Whether your business is struggling or you are trying to meet a deadline, getting sales fast is not easy work. It takes time, energy, and an intricately crafted plan. To close sales fast, it is important to think rationally. Although it would be fantastic to make a sale to every potential customer you talk to, in reality, that won’t happen. Once you have accepted this and have gotten the hang of pitching sales to customers, it will be easier to close a deal. But when it comes crunch time for fast sales it is important to recognize YOU are in control. You have the ability to decide how much time, effort, and passion are put into making sales, and the time line in which your sale goals will be reached.
Follow these steps to get sales fast:
Reach for the Stars
The first thing is to know where you are going before you leave home. In other words, you need to identify your goals and what you’re willing to do to reach them. ABC President Jim Tracy firmly believes in his “Grade School Method of Goals Achievement” which we featured in the March/April 2009 issue of America’s Best. By answering the questions “who, what, where, when, why, and how” and writing down your goals, you are proactively working towards success.This is the first step to getting sales fast. Without a solid plan from the beginning, you will not achieve anything.
Make the Connection
To have any chance at closing a sale, you have to be able to be in the correct mindset. Whether you are having a good or bad day, it is imperative to have a positive attitude to make a sale. Going into a sale with either a neutral or negative attitude will not produce results. In fact, it could give off a bad vibe and, in turn, portray yourself as well as your business in a negative light. Along those lines, it is equally as important to go into a sale with enthusiasm. Demonstrate excitement with the product, and the company when making a sale; no one will enjoy listening to a pitch—or even listen at all—if the pitch is dull and boring. Finally, it is important to be able to control your thinking. Regardless of what the customer says or how they act, it is important to control yourself and be able to make quick decisions on your toes.
Be Knowledgeable
Many people overlook the simplest step when trying to make sales fast: know your information. First and foremost, know what you are capable of; your strengths, weaknesses, and personality. It is just as crucial to know your company as well, including the mission, future goals, and most importantly the product. Without knowing your capabilities and the company you represent, sales will be difficult if not impossible. Selling the product and your company is only half of the sale; you have to be personable and knowledgeable to gain the trust of your potential customer. A sales pitch can be time consuming so be able to point out essentials quickly and if the customer is still interested go more in depth. To do this; go through your sales pitch, and play devil’s advocate. Analyze the questions you might have about your product or service, then prepare yourself with the answers to the potential questions. Make a sheet of facts, essentials, and answers to difficult questions for your sales team. This will get everyone on the same page and they will act as you want them to during a sale.
Ask Questions
In order to make fast sales, you must identify the needs, attitudes, and preferences of your customers. Ask the customer, what they are looking for, what they need, and what they want. By asking questions, you will not only find out what their purpose is for dealing with your company, it also allows you to tailor to their needs. Offer your potential customer something that they do not have yet and could use to their advantage. By asking questions to find out what they need, you can approach them in a way that presents your product to them by stressing their needs. Making the potential customer feel that they need your product immediately is essential as it creates a call to action. Ask meaningful questions that will inform you how to best serve the customer.
Perfect your Pitch
Create steps to making a sale so you can memorize and perfect the points you want to cover. This is essential to making the sale fast and efficient. Attempting to make a sale without knowing the basic steps is not only difficult, but it is easy to mix up your thoughts. Perfect the sales pitch and then you can work on the speed in which the points can be presented. Know how to approach each potential customer to start your pitch off on the right foot. Be knowledgeable and approachable. Throughout your pitch, be sure to stick to the basic steps of making a great sale: sell yourself and the company, ask questions, present the product, explain the price, assume the sale, and overcome objections. Each salesperson has their own preferred way to choreograph their sales pitch, but for all sales, the key is the close.
Close with Confidence
Be confident in yourself and what you are selling. First, decide on a closing approach. There are hundreds of ways to close a sale, but the majority of salespeople use a direct approach. By directly selling the deal, you pitch the product and go right for the close. It is straightforward, you are not beating around the bush or trying to sneak anything in. Since you are going directly for the sale, find the right time to seal the deal by reading the mood and personality of the customer you are dealing with. If the customer is stressed, busy, or in a rush, stress the important points and tone down your presentation. If the customer is relaxed and willing to talk, go through your presentation thoroughly. While closing, it is important to reiterate what you have agreed to do and also what your prospect needs to do.
Support Your Sales Staff
The final way to get sales fast is to provide support to your entire sales force. First and foremost, make sure your staff knows the product. This goes back to being knowledgeable. The more people who know the product, the easier and faster it will be to sell it. Supporting your sales staff includes planning as well, so it is best to have a sales plan and goal to reach. To increase the momentum of sales, offer incentives or a reward for those who make the most sales by a certain amount of time. Finally, the most important part is to literally support your sales staff. Be behind them on every sale pitch and assist them when needed. If someone on your sales team is having a rough time making sales, encourage them and help them get going. Making sales fast does not involve one single individual; it involves the entire sales force working together towards one common goal.
Making sales fast comes with proper planning, teamwork, knowing your sales pitch, and being confident. Without these crucial elements, you will not achieve your goals for quick sales. It takes the whole force to come together in order to make sales fast. A final sales tip from ABC President Jim Tracy: “Talent minus distractions equals production. Then comes success.”
