Growing Your Sales Potential

Peady’s Selling Engagement sponsored by IRD Prospector
 

Welcome to this week’s post on sales and selling success.

Let’s start with a couple of questions:

  • Are you always looking for ways to improve?  
  • Do you address your sales skills development with great care?
  • Are you responsible for your own level of success?

If you answered “yes” then you’ll be interested in what I have to share.

5 sales success ideas

1. Sell results. Businesses aren’t interested in your product or service – they’re only interested in the results and outcomes you can help them achieve. In the past benefits and features worked. Not anymore. Today, you need to focus on selling tangible, bottom-line business results that connect to the needs or challenges of customers. 

2. Get face to face. Truth is many of your competitors are trying to sell on the phone – make a quick trip and you’ll beat them every time. Top sales people know the real secret is to use the power of human interaction. Do whatever it takes to get a face-to-face meeting with decision makers at every business you’re trying to sell to. 

3. Use your time profitably. The most valuable asset you have as a salesperson is not what you sell; it’s your own time.  Too much time is wasted preparing to sell, thinking about selling, getting ready to sell.   You have one objective and that is to spend as much of your time in direct contact with customers as possible. 

4. Find your point of difference. How much overlap is there between what you provide and what your competition provides? It’s probably quite high – so focus on what you can do for the customer. This is your point of difference – it must be unique, important to the customer and defensible. 

5. Don’t assume. When a customer talks about a problem don’t assume it’s the real problem. Look deeper into each scenario and ask more questions to make sure of getting at the root of the problem. Then and only then can you provide real value to the prospect with an effective solution.

It’s tough out there!

Selling advertising solutions to businesses is tricky and you simply won’t succeed if you don’t take media sales for what it is: A high-stakes game that requires an entirely unique approach. But when done right it has the potential to be both extremely lucrative and deeply rewarding.

Until next week, good selling!
 

About the author 

Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant experience in direct sales, sales management and general management. He is based in Sydney and specialises in helping SME’s market their businesses more effectively and providing training for salespeople and sales managers.

He can be contacted at [email protected]

 

 

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