Highly successful sales professionals 8 most common reoccurring habits by Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment

Profile for Rob Scott, Managing Director of Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment

As an experienced sales professional you will have most likely developed your own unique selling style, however there are some quite obvious trends in sales techniques that more often than not lead to sales success. Some of the top sales people that we know consider the following sales tactics their HABITS and they use these habits to ensure they are highly successful:

1. Know who you’re selling to

Research your prospect and their business before your initial meeting with them. Prospects want to know (that you know) how you can help them and they won’t believe you if they don’t believe you have a thorough understanding of what they do. Just beware that they need to do most of the talking- despite knowing a lot about their business they won’t want to listen to you talk (and talk and talk) about their business and how it works. By listening you can better learn how you can fill a need.

2. Why should they buy?

Instead of addressing objections regarding your service or products ensure you ensure you talk about the benefits to lower resistance to what you are offering. By focussing on the positives you are reducing the importance of the negatives.

3. Forget the product or the service, sell the benefits!

You may have heard this many times before but it’s worth remembering! What can your product or service do for your prospect? What are the benefits of what your product will produce? For example you’re not selling a toothbrush you are selling the “latest development in oral hygiene that keeps your mouth clean for up to 12 hours” giving your customer peace of mind that they are attending thoroughly to their oral hygiene! Focus on the emotional and the financial benefits and you’ll be on to a winner!

4. Don’t rush!

Rushing customers/prospects can be highly detrimental to your relationship with them. Let them come to their own decisions. You want to give them the right impression of your business and make them feel valued. Rushing causes hostilities between you that may not be able to be overturned. This makes the difference between making a sale and creating a loyal customer. Don’t risk losing a qualified prospect who you know needs your product.

5. Know your Products as well as the market - Be a resource for your customers!

Demonstrate that you are a valuable resource for your clients by ensuring you know and understand your products and the market. This will enable you to assist them in making good decisions and provide them with the tools to improve their business or life. If you don’t already have these skills and knowledge, get them! Your customers will reward you over and over with their trust of your knowledge, opinions and advice and therefore buy from you frequently!

6. Make little promises and keep them!

Always follow through with what you say you will do! If you say you’ll send a quote by Thursday, do it! If you say you’ll check with someone else in your company about an issue that’s come up- DO IT! Don’t forget. There is no surer way of losing the faith of a prospect (or existing client) than to forget to do something you tell them you will do. If a delay occurs because something has genuinely come up- call them and give them a heads up!..you never know how they might have arranged their time around the information they are waiting on from you.

7. Focus on your client’s successes

There is huge value in really taking an interest in your customers and their businesses. It is likely that you see a multitude of businesses in your market and how they work and can therefore offer some great insights into what works and what doesn’t in their marketplace. I you can help them to succeed then they are more likely to help you to succeed. Gather this knowledge and share it with your clients or prospects. Make sure they understand that you want to see them do well, not just sell your products/services to them.

8. Explain don’t excuse!

If you must explain to a company why you cannot fulfil a need or a promise, ensure you explain why the problem is there in the first place rather than using an excuse. For example if you have had a delay in an order reaching you and that has had a knock-on effect on your customers make sure you explain the situation before they notice the problem. Understanding the problem before they have a chance to get annoyed can alleviate some of their frustrations before they happen. Also verbalizing the cause may also keep you more aware of the potential problems so you can be more prepared the next time round.

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