even in the presence of
their own fears. Fear is the reaction we have when you know that you need to do
something or that something is going to happen soon that you are not prepared for.
This could be making cold calls or making a major decision that you believe to be
right when you know that your management will not agree with you.
3 - High Energy
This one is really simple. Being able to kick-back and work 30 hours a week
while making quota may sound great. But the true top-performers got that way by
working long and hard to beat out their competition while the other guys were
boozing' it on the dance floor and bar’s. In short, you must be able to do "Whatever
It Takes" to get to the top.
4 - Knows People
Of all the characteristics that people attribute to salespeople, this is the one
the one that people are most often talking about when they describe a "natural". The
ability to establish rapport and maintain rapport is probably the single most powerful
skill a salesperson can have. The most flexible people can adapt and establish rapport
with others from a multitude of backgrounds and cultures. The longer you can
maintain rapport with more people, the more chances you will have to ask questions,
uncover opportunities, and present solutions that make sales. And as with everything
else in sales, this skill can actually be learned.
5 - Committed To Growth
Great salespeople got that way by always looking for a better way. They are
always improving their approach, their techniques, and their attitude. There are
many philosophies on what the *best* approach to sales is. Some work better than
others depending on one's own personal style, the product you're selling, and the
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customers that you sell to. Great salespeople know that they must look for the best
examples of excellence, and adopt the individual aspects of this that they can use.
3 Types of Salespeople
"There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make things happen, those
who watch things happen and those who are wondering what happened." You've
probably heard that one before.
Actually, there are two different types of salespeople and they are easy to tell
apart. The first type is the improviser. He seldom prepares, his preferred style, is to
take things as they come. He likes to be spontaneous. He relies on his instinct and
counts on his intuition to carry the day. His days are fun filled and exciting, because
he literally treats each sales call like an adventure. He's the Indiana Jones of selling,
foot loose and fancy free, whatever that means.
The second type is the professional. He also enjoys his work, for different
reasons. He anticipates everything, especially the routines. He knows the routines
given the opportunity to prepare in advance. For example, he handles recurring
objections. He knows he'll get them over and over again, so he prepares in advance
how he will deal with them. He plays with words, until he creates power phrases that
work. Once prepared, he knows that to execute the delivery, he must practice what
he has prepared. He records his power phrases into a recorder a plays them over and
over until they are anchored. He treats sales calls as opportunities not as adventures.
There are two types of salespeople and two different results. Each one follows
a pattern; one is unstructured and one isn't. Each can be seen as a formula. One
formula gets better results than the other. Here they are:
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I + I = I (instinct + intuition = improvisation)
P + P = P (preparation + practice = professionalism)
The secret to selling success is that there are no shortcuts, no quickies just
plain old fashioned
Hard work.
GOAL SETTING
Most people think they have goals when they really only have dreams. There
is a simple yet powerful goal setting model. It has five steps:
1. A true goal is in writing. Always has been, always will be. If it's not on
paper it's not a goal. When you take a thought and put it to paper it becomes a goal.
This is a bedrock principle to goal setting. Write it down!
2. Goals must be specific. If you're goal doesn't contain numbers, it's not
specific enough. There's a huge difference between "I want to earn a lot of money"
and "my goal in 2002 is to earn $125,000." The specificity of your goal is what gets
your creative juices flowing.
3. To keep you focused on your goal it must have a completion date. Too
many dreams fall short because they never become written goals with deadlines.
There is just something empowering when you establish a self-imposed deadline.
4. Goals never get done by themselves. Goals are "what" you want to
achieve. Once they are established you immediately begin to think of "how" you will
achieve them. Your goals must have specific action steps or they won't get done.
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5. Your goals must be prioritized. Simply stated, if you have 10 goals, you
must prioritize them using the numbers 1-10. This is another way of saying first
things first - always focus on what's important first. Prioritizing makes you
enterprising.
There you have it, the five-step goal setting model. It is never impossible to
turn dreams possible when they're converted to written goals.
Words to Keep in Mind:

