One of the most important pieces to any business is how you sell your product to your target customers. Every company has their own process that they have adapted over time, and each sales person has their own style. Here’s some advice from our sales leadership team and sales directors on how to make successful connections.
Spam is a food (kind of), not a way to reach out to prospects/clients.
· Blasting lists with a single message isn’t effect and provides little to no value.
· People know when they are being spammed – make your message personal.
· Generalized messages don’t speak to their specific need and may deter you from working with them in the future.
Be yourself. They’re not just buying the company services; they are also investing in you.
· Sell yourself first, then the company. They are buying from you.
· Tell them why they should want to work with you.
Ex 1: Reputation is important to me.
Ex 2: I believe in transparency and honesty.
· Don’t change your personality or who you are for a prospect. Pretending to be someone you’re not isn’t good for the relationship long-term.
Concentrate your messaging on the value your company brings, not how you are better than the competition.
· In early stages of selling, use small bullet points of value you can provide them to peak interest in your services. Then be prepared with detailed write ups or talking points when they respond.
· Comparing companies is a slippery slope. You can cause damage to the relationship if the person you are talking to made the decision on a competitor you are comparing yourself to.
· By providing benefits of your services instead of comparing to competitors, you start to build trust and allow them to make the right decision.
Build relationships by providing value.
· Know what holds value to them and offer that up to start the conversation.
Ex: GSIT offers quarterly RateGuides for ERP consultants so clients can price check vendors and better understand the candidate landscape).
· Research them and their company so you better understand their business. That will allow you to ask better questions.
· Provide them with case studies/white papers of similar companies/industry backgrounds to prove that you aren’t wasting their time and showcase that it makes sense to work together.
There is not a one size fits all solution.
· The same approach won’t work on everyone.
· Learn how your target likes to communicate and their ideal delivery method (text/email/phone/other).
· Understand the importance of making a good first impression (connect on LI/hand written note/persistence without spamming).
Having good sales leaders, marketing tools and a product you believe in will help you in becoming successful; however, it is you that has to perform. To become successful in sales, it is important to be yourself and understand that you will have ups and downs. Learn how to handle both and you will be just fine.
Are you a sales professional looking for a new challenge? Email me directly with your resume – I’d love to talk with you!
