Creating Quality Sales: Let's get SIIC
2/16/2017
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Sales is not only about selling; it is about experience, connections, and most importantly...relationships. Creating Quality Sales helps to nurture relationships, make them stronger, and in the end, last longer. There are many things we as salespeople do incorrectly, such as thinking only of the bottom line. Don't get me wrong, the numbers matter, but how you get there is important not only to your wallet, but to the reputation you carry for yourself and your company. There are four main steps, pieces of the puzzle so to speak, that I practice when it comes to selling and working with prospects and customers. Let's get SIIC! Selling with Sincerity, Intuition, Integrity, and Common Sense that is; when they come together is when the quality of sales increase. Let me define and break them down for you one-by-one:
Sincerity: The quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy; a mix of seriousness and honesty
In today's world, sincerity seems more difficult to come by. Social media, blogs, and the age of selfies tend to put a focus on me me me. Everything we do and post, we are more focused on our own wants and desires more than ever. In sales, we must put our clients and prospects first, and us second. Just as we want others to respect our time, we must respect their time in return. Be prompt, be ready, and avoid rescheduling as often as possible. I much rather have a client reschedule a meeting than me. After all, we are the ones that need them, not necessarily vice versa. When you are in a meeting put your cell phone away, not on the table flipped upside down. Allow the focus to be on them; this shows them that you not only respect their time, but their presence as well. You cannot be fully engaged with an individual if you are scrolling through emails or glancing at how many likes your lunch post is receiving.
Most importantly, care about who they are before you care about the sale. Business is great and all, but do not forget they are a person with a life outside of the office. Ask questions about their families, hobbies, where they are vacationing. Empathize with your clients and prospects. If you know their grandmother was in the hospital, send a note to ask how she and their family is doing. Find areas outside of a proposal and quote where you can relate with the client or prospect, such as similar hobbies. Knowing who a person is, is key to any lasting relationship, even within business. Not to mention, if you find out unfavorable facts about someone, their morals, and integrity, you can proceed with caution or kindly back away, and save yourself from hidden stressors down the road...and a potentially bad partnership!
Intuition: A feeling that guides a person to act a certain way without fully understanding why; something that is understood or known without proof or evidence
Some people are born with natural intuition. Some must work to understand the difference between intuition and individual perception. Paying attention to a prospects' body language and voice inflections are ways to help you to hone in on your intuition. If someone keeps looking at their watch, have delayed reactions, or are sitting with their arms across their chest, they are probably not interested. You might even be talking too much! If they are leaning in, nodding their head, and asking questions, they are engaged and their interest is peaked.
When all else fails, and you cannot read your prospect, do not be afraid to ask questions! Be upfront, ask them for their thoughts and if they understand what you are offering. People appreciate when you show you care what they are thinking, as opposed to assuming or guessing. You know what they say about assuming, right? Listening beyond your rationalizations (a.k.a. personal perception), and putting yourself in their shoes can help you better understand what is going through their mind.
Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness
Keeping your personal integrity is not only important, it is key. Do what you say, own up to your mistakes, and make sure everything is on the table. At times we are tempted to say, "Sure, we can do that!", when you have no clue if it is even feasible. Being upfront with your prospects, even if they might not like what you have to say, is vital. The truth is always appreciated, and empty promises can easily break their trust in you and your company. If you make a mistake, which will happen, be upfront and make sure to apologize. We are all human, and mistakes are expected; however, how you deal with them shows your true integrity.
Avoid the sleazy salesman status! Pressure sales is a thing of the past, as should be little white lies. If you can't give a prospect everything they want, be clear on what you can offer and focus on the positives. If they say "no" do not try to push the sale on them, they will only become frustrated and annoyed. Not to mention, you can come across as desperate. "Do they need the sale THIS badly?!" Bad mouthing a former employer or competitor is also frowned upon, and can come back to haunt you. You want to sell by how good your product is, not by how bad other products or salespeople are. So, do not be tempted to talk down someone to talk yourself up, this reflects in poor taste and poor integrity.
Common Sense: Sound and prudent judgement based on a simple perception of the situation or facts; normal native intelligence
For me, Intuition and Common Sense are similar, but they do differ. Intuition is inference, whereas common sense is more factual and experience based. When is comes to common sense, listen for specific keywords and phrases. If a prospect is saying that their team is small or they do not have resources, you do not want to try to sell them something that is built for a large company; move to a more suitable fit. If a prospect is having a difficult time grasping what you are saying, your product is probably not for them. Again, step outside of your individual perception to understand what they are saying; reality vs. identifiable reality.
Know your industry. Know your clients' industry. This is where straight up factual common sense comes into play. A product built for insurance companies will not work well for real estate clients. The more you understand exactly what your client does, the better you can qualify your offerings. Doing your research is vital to generating quality sales. Learning from experience will help you time and time again. Set aside the needed time in conversation with your clients to ask relevant questions, as well as doing your homework ahead time, will help build the common sense you need for closing a deal.
Author: Erin Ahaus Contreras
Director of Business Development at AddressTwo CRM
[email protected]
www.addresstwo.com