1. Telemarketing - any pre-sales activity conducted by telephone, usually by
specially trained telemarketing personnel - for instance, research, appointment-
making, product promotion.
2. Tele sales - selling by telephone contact alone, normally a sales function in its
own right, i.e., utilizing specially trained tele sales personnel; used typically where
low order values prevent the use of expensive field-based sales people, and a
recognizable product or service allows the process to succeed.
3. Tender - a very structured formal proposal in response to the issue of an invitation
to tender for the supply of a product or service to a large organization or government
department. Tenders require certain qualifying criteria to be met first by the
tendering organization, which in itself can constitute several weeks or months work
by lots of different staff.
4. Territory - the geographical area of responsibility of a sales person or a team or
a sales organization.
5. USP - unique selling point or proposition - this is what makes the product offer
competitively strong and without direct comparison; generally the most valuable
unique advantage of a product or service, for the market or prospect in question; now
superseded by UPB.
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The ☺Twelve 12
Sales Letter
Sales Letters - How to Write Them
You could just send out your brochure to potential customers but it's much
better to personalize your mailing with a well written sales letter. The following
discussion will center on the characteristics of a good sales letter.
1. Personalize - using the person's name in a sales letter will give you the
greatest success. It's feasible to address sales letters to - "Dear Transport Manager"
or "Dear Friend" or "Dear Sir or Madam" or no salutation at all. However this lessens
your chances of getting a response.
2. Must have a good headline - You've got to grab the reader's attention as
quickly as possible. There must be a reason for them to read on. The same rules
apply that you'd use in your advertising or your brochure; you need to start with
words such as - "How to" or "Discover" or "The Secrets of"
3. Start with an anecdote - Introduce your message with a short relevant
story. For example, you might use something like this if you were introducing a
management training program -"Seventy percent of employees don't leave their job
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they leave their manager" You'd then provide supportive statistics and give details
on the cost of staff turnover. You would then go on to show how you could reduce
these costs and improve productivity through your training program
4. Lots of "You" and no "I" or "We" - Make each letter sound like you're
speaking to that individual rather than to a group of people
5. It needs to tell the reader what's in it for them – Tell them how they will
personally benefit, how their business will benefit and/or how their problem will be
resolved
6. Be believable - Don't make "fantastic" claims for your product or service -
your letter has to be credible
7. Write the letter as if you were speaking to the person – It has to sound
human - warm, friendly, sincere; not too business like. Read your letter out loud and
if it sounds pompous or businesslike - re-write it you have to sound like someone
your prospect would like to deal with.
8. Appeal to emotions - Human beings are 100% driven by their emotions so
that's what you have to appeal to in any of your promotional materials. Use words
like - "feel" - "You will feel less stressed when you follow this program"
9. Action - They're must be a call to action - tell the reader what to do now
and offer an incentive - "Phone now to receive the early bird discount" - Return the
enclosed form today to receive your FREE gift."
10. Signature - Signing each letter by hand (in blue ink) will in crease your
chance of a successful response. Depending on numbers, this may not always be
possible so use the best software you can to make your signature look realistic.
11. P.S. - Include a P. S. after your signature, something that will "tease" the
reader to read the text. People will look at a letter headline first - they'll then go to
the bottom of the letter to see who it's from. They'll then read the P.S. and that should
encourage them to read the body of the letter - "P. S. The free report will be sent
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within two days." They're obviously encouraged to read the letter to find out what
the free report is all about.
12. Remember the rule of seven - one letter won't do it, you'll need to send
at least seven over a period of time.
13. Treat your reader with dignity, respect and courtesy – The trick is in
not making a sales letter sound like a "sales letter." It needs to come across like a
personal message to the individual. If they feel that you understand them and care
about their situation then they are more likely – to bring their business to you.
5 Specific Questions Your Sales Letters Must Answer To Achieve The Best
Results
Here's a surefire method to guarantee you achieve the best results from your
sales letters. Rather than make a sales pitch that your prospects will very likely
ignore, present your products or services as the answer to their problems.
When you offer the help that your target audience is looking for it won't be
hard to make sales. You can show that you really do understand the needs of your
market by addressing these five specific questions right up front in your sales letter.
1. What's in It for Me?
This is the number one rule of salesmanship. People buy products for one
reason only...what they will receive out of it. You must instantly tell any prospect
exactly what they will get out of your product. Your best opportunity to do this is in
your headline. Make a bold statement right up front and capture your target audience
immediately.
2. How Will My Life Become Better?
This is where you have to understand the emotional appeals that attract your
prospects like moths to a flame. Do they want to become richer, smarter, better
looking, thinner or more popular? Do they want to save time, money or effort? Study
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your niche market until you know what emotional buttons to push and you'll see a
huge increase in your sales instantly.
3. What Will Happen If I Say No?

