1. Selling & Salesmanship
So you want to be a success at selling?

2. Art of Selling Need to combine a number of skills
Persuasion
Negotiation
Influence
Assertiveness
Planning & organization
Presentation
This requires research
Know your customer
Know your product/service

3. Three stage process Preparation Presentation Customer Care Research
Setting Objectives
Asking questions
Presentation
Explaining the benefits
Meeting objections
Closing the sale
Customer Care
After sales service

4. The Preparation

5. Do Research Research the customer Find out the name of the customer
Make it your business to know your customer’s business
Keep records of previous meetings & orders
Study the customer’s company
Annual reports
News articles
Their web site

6. Do research cont Research your product Research the relationship
Know what it is that you are selling
Know the styles, colours, sizes, quantities
Research the relationship
Know what the customer has bought or asked about
Know if there are any previous/current problems

7. Set Objectives Know what you want to sell, how many? Plan A
Have a fall back option, Plan B
I want to sell five cases
OK two cases
OK sale or return
OK, here is a free sample (& order form)
Objectives must be realistic with viable alternatives
If you cant sell to this customer, then
does your customer know anyone else
Or does your customer want other products

8. Ask Questions Ask the right type of question Ask open-ended questions
They start with what, when, where, how, who
Not Why? Better to say “for what particular reason?”
Keep control
Answer a question with a question
Rather than give answer which will kill the deal

9. Discussion points What should you do to organize your sales area?
What information should you keep on your customer?
How can you get an appointment?
Should all sales be by appointment?

10. Discussion cont Should you have sales literature?
Should you take samples?
What techniques can you use to keep control?
What should you know about your products?
Where can you find leads to new customers – cold calling?

11. The Presentation

12. Explain the benefits
Look at your product from the customers point of view
Describe the benefits
Not the features
How does your product meet what your customer wants?
Fashionable, trendy, modern
Does your product match what your customer needs?
Hard wearing, low cost, comfortable, nutritious, easy to maintain, functional

13. Meet objections
Be cool, when the customers raises a query or objection to buying your product
Never get emotionally involved
Never argue
Never take it personally
Get your customer to be specific about why he does not want to buy your product
Put objections into context of the use they want to make of your product
Consider compensating factors to explain how your product meets their requirements

14. Close the sale Watch for buying signals Ask for the order Shut up
As soon as your customer looks like he might buy, then …..
Ask for the order
Bring out an order form
Complete the form for the customer
Get the customer to sign, then ….
Shut up
Don’t say anything that would make the customer think again
Politely say goodbye, and leave

15. Discussion Points What techniques can you use to close a sale?
How to handle a price objection?
Discuss the differences between “features” and “benefits”
How can objections be met and overcome?
How to conclude a sales meeting that does not end in an order?
How to ask open ended questions to find out what the customers wants?

16. Art of presenting Introduce yourself & the subject
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
What do I want to say?
Explain the background
Why am I giving this presentation?
Conclude
What were the important points?
What message do I want to leave with the customer?
Be brief, finish on time

17. I Believe in Speaking Clearly
Art of presenting cont
Introduction
Background
Substance
Conclusion
I Believe in Speaking Clearly

18. Ready now here is my delightful speech
Art of speaking cont
Make sure you are relaxed
Be natural
Make sure you are heard
Be interesting
Be methodical & logical
Dress appropriately
Have spirit
Ready now here is my delightful speech

19. Discussion points How to dress for a presentation?
What is the best method of communication?
What to do if you are not good at speaking?
What is the best type of literature to use?
Which medium is best: e mail, sms, web sites, letters, telephone, skype, YM
What other ways of selling can I use?
What are the benefits of seminars, workshops or conferences?

20. Customer care

21. Benefits of customer care
Differentiates you from competition
Improves customer image of you
Minimizes any price sensitivities
Improves profitability
Increases customer satisfaction & retention
Enhances your reputation & standing
Develops customer – supplier relationship
Repeat purchase & word of mouth sales

22. Customer relations management
Identify what the customer needs
Manage the delivery of the product/service
Manage the customer expectations
Manage after care service
Service is necessary immediately after delivery
Manage problems
Is what you are selling what your customer needs to buy to fulfill his wants?
Everyone in the business serves the customer

23. The purpose of a business is to create a customer
Customers
The purpose of a business is to create a customer
Remaining in business is a function of your competitiveness and ability to win customers from the competition
The customer is the foundation of the business and keeps it in existence
Peter Drucker

24. Customer loyalty?
16% of customers stop buying each year for the following reasons:
1% die
3% change jobs or move away
5% develop other relationships
9% change for better prices
82% customer dissatisfaction

25. Why customers get unhappy?
Customers have a choice & can choose your competitor!
Types of issues:
Products not delivered on time
Parts missing/not in stock
Service takes too long
Product does not meet the need
Lack of urgency or understanding
No follow-up of sales people

26. Customer perception
Your customer’s perception is your barometer of your success
Often totally intangible
Service improvement is often your only way to differentiate yourself from the competition
Customer is only aware of failure & dissatisfaction
Not success & satisfaction

27. Customer complaints Don’t expect the customer to be in a rational mind
Maintain a professional approach
Complaints are an opportunity to demonstrate high standard of professionalism
Take responsibility to solve the problem
Don’t pass the buck
Show you really care

28. Responding to complaints
Listen, listen & listen
Remain calm
Check your body language
Let customer get complaint of chest
Never interrupt, respond when appropriate
Ask appropriate questions
This is a way of showing real interest

29. Responding to complaints
Ignore insults, wait for calmness
Summarize the issues
Find areas of agreement
State them
Demonstrate empathy
Show that you understand their point
You don’t have to agree to it
Agree an action
Thank the customer

30. Discussion points
Why should customer care be so important to your business?
How can you retain your customers?
How do you steal customers from your competition?
How does your business instill the importance of the customer to the workforce?
Apart from good service, how else can you win &/or retain your customers?