HARDISON’S TIPS – OCTOBER 22, 2021 – SALES TIPS FOR THE NEW OR THINKING ABOUT SALES -5
Advanced Sales Tips and Techniques
Never Stop Prospecting
In Sales, there’s no such thing as resting on your laurels.
Complacency is never rewarded in this line of business. In order to enjoy continued success as a salesperson, it’s important to always have a new business on the horizon. The only way to do this is by prospecting regularly.
Always be on the lookout for new opportunities of business, be it through customer referrals or your own prospecting research. By identifying and understanding who your customers are, you can more effectively find those in need of your product and connect with them.
There are many great ways to find prospects, the best of which is prospecting technology. The internet is a treasure trove of customer information. As mentioned above, one of the best sales prospecting tips is to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator, a fantastic tool for prospecting that can supply you with a goldmine of business opportunities.
There’s also the old-school approach. Cold calling and emails are still a great way to connect with prospects, and also show you’re willing to put in the hard work to get the deal done.
Again, consider who you are reaching out to. When prospecting other businesses, often it’s wiser to aim higher in any organization, as the decision-makers are the ones who are more willing and able to buy if they’re convinced that your product can help them in some way. By aiming too low, the process can pass through too many hands and stall the deal indefinitely.
Your pipeline should never be empty — spend time each day reaching out to potential leads, and make sure that you’re never stuck without any fresh prospects for business.
Perfect Your Objection Handling
Remember earlier when we discussed how rejection is a huge part of sales?
With experience, handling objections, and a little bit of know-how, you can turn some of those rejections into wins. All it takes is approaching any concerns your clients may have the right way.
This comes down to product knowledge and knowing the ins and outs of your product — both the good and the bad.
It helps to think of your sales strategy as a game of chess. Think three steps ahead of your customers at all times and anticipate what moves they will make, both good and bad. If you have a plan in place for every potential objection, countering these concerns and steering the conversation becomes second nature.
Don’t wait for prospects to raise objections. Bring them up first and get the roadblock out of the way. That way you own the objection while also proving you are someone that the client can trust to see things from their perspective. Preparing in advance to understand your customer is instrumental in anticipating any possible objections on their part.
For example, if price objections are a frequent hurdle you face, a good way to anticipate and handle the objection is: “A lot of people ask about pricing, and that’s always an important thing to talk about.” This allows you to demonstrate why the value gained from your product will make up for any price paid for it.
By deftly handling any objection, that final detail holding the customer back can become the key factor that lands the sale.
