Effective sales is the single most important factor for a company's success. A company's revenue and size is entirely dependent on the organization's ability to close business and turn leads into clients.
Despite working in sales for most of my career, I have met very few sales people.
I have met hundreds of people who bring in new business, close deals, and exceed quotas, but I have seldom been introduced to someone who engages a client and executes a deal with the forethought, improvisation, empathy, and fortitude of a true salesperson.
The notion of sales has been convoluted by an ease of the process, a leniency in quota, and a lack of drive. For sales people who want to separate themselves from the pack, employ these nine strategies:
1. Be a wolf in sheep's clothing
While your goal is to close the deal, your language and presence should remain congenial. Keep your mind focused on the goal, but project platonic verbal and physical language.
Rarely do deals close on your first contact. Consistent and mindful follow-ups are critical for closing deals. Never rely on the client to call you back, always make sure to reach out and follow up. Being persistent and strategic with your outreach will ensure that you stay in your client's consciousness and will help you build rapport with your client.
While you don't want to be too aggressive when closing the deal, you also don't want to let it slip away. Pull hard enough to keep the deal moving forward, without snapping the rope. Embrace the tug-of-war of the sale gently, but never miss an opportunity to move it forward.
4. Once the deal is sold, stop selling
Once you have obtained a verbal commitment, lay off the gas entirely. Don't allow the excitement or relief of the close to cause you to break your demeanor or jeopardize the decision. Your urgency to close a deal should never overpower the necessity of maintaining a healthy relationship with the client.
Know your audience and act accordingly. People have different views, ways of speaking, and ways of understanding. Thus, the way you interact with the CEO of Target and your Uber driver are different. You show each client equal respect, but you will connect with them in different ways and will have to adjust your conversations based on each person.
6. Exude a positive attitude
Radiating an upbeat demeanor will positively influence the direction of the conversation. If you sound depressed, your product will sound depressing. Building off of the customer's own optimism will encourage them to look at the product in a more optimistic light. Always be agreeable; the best way to win an argument is to avoid the argument. Disagreements, of any sort, will kill the connection.
The single most important factor in sales is empathy. Empathy is the foundation on which any meaningful relationship is formed. If your client knows that you understand them, care about them, and genuinely have their best interests in mind, then the sale will come naturally. The most effective way to build empathy is to listen to the client when they speak, and to demonstrate that you fully understand their concerns, and the implications of their concerns.
8. Stop Selling and Start Helping
Don't focus on closing the deal; focus on building rapport with your client. Focus on helping them find a solution to their problem. Dig into their perspective and learn about their business, their hobbies, their families, and their lives. Learning and caring about them will be more effective than any logical deduction you might introduce as a means of closing a deal. Connecting their experiences with yours and showing that you understand them is powerful.
Unless you're looking for a quick way to annoy someone, hard selling is dead. Acting eager or pushy is a guaranteed way to lose business. Employ a consultative, relationship-based sell.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.