Mastering the art of sales can seem like a daunting task. Sales tactics seem to range from that of the average door-to-door salesmen, to the won’t-take-no-for-an-answer cold callers, all the way up to account executives handling only warm leads. With so many tactics to learn, how can a young salesperson figure out the best way to approach sales?
While different strategies may work for different industries, there are still some universal sales tips that any great salesperson should keep in mind.
Top 5 Sales “Don’ts” for Every Salesman:
1. Don’t: be afraid to ask for referrals or connections
There comes a point in every salesperson’s career where there’s a drought of warm or qualified leads. It’s normal. But before you start cold calling any potential client you can find, use your network to find referrals or connections.
This will save you time and will probably lead to more success compared to cold calling.
2. Don’t: pretend to know the answer to everything
Your client will probably have a lot of questions about your product, and while you should know the answers to most of them, it’s ok if you don’t. It is better to wait to give the client the correct information, then giving them the wrong information.
If they ask a question you don’t know, tell them you aren’t sure but that you will find out and get back to them. Then make sure you follow up!
3. Don’t: shove your sales pitch down someone’s throat
If you don’t understand the importance of this tip, refer to #1 of the Do’s list above.
4. Don’t: assume everyone is a fit for your product/service
Just like you don’t buy every product that you are presented with, neither will your clients.
Assuming that everyone and anyone will be a fit for your service will just lead to wasted time and lost sales.
5. Don’t get discouraged if the timing is bad
Not every sale is going to line up perfectly, and that’s ok. A common misconception in sales is that “good” salespeople can close deals quickly, but that isn’t true.
The timing won’t always be perfect, but if you stay motivated and keep in touch, it will lead to success.
If you keep these 5 tips in mind as you begin your sales career, you’ll be off to a great start.
Remember that a good salesperson doesn’t have one sales tactic that works every time, but instead is able to adapt to each of their client’s needs and persists even when it doesn’t work out.
