We all love inspiring quotations and, for sales professionals, it’s those catchy quotes that also serve up sales tips that are the best of both worlds. Delivering inspiration that’s actionable is no easy task. That’s especially true of today’s marketplace.
The latest Salesforce annual industry report cautions that “sophisticated customers pervade the market.” Today’s sales professionals are dealing with more competition and new technological complications from all sides.
So what should you do to take advantage of this environment, win sales, and grow your business? The answers might surprise you. This week, let’s take a look at five recent quotes from sales industry experts and how you can apply this wisdom to your sales work right now.
1. “Start Connecting”
Shane Gibson is a top social sales influencer, professional speaker, author, and instructor. His advice:
Immutable #SocialSelling Rule #1: Stop Pitching and Start Connecting
We know this much is true: Today’s savvy consumer can smell a pitch from a mile away. And they’re not impressed. They want to know why they should trust you and buy from you, out of all the thousands of possible options only a click away. To win this sale, you have to put the pitch aside and connect with your prospect on a human level. Build that all important rapport, find a commonality, and build trust.
2. Your “Solution Is Secondary”
Sales acceleration expert and best-selling author Jill Konrath tells us that the product and even our services aren’t as important as we think they are:
The key to your success is you! Customers buy from you, not because of the particular products or general services you offer, but because how you sell and service those products makes all the difference. Again, the key is partly the personal connection that you build with your customers. Beyond that, you will win more sales with this type of customer by being knowledgeable and experienced in your work.
3. “Best Sellers” Know Their Prospects
The founder of Social Selling Labs and a top social media expert for LinkedIn, Koka Sexton puts knowledge in perspective:
The best sellers should know more about their prospects than they know about themselves.
Yes, you absolutely need to understand your customer base inside-out. But why? It’s because understanding your customers gives you that all important “in” so that you can connect. Don’t underestimate the importance of asking questions of your prospects. And listen carefully to the responses. A willing prospect will tell you almost everything you need to know if you let them. Master this art and your sales will really take off.
4. Taking Too Long to “Lose a Deal”
Top sales trainer John Barrows has worked with sales professionals at some of the world’s leading companies, so he knows a thing about losing a sale. His advice:
The worst sin in sales is not to lose a deal, it’s to take a long time to lose a deal.
Time wasted on a sale that’s never going to happen is time you don’t have to spend on a sale you’ll close. If you’re doing your job well, there’s really no good reason to not know a sale isn’t going to work out. When it does happen, fear of failure or rejection has gotten in the way of your communication and trust with the customer. If you can’t trust them to tell you whether they’re still interested or have decided to pass, how can they trust you with their product and service needs?
5. You Must Help “Filter Out the Noise”
Sales acceleration speaker, coach, strategist, and author Andy Paul gets at the heart of what the customer needs from you in a competitive marketplace:
Customers need your help to filter out the noise and find the value.
Returning to that Salesforce report for a minute — if competition is increasing and closing sales are more complex from your end, consider how your customer sees it. Choice can be a positive — until it becomes overwhelming. Then your customer can easily fall victim to analysis paralysis. In your sales work, you can be that voice that cuts through the BS and finds the right solution. And customers will trust you to do this for them — if you can earn their trust in the first place.
Closing Thoughts
You’ve probably picked up on a theme here. All these quotes from the experts deal with relationships and/or trust. Despite the rapid pace of change in the sales world over the last couple years, it’s still these time-worn sales concepts that will help you succeed in today’s competitive sales space, say the experts. I guess it’s true what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Are you ready to help your customers filter out noise, put your knowledge to use, and build lasting connections with your clients? Put these tips to use with a new batch of high-quality aged leads from the Aged Lead Store. You’ll find thousands of leads that will help take your business to the next level.