You have to give people a compelling reason to buy from you. A good way to
do that is by reminding them what will happen if they don't purchase your product.
What problems will continue to exist for them, how much money will they lose, how
type of frustration will they continue to endure? Help your prospects to see that they
really can't afford to say no because your product truly is the solution to their
problems.
4. Why Should I Trust You?
The best way to establish trust in your sales letters is by using testimonials. A
good testimonial is the written equivalence of a word of mouth referral. Prospects
naturally trust what other people say about their experience with you. Get your past
customers who have been happy with your business to give you testimonials to use
in your sales letter.
5. Will I Be Stuck with Your Product?
Here's where you can literally seal the deal. Reverse the risk of doing business
with you. Always offer a money back guarantee so that people will feel confident
that they won't lose out if your product is not what they expected. When your
prospects see that you stand behind your products enough to assume the risk they
can feel more comfortable in purchasing your products.
When you use these easy tips to answer your prospects questions in your sales
letter, not only will you gain an unfair advantage over your competition, but you'll
also show your prospect that you care about their problems and your product is the
solution that they need.
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Sales Strategies: It’s Not Who You Know - It’s What You Know
We are all in sales. We all selling in every role we have. Whether you are in
sales, marketing, home business, looking after your kids, dentist, athlete or whatever
your chosen field is? you sell. When you are "selling an idea" or pitching a business
proposal or offering a product or service? it is all selling. You can choose to avoid it
or be good at it. Have you ever met natural sales people and admired them? Have
you wondered how they do it? It is simple? you just need to be in the "know".
1. Know your style? how do you like to work? Do you work with a team, do
you work for a manager, or do you work alone? Determine how you work best or
how you need to work, and design a sales process just for you.
2. Know your personality? are you outgoing? Are you shy? Are you
confident? Are you reluctant to meet new people? If you are an extrovert sale may
seem a bit easier to you but I believe that the introverts who are exceptional at
building relationships with people, are some of the best sales people I know.
3. Know what energizes you? do you work best inspired by others, do you
like recognition, do you like to set goals and achieve them. However, you like to
work you can use this same formula to boost your sales. If you like recognition but
work alone, you will need to find someone who you can share your sales
achievements with.
4. Know how to network? this is one of the most important skills in any
business. Learn how to network in opportunities that are suitable for your business.
If you want to find out more on how to do this you can read my latest book with
other master net workers called "Network or Perish".
5. Know your commitment? how much time can you allocate to selling as
part of your role. If you run a home-based business or work for yourself, I imagine
you would be "selling" constantly to educate others on what you do and generate
your next project or income opportunity. If you work with a sales team you may be
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required to bring in monthly targets. Make a note of how much of your time you
need to spend in a sales mindset.
6. Know your weekly sales target? if you are part of a sales team, this will
be easy as managers provide you with monthly figures. If you don't have this target?
create it. Look at your annual income or targets you want to achieve, divide it by
twelve for a monthly figure then simply divide it by four? easy? now you have your
weekly target. Place this target somewhere you can see it each day to remind you of
what you need to achieve. Take 10 minutes each week to review how you went
against your sales goal.
7. Know your strike rate? if you have to make sales calls (either on the
phone or in person) keep a track for two weeks to determine how many calls you
made and how many translated into sales opportunities. Some of you may have
products or services with long sales cycles (for example in some businesses the sales
cycle can be several months) but you will get a feel for your success rate. You might
find out of 10 appointments you have 5 turn into sales? your strike rate is 50%. Now
you need to make 20 appointments to achieve 10 sales in a week.
8. Know your team? if you work alone, build a virtual team. Your virtual
team might include accountant, personal assistant, bookkeeper, mentor, web
designer? you get the idea. Know the talents of those around you and learn from
them. Outsource expertise areas to allow you to focus on selling. Know whom your
team is connected with and how they might benefit from your product or service.
Know how they like to work and ensure your sales processes support that.
9. Know how to ask for the sale? so many people I observe forget to ask for
the sale. Don't be scared of asking people if they want to buy. Find language that
suits your style and just ask. It could be as simple as "Would you like to proceed
with this? If so, when should we deliver it for you?" don't forget to ask for the
business.
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10. Know why people buy from you? understand what needs your product
fulfils in people's lives. Do you sell services that make people feel better about
themselves; do you sell products that make people's lives easier? What reasons do
people have for buying from you? You could conduct surveys or hold focus groups
to ask your customers what they think. Once you know this information it will assist
your marketing and sales efforts.
11. Know how to thank your customers for their business? find out what
your customers enjoy i.e. outdoor activities, entertainment, cooking? what are their
interests? When you thank them for their business include something that reflects
this. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Simply send a thank you card with an
article inside they would be interested in. This shows you know your customers well
and you think of them after the sale has occurred. Whenever I speak or train a new
female client, I always send a box of flowers the following day to their office. This
shows them I appreciate the opportunity to work with them and their team.
12. Know how to generate referrals for your business ? a good way to do
this is develop advocates for your product. Find people who are willing to promote
you to their customers or provide testimonials for you? this is very powerful
marketing tool and makes your sale process really easy!
13. Know "no" is not the end of the sale? some people say no to a sale
because they have more questions or are not completely satisfied, they require the
product. Don't let no be the final word. Have a series of questions or statements you
can make to help fully understand why someone doesn't buy from you. Don't be put
off by the word no? don't take it personally.
14. Know how to negotiate? this skill is essential if you are serious about
selling. Learn the skill, get some training or observe and expert and ask lots of
questions. Negotiation is a key part of any sale? no matter how large or small - get
good at it.
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15. Know how to make your service tangible? if you sell a service i.e.
coaching, image consultation or something that doesn't have a product your client
can touch or feel? make it tangible for them. Simple ways to do this include business
cards, brochure, website, a free analysis or one-hour consultation, a manual,
testimonials from previous clients, a CD or book on your topic of expertise. There
are many ways to make it tangible? get creative.
16. Know more than your competitors? we all have competitors.
Understand how what you are offering is different or better than your competitors.
Be able to explain the differences to your clients. Know what your competitors are
also offering so you can provide an educated and balanced opinion about how your
products are different.
Selling is a great skill? you can develop it or improve it? make the decision to
boost your sales by applying these strategies to your business.
Quick Tips on Handling Rejection

