This article is made up of a few highlights from one of our recent sales webinars.

Bowse upcoming free training events here.

You're not just selling, you're serving

What is sales?

• Building relationships,
• understanding customer pain points, 
• and presenting solutions that create value.

If you're giving your customers something they need, they will come back again and again.

The importance of targeting

The 'spray and pray' approach to marketing your product won't get you the best results. Think about how you feel when you are on the receiving end of a poorly-targeted marketing or sales campaign; you don't feel seen, and you may also lose respect for the business in question.

How to approach your potential customers

Seek out decision makers, but don't burn bridges with influencers. Annoy somebody's second in command or their administrator, and your details may be less likely to reach the decision maker.

Make your customers feel special. "I'm going to be in your area next week - can I come and see you?" suggests they aren't worthy of you going out of your way for them. Be aware of the language you use and how it can be interpreted.

Build trust and rapport: People buy from people they know, like and trust

• Do some research before you talk to a customer
• Build rapport before you go into a sales pitch
• Find common ground - talk about the weather, half term, the cat on the zoom call, and find a way to connect with them as a person
• Be empathetic and show that you care: "your situation sounds really challenging", "what you're telling me sounds really frustrating"
• Tell a story - can you give them an example of how you have helped another customer overcome a similar challenge?
• Ask open-ended questions. Don't assume you know their needs or issues. Give them the space to tell you everything that they think is relevant. 

First impressions count, so go in positive

You might have had a nightmare on the way to the meeting, struggled to park, got caught in the rain and broken your phone. Don't open with that. It's not your customer's job to empathise with your issues. Research shows you have 7 seconds to make a good impression

Successful pitching can't be rushed

Don't assume you know what they need; have as many conversations and do as much research as it takes to fully understand their needs. If you pitch before you've understood the need, you could pitch wrong and lose out to somebody down the road who did more research and gave a more tailored and relevant quote.

Know your product's value

Understand the difference between features and benefits. People pay for benefits, not features. If you're selling a mattress it's not the number of springs that they will care about, it's the good night's sleep they will get. Tell them the ways your product will enhance their experience and solve their problems.