Closing every single deal is every sales rep’s dream. However, it is not the way it works. Maybe in another universe, this would be possible.
Learning new sales skills is tough, even for the best sellers, especially when it comes to mastering essential selling techniques. With a vast amount to learn and limited time, how can salespeople stay consistently at the top of their performance?
Below here, there is a list of 5 essential sales training techniques every new rep should master. Let's check them out.
I. Different approaches to sales
Sales can be approached in various ways, but the most prevalent methods can be categorized into transactional selling, solution selling, consultative selling, and provocative selling. Each method offers distinct advantages for different types of businesses and products.
These popular sales approaches have been developed into formal sales methodologies, which help ensure that salespeople understand how to interact with customers throughout every phase of the buying process.
II. How to improve sales skills and techniques
1. Create Urgency Against the Status Quo
The status quo is like the Death Star in sales, capable of derailing deals in an instant. However, it isn’t invincible—knowing how to exploit its vulnerabilities can help you overcome it.
The most effective tool you have against the status quo is creating urgency. If you’ve identified your buyer’s problem using the previous technique, you can link your solution—and its benefits—to a specific business goal the buyer wants to achieve. By leveraging the timeline for that goal, you can foster a sense of urgency to prompt the buyer to act.
For instance, if you’re selling marketing automation software to a company with a user conference scheduled in six months, you can generate urgency by demonstrating how your platform will provide access to more customer data, drive additional registrations, and increase engagement. With the conference approaching and clear advantages laid out, the buyer will have fewer reasons to delay the decision.
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2. Know what makes you special
In sales, you’re only as strong as your weakest link, and competitors will look to exploit those weaknesses to gain an advantage, creating doubts in your buyer’s mind about your product, company, or sales strategy.
To counteract this, it’s essential to understand not only your own product but also the competition. In mature markets, many features or services may be common across offerings, so sellers must be aware of what makes their product stand out and the unique value it offers to buyers.
Take the marketing automation example: while a feature like changing the background color might be a unique aspect of your software, it may not be particularly valuable to customers. A more compelling differentiator could be a marketing best-practices dashboard that provides insights from anonymized, aggregated customer data—something that delivers significant value and can easily persuade buyers to make a decision.
3. Sell the Problem, not The Solution
If someone tried to sell you something you didn’t need, you probably wouldn’t buy it. Yet many salespeople assume that buyers are already ready to make a purchase, which is often not the case.
For buyers to feel motivated to buy, they need a compelling reason. Therefore, sales reps should focus on identifying and understanding the problems buyers are facing before introducing their solution. This approach demands a deep understanding of your buyer’s needs and the obstacles hindering their organization’s growth. Some questions to ask to uncover these problems include:
- What are your business goals for the next six months?
- What steps or strategies are you using to achieve these goals?
- What challenges might prevent you from reaching these objectives?
- What could help you achieve these goals more effectively?
Once you grasp the problems your buyer is experiencing, you can then demonstrate how your product addresses these challenges and offers unique benefits.
4. Keep Virtual Interaction Engaging
Virtual selling has been around for a while, but enduring hours of web conferencing calls is a relatively new challenge. With the increasing risk of Zoom fatigue, it’s crucial for reps to make calls both informative and engaging.
To keep buyers’ attention during virtual meetings, you can employ several techniques. First, make sure your camera is on—this encourages buyers to turn theirs on as well. Second, throughout the call, actively seek buyers’ feedback with questions like, “Does that make sense?” or “How do you think this feature addresses your needs?” This fosters a more interactive conversation.
Lastly, use mirroring to respond to buyer comments. A technique from Chris Voss’s book *Never Split the Difference*Mirroring involves repeating the buyer’s statement with an inquisitive tone, which prompts them to elaborate. For example, if a buyer says, “I’m worried about the integrations,” you might reply, “Worried about the integrations?” This technique helps keep the conversation dynamic and encourages the buyer to be more engaged.
5. Negotiate Live
Negotiation can be the deciding factor in whether a deal is successful or not. Experienced buyers are adept at low balling offers, expressing doubts, and keeping their true intentions hidden. To prevent excessive discounts and maintain control, it’s essential to handle negotiations in real-time.
When negotiations occur over email, you lose the advantage of observing the buyer’s body language, which can reveal whether their concerns about price are genuine or just a tactic to secure a better deal. Additionally, email exchanges can lead to disjointed conversations and increase the risk of buyers disengaging or disappearing entirely.
If buyers insist on discussing price via email, reply with something like, “I’d be happy to go over pricing on a call,” and provide available times for a conversation. Taking a firm stance demonstrates confidence and helps you steer the negotiation process more effectively.
III. Conclusion
Using these techniques, you’ll set yourself up to exceed not only this month’s quota but also to consistently surpass your targets in the future.
To advance your path to sales mastery, check out our comprehensive guide to sales training and coaching. It’s packed with tips and strategies to help you perfect every sales skill you encounter.
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