Looking for a way to handle rejection?????????????????
The secret to handling rejection is to keep coming back. You have to be in the
game to win it and if you quit, it is over. Remember, success is generally located just
beyond the spot you fell. First, find a way to avoid taking the rejection
personally, so you can deal with the rejection objectively. While rejections most
always seem personal, they rarely are.
Next analyze why the rejection occurred. Then look for ways to either
change the thing that was rejected or find new places where acceptance is more
likely. Most things in life are a numbers game, in that we have to make X amount of
tries before we get acceptance.
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Finally, remember that winners lose more than losers lose; winners keep
losing until they win.
Prospecting: Not A Wild Goose Chase... Its A HUNT
Prospecting for future customers can be fun if you approach it the right way.
It is not a wild goose chase; it is a wild goose HUNT.
Cold prospecting requires you to start from nothing and end up with the name
and contact information of the person who can say "yes" to you. If you are in a
situation where you have to use cold prospecting as a way to generate sales, you
should go in fully prepared. Your goose hunting gear includes both research and
creativity.
In order to sell your product to a business, you must first find out who the real
decision maker is. This is the fun part.
You should start your research on the internet. It is amazing how much you
can find out about a person or a company with Google. Typically, if the business is
public, you will find all the information that you need to know on their annual
reports. If the company is not a public one, or you simply are not having much luck
with their financial statements, then you should look for company press releases. As
a matter of fact, before you start all of this digging, try their homepage. Between all
of these different methods you will come up with a name and some form of contact
information. Contact information does not need to include their direct phone line
(good luck getting that). There are four acceptable means of contacting your future
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customers? email, snail mail, fax, and telephone. Gather as much information as you
can.
In order to gather enough information, you will also need to be creative. This
part is more fun than the first part. There are no bounds when trying to engage your
future customer and trying to reach the coveted next step? the appointment. Don't
shy away because you feel that your methods might be 'unprofessional.' Salespeople
worry too much about professionalism.
Instead, you should try and have fun. By having fun and being creative you
will not only enjoy yourself, you will get your future customer to smile. Now that is
something that your competition was certainly NOT able to do.
The best way to get your creative juices flowing is to write down what your
objective is. Your objective could be to get the email address of the decision maker.
With that in mind, think about all the different ways to get an email address. Start
by calling and asking for it. If it sounds too simple, then you obviously have not tried
it before.
No luck calling, then stop in. If you expertly prepare for a cold call visit, you'll
be able to have a hand delivered note to the decision maker accompanying your
information. You do not just want to leave you information; you want to get to know
the gatekeeper on a first name basis, and ask him/her for the decision maker's
business card. This will go smoothly due to the fact that you are already walking in
the door with their name. (You should also try and see the decision maker right then
on the spot.)
Now you have their business card and you are on a first name basis with the
gatekeeper. You are now prepared to expertly engage the decision maker and move
on to the next step? getting the appointment.
When you are prospecting you need to have the guts to try something new.
What do you have to lose? You didn't even know their name before. Have some fun
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and be creative. If you sound like a salesperson, then you are doing something wrong
and chances are you aren’t having fun.
STOP THE CYCLE OF MISUNDERSTANDING! HOW?????????????????
1) Understand that there is a difference between marketing and sales. What's the
Difference?
Marketing is associated with advertising, event planning, community
involvement, getting your company name "out there", creating credibility, normally
a "people pleaser" personality, with the primary focus on lead generation.
Sales is associated with knowledge and understanding of the value of a lead,
understanding the "selling cycle", a well-documented sales process (and knowing
how to use it), great qualifying questions, developing an atmosphere of trust with
customers, listening more than talking, asking for the sale or the next step, great
follow-up skills.
The actual skill sets (not personalities) for each of these areas of expertise is
different. Most companies evaluate potential sales staff on personalities NOT skills.
A critical component in the hiring process should include a skill based evaluation.
2) When recruiting, define well in advance what position you are hiring for? sales or
marketing? Most companies' need both as a team working together.
3) Eliminate untrained or unskilled staff from being involved in the recruitment

