Three Tips for Sales Success
October 1st, 2007 by Maribeth Neelis
Following the rule of three, here are a few things you can try to boost your sales success.
Keep it simple.
Usually, sales people sell their product by discussing features and benefits until their blue in the face.
There is a great episode of Seinfeld where George’s realizes if he always ends on a high note, he always leaves his audience wanting more. Take George’s queue, and inform your prospect about three of the most important features or benefits of your product. And let them digest it.
In a recent post, Seth Godin explains that three is a magic number because it is manageable, memorable and actionable. So don’t overload your prospects with too much information.
Lighten up.
Telling someone to develop their sense of humor may seem about as helpful as telling someone they should grow a few inches. But using humor as part of your sales process loosens people up and makes you seem more human. You don’t have to have a stand-up act memorized. Just make small talk and pull off a few one liners and you’ll begin to see a difference.
Rethink your purpose.
Instead of thinking that the point of a sale is to make money, think differently about your purpose. Here are some pointers from Charles Green of Trusted Advisor Associates.
• The purpose of business is to add value where none existed
• The purpose of selling is to jointly articulate and point the way to greater value
• Closing reflects agreement on a common view of the greater value to be created
• Objections vaguely indicate lack of agreement on a view of a greater value to be created.
Change is good. A few tweaks to your routine could greatly improve your results. So try to implement a few simple changes each month and see where it takes you.
