Having a sales philosophy is of utmost importance.
Not only does it act as a guidebook when you’re feeling iffy on how to handle an existing client, but it also ensures you’re able to land more prospects.
It is through sales tactics that many companies have positioned themselves on the growth pathway. You can do the same for your enterprise and benefit from the added advantage over your rivals. To achieve this, you need to first implement tried and tested sales tactics. While you may be tempted to come up with something revolutionary, it’s always safer to act from a position of strength.
As a manager, you’re mandated to provide great sales training to your team. When many people are faced with such a task, they usually think that longer work hours are what’s needed. In truth, efficacy doesn’t always translate to hard work and long hours.
In most instances, sales teams which work long and hard usually don’t see their labor come to fruition.
In a bid to lead you away from such a scenario, we’ve compiled a comprehensive sales tactics manual. Here’s our brief:
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- 1. Be persistent and follow up
- 2. Seek to solve customers’ problems
- 3. Active listening
- 4. Be courteous
- 5. Earn your referrals
- 6. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals
- 7. Strict deadlines
- 8. Develop relationships
- 9. Distinguish between customers & leads
- 10. Solicit targeted leads
- 11. Seek to discover each customer’s concerns
- 12. Storytelling
- 13. The proof is in the pudding
- 14. Keep calm, it’s your day
- 15. Find interested prospects
- Conclusion
15 Amazing Sales Tactics for 2019 Success
1. Be persistent and follow up
To see your sales numbers grow, you need to think about more than just closing the sale at first contact. Typically, salespersons who are all about the sale tend to give up trying after failing the first time.
Since it’s not always a given that clients will immediately flow with your pitch, it’s best to focus on nurturing viable leads.
This long-term approach is great because it shows your commitment to helping customers meet their needs. The savviest sales professionals embrace this strategy by persistently keeping touch with their clientele. They send direct mail, make calls here and there, send brochures, and email prospects.
The great thing about this method is that helps guide prospects further along the funnel. When they’re ready to make that next purchase, you’ll already have formed a good impression in their minds.
There are minimal odds they’ll decide to go with someone else.
2. Seek to solve customers’ problems
Importantly, you need to provide real value to your customers. The most competitive companies are able to remain relevant because they are able to solve their customers’ problems. If you’re looking to establish yourself as a force to reckon with, then, you need to think in this manner.
Having a problem-solving mentality at the workplace is sure to put you in good books with many clients. As such, you need to train your sales team to be proactive in their dealings. When proper background research is conducted, they’ll be able to quickly respond to customer queries if and when they are raised.
3. Active listening
Gone are the days of the chatty salesperson. Today, many customers are just as knowledgeable about various products in the market as you are. Since redundancy is usually a turn-off for most people, you need to train your sales reps on the right sales tactics. In this instance, we referring to putting a stop to the loquacious tendencies and a little bit more of some active listening.
The idea behind this is to avoid getting into a knowledge power struggle with customers. Simply listening to customers talk can have a powerful effect on your bottom line. This is because you’re better placed at understanding the issues they face. Having such a comprehension also is important because it allows you to carefully consider how to respond.
When clients believe that you’re really paying attention to their concerns, they’re bound to feel inclined to complete a sale.
4. Be courteous
While this may sound obvious, it’s really not.
Often times, salespersons feel inclined to badmouth the competition. When this happens, there’s really no telling how a customer will take the message. Some may laugh at your analogies with the competition, and some may simply deem you as unprofessional.
To avoid running the risk, it’s best to play it safe.
Maintaining a neutral air when comparing your business to the competition can actually help you earn points.
5. Earn your referrals
Referrals hold a special place among sales tactics. This is because they provide you with a defense-splitting through ball to willing customers. In fact, the data shows that 92% of buyers have confessed to trusting recommendations from people they know.
Having said that, it’s important that you first earn your referrals before you start asking customers to vouch for you.
Focusing on customer service is a great way to earn your referrals. During the transaction, the objective is to ensure that you’re able to connect with your customers. Once you’re certain that they’re happy with your services, then, you can approach them for a referral.
As is the case with most things in life, timing is crucially important.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals
Weird as it may sound, a considerable number of professionals fail to ask clients for referrals. If you actually do this, then, it’s time to stop since it’s akin to leaving the safe doors open; you’re inviting the completion to swoop in, vulture-style.
A happy customer is likely going to be ready to do anything you ask from them.
Playing the waiting game and hoping that they make the first move and refer clients to you is not a great concept. Instead, you need to learn to take initiative and see what happens. To capture such prospects, you need to train your sales team to incorporate referral conversations into their lingo.
7. Strict deadlines
Urgency is important in business.
It tends to give customers the impression that they need to act fast or they’re going to miss out on a great deal.