process. The misconception about sales and marketing being one and the same runs
rampant in all industries in all staff involved in the hiring process.
Solutions:
1) Develop a company profile to differentiate skill sets.
2) Create a list of key questions designed to delineate the difference in skill sets of
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the sales person vs. the marketing person.
3) Provide appropriate training to anyone involved in the hiring process to help them
understand the differences to assure you are hiring the right person for the right
position.
A Simple Sales Strategy: Talk to Yourself!

You are about to speak to a potential client, go to a networking meeting or
give a presentation. What should you be saying to yourself in those few minutes
beforehand? If you spend that time saying what is propose below, you will
effortlessly and naturally become very attractive to your potential clients.
What if, in those few minutes, you say to yourself:
* I desperately need this client.
* I want their money.
* I need to show them how good my services are.
* I need to get them to listen to me.
* I hope they think I am good enough.
* I need to remember my "script" and those objection handling and closing
techniques.
* I don't think I am going to enjoy this.
Do you ever say these kinds of things to yourself? Instead, just suppose that
in those few minutes, you say to yourself:
* I am about to have a conversation to explore if I can help.
* I really want to help.
* I want what's best for this person, even if they don't become my client.
* My focus is on what I can give, not what I can get.
* I am committed to helping but not attached to it.
* I am going to put myself in their shoes. I will look at things from their perspective.
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* It's all about them, not me.
* I am going to listen, listen and listen.
* I have no expectations from this conversation.
* I am going to be me (open, honest, full of integrity, natural ...).
* I am going to enjoy this.
* I am going to forget about trying to sell them something.
Words to Remember :
1. Listening - a key selling skill, in that without good listening skills the process of
questioning is rendered totally pointless.
2. Major account - a large and complex prospect or customer, often having several
branches or sites, and generally requiring contacts and relationships between various
functions in the supplier and customer organization.
3. Marketing - perceived by lots of business people to mean simply promotion and
advertising, the term marketing actually covers everything from company culture
and positioning, through market research, new business/product development,
advertising and promotion, PR (public/press relations), and arguably all of the sales
functions as well. It's the process by which a company decides what it will sell, to
whom, when and how, and then does it.
4. Margin/profit margin - the difference between cost (including or excluding
operating overheads) and selling price of a product or service. Percentage margin is
generally deemed to be the difference between cost and selling price, divided by the
selling price ex tax (e.g. something that costs 1 and is sold for 2 plus tax produces a
50% margin - gross margin that is - net margin is after overheads are deducted).
5. Trial close - the technique by which a sales person tests the prospect's readiness
to buy, traditionally employed in response to a buying signal, eg: prospect says: "Do
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you have them in stock?", to which the sales person would traditionally reply:
"Would you want one if they are?" Use with extreme care, for fear of looking like a
clumsy desperate fool. If you see a buying signal there's no need to jump on it - just
answer it politely, and before ask why the question is important, which will be far
more constructive.
6. Collaboration Selling - also known as collaborative selling and facilitation

