How Not to Make a Sale
A large part of business is the sale and the art of making one. There are those who work in a posh department store, hoping to sell a cashmere sweater to squandering customers. There are those who work at car dealerships, hoping to watch their customers drive off in a fully loaded brand new SUV. And then there are those who travel, going from city to city selling everything from insurance plans to computer software. Those of you who fall into this category may have it the hardest; for you, there is no home field advantage.
It is because of this that the art of making a sale becomes even more important. There's nothing that will destroy the salesman's career faster than a salesman who can't sell. But, part of selling is not only how to make a sale, it's also how not to make a generic meridia The following is a list of actions and inactions that will ultimately leave the salesman frustrated and Arthur Miller eating his heart out.
Checking Your Watch: Sure, salespeople are busy people. You may be in Denver and need to make it down to Colorado Springs within the hour. You may constantly find yourself in a perpetual rush. Still, checking your watch - and making it known that you have somewhere else you need to be- will make the customer or client feel unimportant, as if they are expendable. If they think you don't care about their business, then they won't care about giving it to you. .
Taking a Call: Born from the same roots as checking your enterprise web hosting taking a call sends an equaling nonchalant message, leaving the customer wondering whether you even care about the sale. Unless your house is on fire, or you are getting a direct call from the White House, don't answer your phone while you are trying to do face to face business. It's even a good idea to remove temptation by turning your phone off or, at the very least, putting it on silent.
Ignoring the Customer: If you are in a situation that is not a one-on-one sale - say for instance you are manning a booth at a trade show - ignoring a potential customer is a great way to data recovery service a potential sale. No one who looks interested in your product should be ignored, even if they don't fit your target audience. The woman with a huge head of hair lurking around your hair replacement product may not look like someone willing to make a purchase, but perhaps she is looking for a gift for her husband. Don't presume: making assumptions is a great way to assume yourself into unemployment.
Interrupting or Condescending: As a salesperson, it may seem as though it is your job to tell people what they want. This may work for some, but keep in mind that many people aren't gullible: they will see right through your routine. Instead of being told what they want, they simply want to be the ones who do the telling. For this reason, it's important to not interrupt clients - this will only frustrate them and lead them to believe you aren't listening. It's also important not to condescend or patronize: you want to appear that you know it all, without being a know-it-all.
A traveling salesperson can be a hard job. Sometimes customers aren't the easiest - or nicest - people to work with. But, with some perseverance, those who know how to sell will find a way. Those who don't, will at least get frequent flier miles.
Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for turbocellcharge.comturbocellcharge.com. A professional business traveler, she aims to make business trips feel less like work. She also has a healthy collection of hotel shampoos....and a shower cap or two.
