Selling can be difficult in good times, but when economic times are tight it can be even more difficult, even though people still need what you are selling.
People still need connectivity. They still need hosting. They still need your services. It's just that now businesses and individuals are more tight-fisted with their money than they might have been in the past. But they still need you and your services to continue with their businesses and lives. We are after all now a people addicted to the internet.
Those salespeople who have developed and polished their sales skills will survive when times are tight, and excel when times are good. The question I have for you is "Are your selling skills sharp or dull?"
Are you reading books on salesmanship and trying to improve your skill set, or are you relying on what you have always done? Quality salespeople are ferocious readers, devouring books and magazine articles on selling. Learn from the mistakes and successes of others in order to improve your ability to connect with customers, help them solve their problems, and ultimately make more sales.
Are you reviewing each sales encounter to see what you did right and what you did wrong? If you aren't trying to identify mistakes and correct them, you are bound to repeat the same mistake over and over, which could be costing you sales and commissions. It is better to do one sales call correctly and make the sale than to do five incorrectly and lose out.
Are you following up after the sale, or do you forget the customer until it's time to renew their contract? Failure to follow up and keep in touch is a serious mistake. It gives the customer time to think about what they might have gotten if they had tried the other guy. It allows your competition to make sales calls on your customer and develop a relationship that you are ignoring.
Are you listening to the customer with both ears, or is your mind already made up about what they need? Paying close attention to subtle verbal clues by the client will help you provide the right mix of services to make them happy. Just because you think they will want a T-1 doesn't mean they do. They might need a pair of bonded T-1s, or something else entirely. Go in with an open mind and listen.
Are you more concerned with making a sale or are you trying to help the customer get the most for their money? If your sole purpose is to "make a sale" the customers will pick up on that in a heartbeat and will instinctively distance themselves. You exist to help them with their needs and their business, to make them happy.
Are you an "order taker" or are you professionally presenting your products and services, your company, and yourself? Too many sales people are simply order takers and aren't really presenting the benefits of what their companies services have to offer. If you aren't arming your customer with information they need to make a good decision your are providing a disservice to your customer. That leaves the door open for the competition to walk and steal them right from under your nose.
Are you honest and genuine with the customer? Be completely open and honest with the customer. If they discover that you have lied or misrepresented anything, you won't be trusted again. In any selling situation, the first thing you sell is yourself. Once you have demonstrated that you are the kind of individual they want to do business with, the rest of the presentation is much, much easier.
Present the benefits, not the features. When you are talking to potential customers, it is easy to rattle off all the wonderful features associated with the service, but the customer doesn't understand what those features do. Explain the benefit of each feature. Explain how that feature will make their life better and their business more effective, productive, or profitable.
Sell value. Many customers will compare your price to your competitor's because price is the only thing they see. It's the only thing they really have to go on in making the final decision. Show them (in dollars and cents if possible) how your reliability keeps their company more competitive (for example, by delivering less down time). You might have a higher price, but you have lower operating costs. Find something to show them that lower price does not equal value. They will understand.
When you get up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror, don't ask yourself how many sales you're going to make, or how much money you'll earn today. Rather, look at yourself and ask, "How many people can I help today?"
How many businesses and individuals can you help by explaining and demonstrating the value of your company and its services? People need the internet, and they need you too.
