It has been the holy grail of many a salesperson – to be able to increase sales numbers, almost overnight.
However, it’s not a case of “fake it till you make it.” Sales training need to be a two-way process – something that you learn and then give. This will help you build the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your target sales targets.
Here are the Top 5 ways you can increase sales:
#1 – Develop a clearly defined selling process in your sales training programs
By having a business or process, this enables you to run a much more effective program, enabling you to expand your knowledge.
For example, in selling, you may have a five step process you use to qualify leads:
1. Referrals – get the referrals you need to get your message across
2. Budget – what is the budget for this or that?
3. 2nd order buyers – are they the ones that will buy from you or is there another decision maker
4. contingency buyers – if they are not the ones needed? Is there a different decision maker you need to follow up with? How can you get their agreement?
5. Text messages/emails – Do you contact them after or before you leave a voice message?
Using the best selling process also helps you capture more information. This will help you move to the next stage of the process and prepare for the closing of the sale or having someone else purchase your service.
#2 – Manufacturing or Customer Service training is imperative to increase sales
If you are selling services as well as products, it’s important to train your staff to cater for all types of customers.
Sales training, customer service training or client policy training will help you build customer relationships without being “ITS-all to one”.
For example, if you are a white collar professional, your customer service and manufacturing might be different from someone who is selling high-end services.
There are lots of businesses now that have closed down because the selling and servicing of courses only revolved around one product.
#3 – Invest
This is a key strategy because I’ve seen how companies who train their staff my seem to do it. The belief was that training people to sell more has an automatic chain reaction of positive consequences.
However, the reverse has been true. There is nothing like being really good on the first try.
I’ve been on three different courses and each face has been a very different one.
By the third day I was in a single sentence; “Sorry, I needed the 4th day instead.”
I worked out on this how important understanding the first steps is to then having a process in place that will help you take it to different levels.
#4 – Be positive – give what you are getting
This same belief was mentioned on a famous body building expo – where people would jump on a growing man.
They were pretty excited about this, as they were in the way of him the second time around.
The same concept applies here.
Most companies and sales managers now like management (or within their company) come in with a positive philosophy and they set the environment up with achievable targets.
That doesn’t mean they go anywhere other than your desk. No, it means if you are the one with the meetings or sort out the problems, do so, but make sure you are able to.
If you are the manager who is always giving out negative feedback, you need to find another way of leading.
#5 – Be open to the possibilities
When you are not looking for something, quite frankly, you don’t miss it.
Accept that people can be different – they are such a wide mixture of people and backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. If you go to a seminar or workshop, encourage people to ask for training they couldn’t otherwise afford.
Even better, when you discover your products don’t work, aren’t smiling or errors happen, or even if you get a bum product – don’t force people to accept that people keep making the same mistake.
This way, after your initial reaction you heard someone say, “No, they haven’t”, you will go back to work saying, “Well, they’ve started to.”
By thinking that way you may be who to stop and make a real change.
#6 – Be unforgettable
Stand out from the crowd.
Create an image around you that’s magnetic.
Create your own reputation, and that around your company.
Take your relationships with your clients to the next level.
