When selling always make sure that you:

1. Introduce yourself properly. It may sound simple, but too many sales people do not create the right impact when meeting or speaking to a potential customer for the first time. “Bill from Phoenix” does not sound as good as “Bill Osmond, from Phoenix Training and Development.” Most of us are so used to our name and our company we tend to rush when introducing ourselves and this can lead to confusion. Don’t abbreviate your introduction. Potential buyers are very good at deciding whether they are likely to buy from the first words you say.

2. Don’t sell too soon! It seems strange to give the advice of “don’t sell.” However, selling too soon can lead to a huge amount of objections. The sales person that presents their product or service too soon runs the risk of providing too much irrelevant information and alienating the buyer.

3. Question the client thoroughly. By using questioning skills, the sales person can develop a full understanding of the clients’ needs. Rather than wasting time gathering information about the client, spend time uncovering and understanding their needs. Needs give a sales person something to sell against. If you are to have any chance of selling, then the client has to recognise their need for your product or service.

4. Listen. Many sales people only listen to what they want to hear, or worse, ignore client responses completely as they spend time focusing on the next question. By actually listening and effectively responding to clients, a sales person can understand client needs.

5. Maintain relevance. Focus on the answer and ask appropriate questions whenever you can. This ensures that the conversation grows organically and does not become a sales interrogation!