In order to become a better salesperson, you must not sound like one. This may sound peculiar, but it is one of the basic rules of the corporate world. Rather than being a salesperson, you must appear as someone who genuinely wants to help the customer. In this target-driven world, where advertisements and sales pitches smother people, a person who can offer solutions with some personal touches can be a real winner. Here are some tricks you can use to become a better salesperson without being pushy.
Be a Consultant
Most people keep pushing their clients just to fulfill their daily targets. That is the ultimate objective for any salesperson, but the approach makes a difference. Rather than forcing the client to buy your product, you can present yourself as an expert and offer your opinions. Like an advisor, you can mention the product's performance and what kind of positive changes it would bring in their lives. Such an approach would establish a sense of trust in your client, and he would look at you from a different, much more positive perspective.
Be Subtle
Even though you want to highlight your product and its usefulness to the client, it is limited. Overselling your product or going on and on about it will create a wrong impression. The more you talk about the product, the more are your chances of losing the client. Instead, learn to be subtle. Mention the product occasionally but keep highlighting its impact. Don't forget to add the personal element. In order to be different, you must stand apart from the crowd. Therefore, going the extra mile for your client will positively impact him.
Be Helpful
A smart salesperson focuses on his customer's needs and presents himself as well as his product as the solution. A smart way to do this is to ask your customers a lot of questions. This makes your customers feel that you are genuinely concerned about their needs. Asking questions also makes the customer come out of his shell and interact freely. Hence, presenting yourself as a helpful advisor would increase prospects and earn you the invaluable tag of being a trustworthy salesperson.
Be Choosy
Instead of taking endless shots in the dark, taking a few in broad daylight is better. As a salesperson, you might think that approaching more people will convert into more sales. Such an approach is not only outdated but unproductive as well. Rather than approaching more people, shortlist your clients based on their needs. This way, you can focus more on the potential clients and thus, increase your sales prospects.
Be Practical
A practical approach is always appreciated, irrespective of the field. Even as a salesperson, if you focus on facts and numbers, you would be preferred over those who just make unrealistic promises about their products. You must mention the benefits of your products, not just their features. A feature cannot be customized, but its benefits could differ from person to person. Hence, you should learn to sell the benefits of your products by being practical in your sales pitch.
Be Charming
In any negotiation, the harder you try to convince your client, the more difficult it becomes. Instead, you must be charming and learn the art of engaging your listener. If you keep talking, no matter how attractive the topic is, there is bound to be a saturation point beyond which your listener will lose focus. Therefore, you must strive for a conversation rather than a persuasive sales pitch. Engaging your client in a conversation makes him more likely to pay attention to you and your product.
Be Honest
At the end of the day, it won't matter whether you are charming or practical unless you have a quality product. You should let your clients know about its usefulness if you have. However, if your product is not up to the mark, it would be better to leave it out. In any case, you must be honest in your approach. You may be successful in convincing them to buy a product by exaggerating its benefits and utility, but you will lose your clients' trust. Therefore, if you wish to gain your client's trust and establish a bond with them, then you must have an honest mentality.
Let Them Decide
one of the most used tricks while negotiating is making the person in front of you feel like he is in charge. If you can make your client feel that it is entirely their decision to make, you have won half the battle. Giving them autonomy makes them feel empowered, and, in most cases, they accept your offer. Additionally, you come across as more of a consultant rather than a pushy salesperson by letting them decide.
These are some simple tricks that will help you appear in a much more positive light and make you stand apart from other salespeople.