Now that we think about it, the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), is actually great for business. That said, you don’t need to forcibly compel them to act. Instead, tailor your pitch to resonate with their needs and then, provide a timeline.
Failure to do this may see your deals drag on for eons without having an inkling on when a deal is likely to close. At the same time, you need to be resolute in your decision making.
Constantly adjusting deadlines according to the whims of every customer is not advisable since it hurts your credibility.
8. Develop relationships
Repeat buyers are what enterprises always look for.
You don’t need to burn bridges with customers after every transaction. Instead, you need to learn a little something about customer retention. You can always spark up a conversation after the initial transaction has come to a close using your creativity.
This way, you’ll be able to enjoy the added benefits of having loyalists by your side for years to come.
Being cognizant of what your buyers want and delivering is a great way to build a relationship. If you happen to find yourself having a hard time pinpointing what they really need, then, don’t shy away from creating a list of questions to identify what they really want.
It’s one of the best sales tactics since it allows you to save time and quickly identify what really matters. Once you’re able to meet their needs, they’ll be easy to deal with long after the initial sale is over.
9. Distinguish between customers & leads
Not all leads who find their way to your website are actually ready to complete a transaction. As disheartening as this may be, it’s great information that will transform how you act.
Notably, you need to remember that leads are potential business. Since no business was ever built on potential alone, you need to find a way of making them something more than that. A great way to start off is by categorizing leads and coming up with campaigns to interact with them.
Once you’ve classed them, you’ll be able to save plenty of time that would have otherwise gone into unfruitful ventures.
10. Solicit targeted leads
This is one of the most essential sales tactics to master. As you focus on expanding your reach, you need to be conscious that not everyone qualifies as a customer. To land more prospects, you have to narrow down your marketing strategy to capture the right target audience.
A brilliant way to do this is by embracing technology.
With automation, you’ll be able to clearly define the kind of people you’re after and then reach out to them. Ideally, you want to draft a bespoke pitch that speaks to each of the demographics you’re targeting.
11. Seek to discover each customer’s concerns
Identifying the right buttons to press in order to compel customers to act is one of the most effective sales tactics. This is because it allows you to methodically approach them without any hesitation.
To start the conversation, you need to lead the talk with closed-ended questions. After they provide their yeses and noes and you note that they’re much more relaxed around you, dig deeper.
Proceed on to the open-ended questions and you’ll notice that they’ll volunteer to provide extra information.
Once you have the data you need, you can make use of that information to persuade them to take action.
12. Storytelling
The ability to spin a yarn is something you need to have in your arsenal. While conventional wisdom will have you believe that you need to cram plenty of facts and data, it’s not the best way to go about it. This is because stories are typically much more memorable than hard facts.
If a customer is able to recall what you said about a product long after the pitch is made, the better the odds you have at closing the deal. As you tell your story, try to twist it in such a way that it’s relevant to your target audience. If you can share experiences of people who went home happy after using your products and/or services, then, it’s an added advantage.
13. The proof is in the pudding
There’s a good reason why you’re always seeing all those before and after shots for weight loss products. Marketers are aware of the fact that customers want to see social proof that products actually work. While word of mouth can be pretty convincing, nothing really beats visual proof.
You can use this information to good use by keeping customers testimonials in a binder or in digital storage for sharing with customers. As new customers trickle in, you can share such evidence and give them more reasons why your products are worth it.
14. Keep calm, it’s your day
Having a positive outlook is a great way to live because it gives you the motivation to keep on pushing. Getting jaded just because a transaction didn’t go as planned can have the counter-effect.
Because you can’t always win every time, learn to take the slumps with ease.
It’s also worth noting that positivity tends to have a ricochet effect. When you’re happy, your energy is easily transferrable to customers. On the flip side, if you’re stressed out, customers will be able to clearly see it and feel uninspired to buy anything you’re selling.
According to researchers at the University of Kansas, positivity usually reduces stressful situations. They noted that a simple action like smiling before picking up a call usually gives you a “feel good” factor which translates to a confident pitch.
15. Find interested prospects
Swimming against the tide is never a good idea. You may just find yourself swept downstream and into a waterfall.
In your search for leads, look for audiences who really need your services. There’s no need to try and convince someone who isn’t remotely interested in what you have to say to buy something from you. Instead, tap into markets that you’re sure would benefit from having access to your products.
To eliminate the guesswork from the process, try to pre-qualify clients before you start marketing products to them.
Conclusion
Our 15-point guide is not just some random compilation of sales tactics, these are actually proven strategies that work. Given just how competitive the market is nowadays, you need all the help you can get to make a name for yourself.
We’re certain that using the highlighted sales tactics, you’ll be able to pick up steam and guide your sales vessel forward.