With an expanding list of communication tools, sales staff must constantly work on their Sales Skills Development while adapting their communications appropriately, ensuring the right message is delivered to the prospective customer.
Communication must focus on bringing the prospect closer to a buying decision. So, allow your sales team to use videos of themselves practising their demonstration techniques and communication skills or present product demonstrations to their peers.
The belief that the prospect will benefit from using your product/solution is a persuasive tool salespeople often use to close business. Our selling process at 3M Australia used cost justification with ROI (Return on Investment) and Payback calculations, so we knew in advance the financial gain a prospect would achieve by using our solution.
The easiest way to make a sale is to give customers what they want and need. But how do you know what they want and need? You have two ears and one mouth, and if you use them in direct proportion to God’s gift, you will always know. Ask questions and listen to the answers as they will beget more questions.
So, it is essential that your Sales Skills Development training includes lessons on active listening. In other words, teach your sales team to listen, acknowledge, validate, and only then respond to customers or answer their questions/objections.
Since the number of meetings/discussions to close a sale has doubled in the last ten years, time management has become a priority for all salespeople. Yet, it is often not reflected in their training.
They are not even spending that long selling. According to a 2018 Forbes study that surveyed 721 respondents, salespeople spent 35.2% of their total time selling and the other 65% doing everything else.
The study also reports that sales reps who actively practice time management skills spend nearly 19% more time selling than those who do not. More time selling means increased sales and a higher probability of achieving and consistently exceeding sales forecast.
Lack of time management is more likely a passive habit than a deliberate action, so it is a sales training and development objective worth pursuing.
Salespeople consistently follow up with potential leads, so when a potential customer cancels a meeting or a call at the last minute, your sales reps have to be willing to reschedule at the customer’s convenience without adversely affecting their time and territory management goals.
According to a 2018 study conducted by the Sales Management Association, 80% of companies launched a new product or service in the last year. So, make sure information flows from you to them and vice versa regarding new products and competitive product information. When launching new products, make sure your salespeople are brought up to speed on the features, advantages, and benefits of both your products and your significant competitors.
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