tip to succeed in sales

Are you a SALES PERSON?Invariably when people who are not in sales are asked this question they say no, they are not and in fact zealously go on to say just how much they dislike selling and would never be a sales person ever.I have lost count of the number of times that I have heard this comment made by people that I have spoken to from students that I have taught to attendees at my seminars and just ordinary people on the street that I have randomly asked this question.Little wonder then when as a customer you enter a store you will get defensive when the shop assistant approaches you and asks the clich?d question of "Can I help you" what is your response? In most circumstances you wilrespond by saying "No I am fine thanks just browsing." May I ask you then why on earth are you in the store in the first place? Is it to kill time, or to purchase something? 99% of the time we enter a store to purchase yet when we are approached we get wary and try and avoid the sales person or shop staff member, why?The why is that we have been indoctrinated to believe that sales person is. not to be trusted and this belief has come about by experiences that we personally, friends or members of our families have experienced and then relayed to us over dinner or at the pub.So here is the question again. Are you a sales person?The correct answer is YES. Every man, woman and child is selling. Why? Stop and think about it. We are all selling something to some one all of the time. It may not be a physical product for reward, it could just be our friendship. Hey, after all we all want friends don't we? Stop now and look at the chain of events that occur when we sell our selves to make new friends. What actions, words, dress, posture, and behavior do we have or adopt to succeed during this event.Interesting. So why do people in the sales field do things differently? After all it is not the way they sell themselves personally is it? So why the change when they turn up to their sales job? This change of behavior is what creates the problems in the selling environment, and why the majority of sales people struggle to succeed. Note also that none of these will tell you that they are struggling in their chosen profession; after all they call them selves professional sales people right?The belief that to be successful in sales the person must have the gift of the GAB is also incorrect. In today's sales environment the professional sales person must understand what sales talk is. Gone are the days of relying solely on product knowledge or technical expertise, it just does not work as well in today's sales environment where the customer is very well educated and informed thanks to the power of the internet and Google.Selling today is far more challenging than it was yesterday and unfortunately sales people are still trained in yesterdays' methodology. This methodology states that once they have identified a need they jump straight into product and tell a product story rather than creating a rich dialogue to under stand the why, how or when. While these sales people think solution they present product.TIP: Stop and LISTEN more than you talk, this will be extremely difficult when you first attempt it.This one tip alone once mastered will turn you from average to superb at sales.What holds good sales people back from becoming superb sales people is the way they are still taught the old formulas of selling features and benefits. This method blocks out the ability to create dialogue by listening and letting your customer take the floor and talk, with the sales professional asking the questions and creating a rich dialogue.

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