Sales lessons every startup founder needs – 02 continued…..
Telling is not selling: The sales person must be a good communicator and need not be a good talker. It’s a myth we all feel that the best sales is achieved only by best people who talk more. On the contrary only a good listener sells more. And to be good in the art one must have profound trust in the product. The right belief system leaves a positive impact on the whole scenario. Normally we try to learn from experience but to scale up massively it is best to learn from ‘real’ experts.
Key pointers for mastering sales:
- Telling is not selling and talking more is no way related to selling more
- 80%:20% world renowned theory
- 80% revenue is generated by 20% sales staff
- In any company 80% sales revenue is generated from 20% clients
- 80% problems are solved by 20% solutions
Key Differentiators:
| NO | SALES PERSON | SALES PROFESSIONAL |
| 1 | Focussed on product | Focussed on need |
| 2 | Work only for achieving target | Working also on prospects benefits |
| 3 | Closes deal by design – robotic | Gives a human touch addressing the need and pain |
| 4 | Looking for listeners | Actively listens – interested to be interesting |
| 5 | Pitches to every client | Validates and only discusses with qualified prospects |
| 6 | Speaks primarily about features | Speaks about results that would solve the prospects pain points |
Customer is the most important in any business scenario, hence ask the right question that allows them to reveal the pain points and address them one after another to close the deal.
A classic example: a marketing mentor / coach had arrived early in the town where he was invited to address an event. With adequate time on hand for a drink and rest before the event, he walked into the permit room of the hotel he was staying. As he set out to order, he noticed a man seated on a high stool beside him who looked sober. He just looked at the other man and smiled out of courtesy. The gentleman started striking a conversation with the mentor.
The mentor listened patiently while just popping a few questions in between, having a drink. As it was getting too late the mentor bade good bye to the other man and walked towards the door. Incidentally, the other guy called him and said ‘mark you; you were the best guy I have ever met.’ The morale of the story is the mentor spoke nothing but asked him qualitative questions and emotionally the narrator got connected giving the mentor an everlasting compliment. That is the power of listening.
- Understand the pain points and address them, elaborate on how they solve the problems faced by the client. An example: there were two friends sitting on a wall and a dog was wailing beside the wall however in a low voice. The first guy asked the second why is the dog occasionally wailing. The second answered ‘it is sitting on a nail’. Astonished the first one again asked then why it is not getting up from the spot. The second guy instantly bounced back and said probably the pain is not that much. This is an important lesson to lean unless the pain is more the solution is not required.
- Do not be cheesy or be desperate. By showing these instincts there is a benefit of doubt arising in the client’s mind which eventually spoils the prospects.
- Do not be over excited. Try talking about the ways it would solve the problems faced in the present scenario.
- Do not oversell. Try adding value to the client. Ask yourself why the client should buy from you and how you address their pain points.
- At times muster courage to tell a ‘no’. By refusing when you feel it is not amiable your credibility increases for a life time with the client.
In a candid chat with WAY2WORLD, Yathiji (www.yatraining.com) informed, “Our Passion is Making India Grow by helping Startups, Entrepreneurs and MSMEs to become More Profitable by Increasing their Sales & Improving their Profitability. We offer 100% Results-oriented Training for Salespeople and Coaching for Management”. With inputs from internet – RajKishan
To be continued – series of articles – step-by-step of building sales strategy………..
……Sales lessons every startup founder needs – 03
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