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Good selling requires that you understand the product reasonably and work to appreciate the customer's requirements – some call this needs selling and others prefer to refer to it as wants selling – I prefer to believe that people only buy what they want and rarely buy what they need. But before we move on ahead and beyond all that, I personally believe that the secret of a good salesperson is about what goes on inside their head – being aware of the needs, converting these to wants and then building value in the wants until the order is converted to a product or service the prospect believe they either cannot do without or would be so much better off investing in. Above all else, selling is an attitude. It's how the salesperson thinks and feels. It's about the sellers whole approach to themselves, their company, their products and, of course, their prospects who then become customers. But the best part is, a good salesperson believes all of this can be condensed to just three words: Confidence, Pride and Care. Here’s how this comes together: Confidence The basis of all successful selling is confidence. Confidence does not mean blind hope. No, confidence is more than that – it’s more about how you think about yourself and your future. Self-Belief - A confident salesperson always believes in themselves and their abilities to sell well. In order to create trust with the prospect, the first thing that salesperson has to sell is themself. Whilst self-belief does not ever guarantee that the salesperson will make a sale, but it always increases the probability of success to the salesperson. If you go into a selling situation and you do not believe in yourself, then chances are that you are doomed to fail. But the most important part here is, that if you don’t believe in yourself, then chances are that the customer will not believe in you either. And if they don’t believe in you or you capabilities, they will also not believe what you say. The sellers doubt will become their doubt and doubt never leads to the sale. Informed Optimism - Blind belief is never a good thing. If the seller thinks that they are being positive because they have studied the product and the prospect will be so confident in their knowledge that they will buy has a BIG wake-up call coming. The reality factor here is that although belief and optimism provide powerful support but they do not replace factual knowledge. If you are ready to sell, and have good information at your fingertips, then you should have good reason to be optimistic. Even if you do not have complete information at your fingertips (and who does), a tendency to be optimistic also helps create a positive attitude, and it’s the transference of the feeling being created internally by the salesperson becomes the positive attitude that helps drive and cement the sale. The bottom line here is that belief alone is not enough, the salesperson should know that little is achieved until they have put in the appropriate preparation and work first. Can-do Approach – It is well documented that a combination of self-belief and an optimistic approach lead to a 'can-do' attitude which, in turn means, you will be more inclined to get out there and create the sale primarily through your thoughts and actions. Pride Technically there are two kinds of pride. Pride in oneself can come across to be a very selfish thing. But the pride your are conscious of that is purposely placed outside yourself is an important attitude that communicates and transmits itself to your prospects and customers. Here are two kinds of pride that keep the sellers confidence high while at the same time are really well accepted by the prospects and existing customers alike. Pride in the Company – Every salesperson should be proud to work at the company that employs them. When you associate yourself with the company and the brand and it’s values should make you feel good and generate loyalty within. If it doesn’t, don’t work there, because you won’t last long. Pride in the Product - Secondly, the salesperson should be proud of what they are selling. Just thinking long and hard from time to time that you have the privilege of selling such a great product should make you very happy indeed. As with pride in the company, an intrinsic pride in the product is a powerful motivator, that works just as well for both you and your customer. Care Finally, a selling attitude is always construed a caring attitude. Rather than just dumping products on customers, the salesperson should care about them and their unique problems and challenges, and hence be proud of how their products will help the consumer. Care for customers can include taking time out from the normal selling day to check up on them, that the product is working ok and that they are happy with it and the follow up service they get. This includes sending them and their partner Christmas and birthday cards, etc. The reality here is that when others know that you care about them, personally, then they will be far more willing to trust you -- and trust is the first of the many doorways to selling. Have Fun doing what you Love Doing If you enjoy your work, you'll radiate that something extra to the customers you work with, as well as those who you count to be amongst your prospects. The more confidence you radiate in yourself and your product or service, the more confident others will become in the way you do things. And a happy customer is ideally what you want to create anyway. ***************************************** This Article by is Peter Collins - In a sales career spanning more than 50 years, Peter Collins has focused on helping and bringing out the best in others - whether it involves training or mentoring salespeople, managers, business consulting to SME’s. Since the 1970’s Peter has built a reputation as a Nationally and Internationally Published author, and has 65 books to his credit, but he is mainly known for one book based on the Audio Tape series of the same name, Over 50 Ways of Closing the Sale. In his personal life, Peter has been sought after as an encourager and motivator that has given of his time and talents freely despite his busy schedule. Subsequently, he has assisted churches, pastors, community and charity groups, as well as individuals through his teaching, training, development and on-going mentoring. Peter can be contacted through his website – profitmakersales.com - Submit your articles to AMAZINES.COM
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Attitude, good selling, needs, wants, Peter Collins, profitmakersales, sales, selling, marketing,
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