Make your 2016 even better than last year by raising your sales game.
It takes more than a memorized spiel and sparkling smile to be great at sales. But, unfortunately, many employees are totally missing the skills that can drive up numbers. And in some cases, they’re actually pushing customers away. (Creepy sales uncles, we’re looking at you. We’re also avoiding you.)
Maybe you had a great 2015, or maybe your numbers lacked a bit. Either way, your sales team (even creepy sales uncles) could probably benefit from upping their game in these five areas:
- Know the product
This may seem like a given, but not all sales professionals are as in tune with what they’re selling as they should be. Customers can tell when your sales team doesn’t know what they’re talking about—and that’s a big turnoff. Take a little time for extra sales training to really educate your team and reduce losing sales due to being uninformed.
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Own the product’s weaknesses
Customers know your product isn’t perfect, so don’t act like it is. If they ask about the cons, be sure you aren’t trying to hide what they probably already know. That being said, make sure your team knows the facts about why the product is still worth it.
- Be human
Customers aren’t interested in interacting with robots. Hey, that’s what online shopping is for. Make sure your team can show they’re real people. Being real with customers makes them more comfortable and will allow your team to ease them into the sale.
- Understand informed customers
Learn how to talk to informed customers. They’ve done a lot of research; give them some credit. In some ways, this ties back to educating your sales team, as informed customers will totally know if they’re bluffing. And if your team knows the product back and front, they’ll likely be able to give the customer something they don’t know, making their time with you more worthwhile.
- See customers through to the end
Just because you know you’re going to make the sale doesn’t mean you should forget about the customer before they reach the register. Quality customer service builds customer loyalty. And loyalty breeds repeat purchases, a key component of any successful business. So, make sure to keep your customers happy ‘til the very end.
Will you be focusing your efforts on any of these areas in 2016? Tweet @Fortegra using #sales and let us know which ones!
