My Dad is the head salesman for the company he works for and I asked him what principles he and the rest of his department abide by. He of course said The Sandler Rules. He sent me this article that highlights 10 misconceptions most sales people have, they are also outlined in our book!
1. Assuming the problem that the prospect communicates is the real problem.
2. Thinking that your sales “presentation” will seal the deal.
3. Talking too much
4. Believing you can sell anyone anything
5. Over-educating the prospect you are selling too
6. Failing to remember sales-people are decision makers too
7. Reading minds
8. Working as an unpaid consultant to close a deal
9. Being your own worst enemy
10. Keeping your fingers crossed that a prospect doesn’t notice a problem
The rules my Dad elaborated on were # 3,4, and 10. The 70/30 rule is something all sales people need to abide by. Something he learned early on is “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason, use them accordingly.” It is important a sales person realizes they need to listen to their customer and not just overwhelm. Conversation is key in any sale so it’s important to learn how to be a good conversationalist.
You may be able to have a conversation with anyone, but selling to anyone is a completely different story. It’s important to learn early on that people don’t make the sale simply because of your sales pitch, but they have to come to the realization themselves. So it’s important to “sell by telling” and letting the customer make the decision through discovery.
Finally, honesty is a huge policy in my Dad’s company. He works with selling Jet aircraft engines and does a lot of B to B sales. He says especially in his business everyone has to be upfront and transparent with each other about potential problems or concerns. It allows for your customers to build trust in your business.
If you want to see more about this article here is the link!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2013/05/03/10-essential-selling-principles-most-salespeople-get-wrong/
BoweryJE22