Business
The 21st Century Sales Person
I’ve read somewhere (or did I hear it in a movie?) that life is all about selling, and that we are all salesmen. True or not, at some point, we all have to sell something. Even a job interview is a sales pitch, you are actually selling yourself. The 21st Century Sales Person has to have the following characteristics, maybe in this order of importance:
- Thorough Knowledge of the Product. After all, how can you sell something you don’t know about? Unless you are out to swindle the gullible, you must know what it is you’re talking about. You must be able to explain it fully, especially if your product is groundbreaking.
Let’s take a real life case of a product discussed in a forum I frequent, they Hydro Octane Booster. Many of the posters there are car enthusiasts, engineers, and generally technically knowledgeable about cars.
While I applaud the effort of the person who was selling it, he simply could not answer many of the questions fielded. The resort was always to ask people to come and visit the office and we will show you. But why is this necessary? I mean, with a potential market of 1000 users, wouldn’t you want to explain it to all of them at once?
One member said it best: The reason why sales people of building construction materials are licensed civil engineers is because they have to know how buildings are constructed. That way they can explain the product and relate it to the process.
- Patience. You can’t blow your top off just because you can’t answer a question, and resort to personal attacks. Especially for entirely new products, people are naturally skeptical. More so if the product is a bit expensive. People want to pay for good products with their hard earned money. So be patient in answering any and all of the questions.
And not everyone will be convinced, but if you convince eighty percent, and half of them actually buy, that’s still 4 sales out of 10 prospects. Better than nothing.
- Love for the Product. I’m not talking about the fanatic kind of “I’ll kill anyone who disagrees” love. It’s just that, you have to have used the product or service yourself, and are really satisfied with it. You must feel you paid a fair price, and got a fair service. The phrases, “It’s worth it” or “value for money” should come to mind, and not “you get what you pay for” kind of thing.
Now it’s another thing if it’s a service that you yourself are rendering, or a product that you made yourself. The trick here is that you must be providing the service or product as if it were for your own consumption, or your family’s.
- Good Conversationalist. Previously the requirement was probably having good communication skills. But that term is so generic that it seems you have to be good at delivering speeches or writing essays. Having good communication skills does not necessarily translate to being a good conversationalist. Shy people are usually bad at conversations. And a sales person needs to be able to talk with all sorts of people.
Friendly is a good way to describe the 21st century sales person. He can strike up a conversation with anyone, and more importantly, draw out important details that will lead to prospecting and qualifying for a sales pitch.
A life insurance agent I know once demonstrated this. She began to talk to a stranger while waiting at an airport just to pass the time. In a few minutes, she had his name, a business card, what he does, his age, how many kids he has, and other things you can use at a later time to pitch a life insurance product that fits his needs. She wasn’t selling anything during the conversation, just getting information, and remembering it.
The difficult part really is getting past that awkward first few seconds. How do you start a conversation with a total stranger? What do you say? I’m no expert, but I guess the trick is to find something in common. Like in the case above, the conversation starter might have been, “Is your flight delayed too?”
Some people might not respond well to strangers attempting to strike up a conversation. After a few attempts and all you get are short replies, it’s best to give up. And if you notice the other person keeps glancing away avoiding eye contact or busying himself with a book, leave them alone.
And then to keep the conversation going, when you ask something and he replies with some information, it is best to give some information yourself. This builds an element of trust. He gives you his name; you give him your name. He tells you what he does; you tell him what you do. And so on.
- Sensitive to the Needs of Others. This isn’t the sensitivity women ask men for in relationships. People buy something because they need it, whether it is a perceived need or a real need. A satisfied customer is always someone who bought something based on a real need, and not because he was “sold” the idea.
Listening is the key here. During that first meeting, listening for what is said and unsaid will give you an idea of what the other party truly needs. And based on that, you offer your product that you think will answer that need. If you don’t have it, it is better to walk away. It will save you or your company the costs of refunds, after-sales support, or even lawsuits.
So in the end, they say the best sales people can sell anything. And I guess the caveat is always as long as they have these characteristics.