selling process made simple easy to

Closing the sale. Getting the money. Finalizing the selling process. Getting to Yes! Whatever expression you can think of, the bottom line is just that, the bottom line! Can you successfully turn a prospect into a client? There are thousands of books, articles and dissertations written on the subject of sales training, the selling process and closing. This short story rapidly describes how honesty, directness and just a little courage can help you gain more customers. Follow this process and these sales tips to increase your sales.We have read hundreds of books on how best to close a sale, on how to get to "yes". We have attended panoply of seminars on how to capture customers on savvy was to ask for the money. We have honed in on our selling skills through a few decades of practice. This short preview is in no way a complete selling process. It is a quick 1-2-3 approach to selling. Recently we witnessed selling at its purest form which made us rethink our entire approach to not only selling our own products, but how to teach others to sell theirs.The traditional selling process is comprised of a greeting, an introduction, a discovery phase, the demonstration of your product, the presentation of a proposal with pricing, and finally closing. Please remember that to simplify the selling process discussion, we list it in the aforementioned order. However the selling process in a retail store is typically a two way conversation. Let's take a very brief look at each of these phases in the simplest possible form.GreetingHow many times have you walked in to a specialty retail store that only sells one type of product and the salesperson says: "How can I help you?" or "Can I help you?" Customers today are also savvy and have learned to say "No thanks, just looking". So get creative and simplify! You might try something like:* "Good afternoon, thank you for coming in"
* "Welcome back, what can I help you with today?"
* "Welcome to Spas for Fun"Humor can also be a great ice breaker and can be appropriate in the right circumstance with the right people. Your personality plays a big role in this type of approach. Here are a few responses to "We're just looking":* "That is great because I'm just selling."
* "That is great because this is Tuesday and I don't sell on Tuesdays."
* "That's OK because it is before noon and I don't sell until after lunch."Even with such greetings, some people just want a few minutes to look around. Read their body language and give them a little space. Come back after a few minutes later to see if they need assistance.IntroductionOnce you get over the initial hellos, and the clients are done just browsing around, go over to them and introduce yourself. State your name clearly and shake hands. Pay close attention to their names and repeat them with "Nice to meet you John and Carole". If you need to carry around a clip board or small note pad or even a lead sheet, write down their names so you won't forget. Use their names as often as possible during your chat with them, keeping it within the realm of sanity. After all we don't want to sound like a robot or a crazed maniac! It is totally acceptable to take notes, especially if you are like me. I have poor short term memory, so I take notes and tell clients, "Do you mind if I take notes, it's an old habit from my waitress days."DiscoveryThis phase started when they walked through the door. Every question you ask yields an answer. Their stance, behavior and especially their answers and tone of their answers to your questions are clues to lead you to the best product for their needs. If you are truly paying attention and focusing on your client, you can use this answer to help you close the deal. How can you possibly recommend the right product or service for your client if you did not ask them what they need or worse yet, did not pay attention to what they told you. How can you close the deal if you have no clue what your client's needs are! To recommend a product or service to your client you must know the answer to basic questions:* How did they hear about you?
* Who will use the product?
* When will they use the product?
* Where will the product be installed?
* Are they ready for the installation?
* How often do they plan on using this product on a daily? Weekly or monthly basis?
* Why do they need or just want this product?
* What are the 2 or 3 most important features for them?
* What are the 2 or 3 most important benefits for them?There are hundreds if not thousands more questions you can ask depending on the complexity of your product or service, the customer and the situation. At the very least, you MUST ask the basic questions that will allow you to select which product is best suited to their needs. This is important IF you want referral business from your customers.ObjectionsWe all have to deal with objections. Consumers are professional objectors. That is their job! What is your job? Your job is to make money! Your job is to sell them a product or service. There is no shame in that. Selling is an honorable profession, if you treat it as such. Everyday someone is either selling you something or you are selling them something. Even office workers are selling. Convincing your boss or teenager of an idea is selling.Objections are great! If your prospect is still in your store or office asking questions or presenting you with objections, then you still have a chance to get the sale. Objections are a sign of interest. How to deal with an objection depends on the source of the objection. Does it stem from your competitors? Does it stem from a simple unanswered question your client has? Or did you create an objection they would not have thought of because you are over selling and talking too much?An objection coming from your competitor should always be dealt with by taking the high road. It is never positive to play along with competitor bad mouthing. Simply take a positive approach to what your competitors say. You can say: "It is too bad they said that, we think highly of them and the product. We picked this product because.." Often times, the same objection comes back, so be prepared for it and address this type of objection during your presentation.A question coming from our client is probably just that, a question or concern. If you know the answer, then provide it in a clear and precise manner. If you don't, simply say, "I am not certain about that, if you'll give me a minute I'll see if I can find out for you". If you have to take some time to get the answer, ask for their coordinates, find the answer and get back to them as quickly as you can. The LAST thing you should do is make up a random, costly or risky answer that might give you, your company or the manufacturer a bad reputation. Not finding the correct answer might also cost your client, you and your company a lot of money if extra expenses are incurred because of it.Trick of the trade: When faced with an objection, use the following method that is tried and true.1. Repeat their questions in your words to clarify that you truly understand what they are saying. This also forces you to pay attention to their words.2. Ask them permission to provide an answer. For example: "Now that I understand what you meant, please allow me to show you how this works" or "If you don't mind, I'd like to