selling - very modern and sophisticated, in which seller truly collaborates with
buyer and buying organization to help the buyer buy.
7. Commodities (products and services) - typically a term applied to describe

products which are mature in development, produced and sold in vast scale,
involving little or no uniqueness between variations of different suppliers; high
volume, low price, low profit margin, de-skilled ('ease of use' in consumption,
application, installation, etc.). Traditionally the 'commodities' term applies to the
'commodities markets' which trade and set prices for fundamental commodities
such as coffee, grain, oil, etc.
8. Concession - used in the context of negotiating, when it refers to an aspect of

the sale which has a real or perceived value, that is given away or conceded by
seller or the buyer.
9. Consultative Selling (consultation selling) - was a move towards more

collaboration with, and involvement from, the buyer in the selling process.
Strongly based on questioning aimed at gaining useful information.
10. Customer - meaning the purchaser, organization, or consumer after the sale.
Prior to the sale is usually referred to as a prospect.
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What is SALESMANSHIP ?

Another fact is people belittle salesman. They cannot imagine themselves

Let us try to see the difference between salesmanship and selling.

To be a salesman is a mission, of helping people satisfy their daily needs and

SALESMANSHIP is the art of persuading one to spend money ☺

The SALE takes place in the mind of the customer ☺

Mental stages of a customer ☺

1. Personal Selling – is a face to face communication between a prospect and a

The SELLING Process ☺

Important Aspects of SELLING ☺

1. It does not only involve men

Advantages of a SELLING Job☺

Disadvantages of a SELLING Career☺

1. Long hours of work

Five P’s of SELLING☺

Salesmanship not by Salesman☺

For effective salesmanship we need KASH!

2. Account - a customer, usually a business-to-business organization; a major

Two 2 SELLING ASAP ☺

What is PROFESSIONAL SELLING?

The Changing Face of SELLING

Traditional (typified by 1960's Modern (essential today to sustain

Customized, flexible, tailored product

2. Sales function performed by a 'sales- Sales function performed by a 'strategic

Seller has strategic knowledge of

Strategic interpretation of the customer

Just-in-time (JIT) is taken for granted, as

Value is assessed according to the cost to

The benefits and competitive strengths of

Benefits of supply extend way beyond

Selling price is market driven (essentially

Seller knows the needs of the business

Whole organization sells (customers

Sales people need to be able to sell

Strategic emphasis is on customer

15. Hierarchical multi-level management

Selling organization is structured in a

The selling organization must be capable

21. The customer's buyer probably does

The seller will help the buyer to

The Development of the SELLING Function :

basic early selling - standard commodities products,

continuity, consistency, sustainability, and some

a longer-term supply arrangement is seen as an

activities of the buying and selling organization

Thriving in a Highly Competitive Selling Environment ☺

Understanding the Customer ☺

Timely and Timeless Components of Selling ASAP

Part II Implementing the Sales Process ASAP

Selling is the one game in town that

Selling is everyone's business

That's selling . . . negative selling.

Remember - everyone sells,

When you want a raise,

When you set new policies and procedures you sell

But there's more to selling than that.

Let us not pretend

3. Negotiation/negotiating - the trading of concessions including price reductions,

Developing a Sales Personality THREE 3

Important Aspects of SALES PERSONALITY ☺

Ways of Improving SALES PERSONALITY ☺

1. Self-Introspection ~ is an analysis of one’s strengths and weaknesses.