How would you rate your sales skills? Are they good enough to get you where you want to go? Why don’t you try these tips to improve them if not? Sales is a skill that every entrepreneur should master. The ability to sell is crucial to success in any business. Salespeople earn 20% higher salaries than non-sales employees. Here are some tips from Desmond Brifu to help you improve your sales skills.
1. Know Your Audience
The first step to selling anything is understanding who you are selling to. It’s not always about knowing what they want but knowing what motivates them to buy. You need to know what makes them tick to understand how to best reach out to them.
You may have heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” That’s true. Knowing your customers means understanding their world, beliefs, values, and points of view. When you do, you’ll be able to speak to them in ways that resonate with them. And if you’re not talking to someone where they are, you aren’t communicating effectively.
2. Be Yourself
The best way to get ahead in any business is to be yourself. People will remember what you do, not necessarily who you are. You have to be able to adapt to different situations, change your style, and understand how people think. Moreover, you must be open to being wrong, learning from others’ mistakes, and having fun.
You should never pretend to be someone else to make friends, get ahead, or fit in. Everyone has their personality traits, values, morals, beliefs, etc. So don’t force your personal opinions and beliefs onto others. If they disagree, respect them enough to listen to their opinion and find out where you agree and disagree.
3. Make Them Feel Important
People love to feel special. When you make them feel special, they’ll respond positively to you. A great way to make people feel important is to ask questions about themselves. Ask open-ended questions that allow them to talk about themselves. Then listen carefully to what they say, suggests Desmond Brifu.
4. Listen More Than You Talk
Salespeople often talk about how much they listen to their customers. But research shows that listening makes salespeople more effective. When you listen carefully, you get accurate information about what people want and need. And if you ask questions, you gain even more insight. So the next time someone talks to you, really listen. Make sure you are doing at least four things while you’re talking to them:
- Pay attention to their body language (are they leaning forward? Are they crossing their arms?).
- Notice how they answer your question.
- Ask follow-up questions.
- Listen closely to the end of each sentence. If you do these things, you’ll find out precisely what the person wants and whether you can help.
5. Keep It Short
It would be best if you keep your sales pitch brief. You don’t want to lose their attention, especially if they’re just getting acquainted and have no idea what to expect. If you try to overcomplicate things, you’ll only turn them off. Instead, focus on the three significant aspects of any good sales pitch, says Desmond Brifu: Benefits, features, and price.
- The best way to do so is to start by stating how much money they could make if they bought from you today.
- Then, explain what makes your product different from the market.
- Finally, state precisely what the customer will get from buying from you instead of the competition.
6. Give Them Something To Think About
This is a simple tip, but if you want to make sales, you need to give them something to think about. If you don’t give them anything to think about, they won’t care enough to buy what you’re selling. So, you should always try to provide some benefit to your customers. You could offer free shipping, a discount, or even a free sample. Whatever you do, make sure you give them something to think about
Final Words
In conclusion, selling is one of the essential skills you need to master to succeed in business, says Desmond Brifu. And when it comes to selling, you need to know what makes your audience tick. Once you understand their needs and wants, you’ll be able to build trust with them, which will lead to sales.
