How is your ability to make the sale?

By Jeffrey Gitomer

 

“Jeffrey, what’s the BEST way to make a sale?”

When I’m asked this question (I’m asked it all the time), what the salesperson’s really asking is, “What’s the EASIEST way to make a sale?”

EASY ANSWER: The easiest way to make a sale is lower your price to a point that you make no profit. Not a good option.

REAL ANSWER: There is no EASIEST way to make a sale.

And, just like there is no easiest way to make a sale, there is no BEST way to make a sale – BUT there are several elements that contain the word BEST that you must self-evaluate in order to discover why the sales takes place, or why not.

KEY POINT OF UNDERSTANDING: Selling is NOT manipulating. Selling is harmonizing.

Oh, you can occasionally make a manipulative sale. But if you’re still in the 1970’s trying to “find the pain,” or “sell an up-front contract,” or “make a cold call,” or “close the sale,” you’re toast. Sales toast.

 

Here are the BEST ways to make a sale:

• The best way to make a sale is to have your reputation precede you by word of mouth from your Google ranking, and from your business social media presence.
• The best way to make a sale is to be known as a valued resource before you start.
• The best way to make a sale is to be friendly before you start.
• The best way to make a sale is to meet with the CEO or actual decision maker.
• The best way to make a sale is not to be salesy, or cocky, or condescending.
• The best way to make a sale is to find some common ground before you start the selling process.
• The best way to make a sale is to ask intelligent, emotionally engaging questions that draw out both needs and buying motives.
• The best way to make a sale is to walk into the meeting with two ideas in favor of the customer.
• The best way to make a sale is to have done pre-call preparation in terms of the customer.
• The best way to make a sale is to convey value rather than features and benefits. I know how it works and what it does. Tell me how I win.
• The best way to make a sale is to focus on how they profit and produce.
• The best way to make a sale is to focus on outcomes and ownership.
• The best way to make a sale is to relax throughout the entire sales conversation.
• The best way to make a sale is to respond in a heartbeat.
• The best way to make a sale is to make yourself available when a customer needs you.
• The best way to make a sale is to support and prove all your claims with video testimonials from existing customers who love you and are loyal to you.
• The best way to make a sale is to ask for a date of beginning, or some type of commitment to move forward, AFTER you are certain you have removed all risks and removed all barriers from your prospect’s buying process.
• The best way to make a sale is to have multiple relationships at different levels and departments within the same company.
• The best way to make a sale is to earn the status of trusted advisor.
• The best way to make a sale is to create the atmosphere where the customer wants to buy.
• The best way to make a sale is to make the passion of your belief transferrable.

 

And there are questions you must ask yourself that enable the list of the BEST ways to make a sale:

• Am I always achieving my PERSONAL best?
• Am I always PREPARING my best for every sales call?
• Is my ATTITUDE set on positive, and positive outcome?
• Is my BELIEF in product, company, and self always at the highest level?
• Do I believe in my HEART that the customer is better off having purchased from me?
• Am I always doing my BEST for every customer, every time?

 

REALITY: As a customer, I do NOT need a salesman. I need greater productivity, an idea that helps me grow, improved morale, a profit provider, and a trusted advisor.

Is that you?

 

 

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude, and 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling. His real-world ideas and content are also available as online courses at www.GitomerVT.com. For information about training and seminars visitwww.Gitomer.com or www.GitomerCertifiedAdvisors.com, or email Jeffrey personally at [email protected].

 

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without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112