walk you through our services in a step by step process."3. Provide the correct and honest answer to their concern. Provide the best solution to their apparent problem or concern.4. Close the sale with something like: "Now that we have cleared this up, would you like your product delivered Tuesday or Saturday." (Using an alternative is easier than just asking for money.)ProposalWhen you make your offer or proposal, do it directly. Look your client in the eye in order to relay confidence and honesty. You must be convinced that the price you are proposing is just and worth it. If you do not believe in the price/quality value of your product or service, you will have a very hard time convincing others. Remember that just because you cannot afford it or you do not need it, does not mean others can't or don't. Your proposal or offer should be clearly understood so your client is not feeling jilted. Ask them if they understand the offer you've just made and exactly what it includes or excludes. If you ask them to reiterate what the offer is, then you will know if your proposal is understood. If it is not, then explain it clearly. Clients only feel cheated when they misunderstood what you promised. A good rule of thumb is to under promise and over deliver. This means quite simply that you should NEVER promise something you cannot provide!ClosingClosing the sale is such a hard thing to do for many. Change your mind set if this is difficult for you. What are you really closing, nothing but this brief encounter. In most cases, you are just starting a long term relationship with your customer. If this is a onetime deal, remember that a satisfied customer will recommend you to his friends, which in turn will bring you new business.Doing a Show and Tell with your client and not closing the deal makes you a demonstrator! You become a sales person only when you take the next step which is to ask for the money, ask for a delivery date, ask for a deposit, ask them to sign the contract...basically, do you get the idea...ASK! If you do not ask, your competitors will. If you do not ask, they might just walk away. Many customers are just waiting for you to ask them for their money. They need a little nudge to reassure them that they are making the right decision.Here are a few closing lines that work in a retail environment:* Which day is best for you next week to deliver this TV?
* When would you like to start this service?
* Would you like to pay cash or with a credit card?
* Would you like to finance this purchase?
* We can deliver your new Product next Monday or Wednesday, which one is best for you?
* Do you want the extended warranty on this Product?
* We have both models in stock; do you want the Standard or Ultra model?
* As we discussed, an inspection of your yard is necessary, I can be there Monday through Wednesday, which afternoon would you prefer?There are so many lines you can use. Just do it! ASK for the sale. If they say no, the worst that can happen is that you've had a good conversation with your prospect and a little more practice. If your prospect is still undecided, qualify how far along they are with this:"On a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being absolutely never and 10 being we are ready, where would you say you stand?" Depending on the answer, you might then say: "What can I work on to provide you with the information you are still needing to make a decision?" If they give you another objection, try to address it immediately. If research is required, then ask for their contact information and give then a time and day you will call them. Now even if they won't commit right now, today, then at the very least get their contact information so you can follow up with them.There are statistics that show that 81% of sales happen only after the 5th contact. Are you taking the time to follow up with your prospects? If you take the time to get their information, make sure you tell them what you will do with it. Reassure them that it is only for you so that you can call them in a day or so to answer any further questions they might have. Or that you are in the habit of sending thank you cards to your clients. When you do make that follow up call, close again and again. Persistence does pay off.Example of selling in its purest formDuring a home and garden show, our teens came to lend a hand in our booth. We instructed them on how to demonstrate the product, in this case a hot tub with interchangeable seats. We gave them a five line presentation sales pitch, pricing, showed them how to demonstrate the interchangeable jetting and instructed them to get one of us if the client wanted more information. We suddenly became very busy and everyone was working with clients.The kids (19 and 16) presented the product to a tall gentleman and his wife. Their approach was a great lesson for all of us observing the interaction.Kids: "Hi, I'm Cat and this is Phil, thank you for stopping to look at our hot tubs"Couple: "You are welcome, we are Jack and Jill"Kids: "Have you ever seen this kind of hot tub? We'll be happy to show you how different they are." (Assumptive position, they just assumed this couple would take a minute to look at the hot tub)Couple: "OK" Then the kids proceeded to show Jack and Jill why these hot tubs are different from others and gave them the basic five line presentation. Phil demonstrated how easy it is to change around the stations and asked what type of massage they liked and showed them which seats would best suit their needs, then asked "What do you think?" Phil being 16 still has the natural instinct of waiting for an answer.Couple: "Well this one is too big, do you have a smaller one?" to which Cat answers: "You are really tall sir, I am not certain you can fit in the smaller one. But we have one over here; do you want to see it?" She simply walked them over to the smaller hot tub. "If you climb in, you'll be able to see if you fit, it's OK just try it, we do it all the time". So the couple climbed into the spa to see if they both fit in it.At this point, the kids just looked at each other with a big smile and Cat simply says: "Well you definitely fit, it's nice isn't it?" Jack asked them what the price was. Phil says: "It costs $6500 and my mom says that includes the delivery".Then without missing a beat Cat asks: "Which credit card would you like to use to buy it?" Kids being kids, they did what they do best when asking an adult a question; they simply looked at them and waited for the answer. The couple was amused by this direct approach, but also pleased at the lack of games and proceeded to buy the spa. It was such a refreshing episode to watch and learn from. No fancy talk, just a basic, direct and open approach.In closing, if you are direct in your approach, honest with your statements and gutsy enough to ask for their business, you will close more sales. This very brief article is meant to simplify the selling process by providing easy sales tips you can use. Remember that relationship building is also a big part of retail sales, so don't be afraid to chat with your clients and get to know them a little. Selling can be as complicated or as simple as you make it. Just remember that you are there to sell and your clients are there to buy: a perfect match....so just sell!

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