Friday, December 29, 2006

5 Ways To Close More Sales

Here’s a five-point guide to getting more appointments, seeing more people and closing more sales:
1. Try not to consider yourself a salesperson. Be an advisor, a consultant, an authority. Most prospects are solution driven. They have a problem or a need, but no solution. You have the solution. Your expertise is to match the need to the product or service, not simply to sell.
2. Know your prospect’s business. No prospect wants to hear a salesperson ask, “Can you tell me something about your business?” It’s your job to know their business before making an appointment.
3. Demonstrate cost savings. Prospects want to know what they purchase is going to do to their bottom line. What they’re looking for is a match between a problem they have and a solution you offer.
4. Become an educator. Concentrate on ways you can educate your customers by broadening their understanding and expanding their knowledge.
5. Be patient. The sales cycle is being extended by multiple decision makers. Take time. Stay in touch with the prospect. Answer questions and show genuine interest.
Source: John Graham, president of Graham Communications, a marketing service and sales consulting firm in Quincy, MA.