When we talk to our clients, one of the things we continue to hear is that their salespeople are being overtrained and, more often than not, have been introduced to new sales techniques.
Overtraining sales teams often occurs because of a mentality that because fundamental sales skills have been around since the ’70s, they should be updated. However, organizations are still not getting the desired behaviour changes and increase in sales that they strive for, but why?
Why do people buy from salespeople?
It’s 2019, the entire sales process can be automated from presentation to payment to delivery and after-sales care, so why do businesses still use salespeople? Selling has never been about information, it has been about inspiration. The fundamental difference between a salesperson and a fact sheet is the ability to inspire confidence in the buyer to make the commercial transaction, and that confidence starts with having a confident salesperson
Our approach to sales training bypasses the “methodology du jour” approach – instead of focusing on the sales person’s ability to convey confidence in themselves, their product, and their business. This approach to fundamental sales skills is about taking their sales skills to the next level, playing their strengths, and making their presence known.
Tips For Sales People
Cold Calling
Cold calling can be daunting for salespeople, with the fear of rejection rife, and the probability of it high, however, it still serves as the first contact for salespeople across various industries. Confidence & sales presence can still translate through the phone and makes all the difference between a hang up in the first few seconds, or landing a meeting or even a sale. We suggest:
Before the call
Focus and put aside distractions. Close your email and any non-meeting related browser windows. Be prepared to let the person with whom they are talking, and what you will be discussing with them today.
Take a moment to breathe. Stand up, or sit up straight before picking up the phone—this will allow your voice to project with confidence.
During the call
Consider standing or walking around if you feel your concentration or energy slipping, the dynamism of the movement will convey through your voice and help you avoid sounding monotone or stale.
Pay attention to the pacing of your pitch, avoid speeding through it or you may come off sounding like you’re just trying to meet a cold calls quota. Speaking at a measured pace helps to break down the barriers of the call and puts the prospect in the mentality of a meeting versus a cold call.
Face to Face Sales Meetings
In face to face sales meetings, physical or virtual, salespeople have the opportunity to fully showcase their confidence – and doing so has nothing to do with the words of their pitch.
Before the Meeting
5 to 10 minutes before the meeting, put your phone on silent. As with cold calling, the idea is to clear your mind of any distractions and allow you to focus on the moment.
During the Meeting
Sit up straight, but don’t be afraid to move your hands as speak. Nonverbal Communication Studies have shown that body language accounts for anywhere between 60-90% of communication, use that to your advantage and convey your enthusiasm through your body language as much as your tonality.
Avoid retorting immediately during tense negotiations. By pausing before responding, this conveys to the client that you are genuinely considering their point of view as opposed to giving them a canned response that you trained for in your pre-sales meeting preparation.
