Tom Hopkins is a salesperson. Effective sales technique. How to learn to sell
Selling is that easy!
Your pocket-sized guide to cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics!
Are you looking to try yourself as a salesperson, or are you already an experienced salesperson but are missing new ideas and tactics to expand your business? Regardless of your skill level, this guide will help you lay the foundation for your success, provide new insights and tips on how to expand. customer base, to avoid blunders and acquire grateful buyers who will stay with you for many years.
The main topics of the book are:
- This wonderful world sales... Learn what selling is (and what it isn't) and how mastering sales skills can help you in all areas of your life.
- Stand out from the crowd... Knowing your customers is what sets you apart from the crowd of average salespeople and ensures your lasting success.
- Steps to Success. Unique technique from Tom Hopkins in seven steps will help you avoid mistakes and wasted time and energy.
You will learn how to properly appoint and conduct meetings with clients, produce correct impression, conduct effective presentations, convince clients, solve their problems, the right moment close deals - and much more. Do it right and clients will come to you. Some useful tips will help you retain customers, use the Internet wisely, conclude more deals, manage your time wisely and profit from cooperation with partners and colleagues.
With this book, you will learn how to:
- be positive about sales and be creative;
- quickly navigate the situation and change tactics depending on the type and behavior of the client;
- deliver presentations correctly and effectively;
- competently work with clients' problems and overcome their objections;
- acquire clients by recommendation;
- use the latest techniques sales and use the Internet and new mobile technologies in their work;
- put before oneself real goals and unswervingly pursue their implementation;
- do not lose heart if failures are pursuing.
About the author: Tom Hopkins, a sales master who became a millionaire at the age of 21, is the personification of a successful salesperson. Tom is the head of one of the most prestigious sales training organizations, Tom Hopkins International, and has authored over 15 books.
Publisher: Dialectics, 2012
ISBN 978-5-8459-1776-8, 978-0-470-93066-3
Number of pages: 352.
Contents of the book "The ability to sell for dummies":
- 17
about the author
- 18 Dedication
- 18 Thanks to the author
- 19
Introduction
- 19 About this book
- 20 Conventions Used in the Book
- 20 What you can not read
- 20 Who are you, my reader?
- 21 How this book is structured
- 23 Where to go next
- 25 Part I. Laying solid foundation ability to sell
- 27
Chapter 1. Sales Process
- 27 What is sale
- 29
Main ways of selling
- 29 Direct sales
- 29 Telemarketing
- 30 Email
- 32 Online sales
- 32 Direct mail
- 33 Why do you need the ability to sell
- 35
Chapter 2. Seven Stages of the Selling Cycle
- 35 Stage 1. Exploration
- 37 Step 2. Establishing initial contact
- 39 Stage 3. Assessment of potential customers
- 40 Stage 4. Presentation
- 41 Step 5. Troubleshooting
- 42 Stage 6. Closing the deal
- 42 Stage 7. Attracting clients by recommendation
- 45
Chapter 3. Love for what you do: how to turn sales from work into hobby
- 46 How to combine business with pleasure
- 47 What separates hobbies from work
- 48
It's all about attitude
- 49 Love for what you do makes it meaningful
- 50
Live and learn the art of selling
- 51 Take time to train sales skills
- 52 How to deal with spasm of perception
- 53 Learn from your mistakes
- 53 Leaving your comfort zone
- 54
Turning a caterpillar into a butterfly
- 55 Unconscious ignorance
- 55 Conscious ignorance
- 57 Conscious knowledge
- 57 Unconscious knowledge
- 58 How To Sell What Your Customers Want To Have
- 61 Part II. Homework for future champions
- 63
Chapter 4. How to understand your potential customers
- 64 What is the value of collecting information in advance
- 65 Start from scratch and find out everything about the client
- 67
Buyers are different
- 68 Buyer # 1. Faithful Bart
- 68 Buyer # 2. Trickster Freddy
- 68 Buyer # 3. Picky Polly
- 69 Buyer # 4. Slippery Ed
- 69 Buyer # 5. Bore Greg
- 70 Buyer # 6. Pedantic Anna
- 70 Buyer # 7. Domineering Donna
- 70 Buyer # 8. Meticulous Karl
- 71 Buyer # 9. Incredulous Cindy
- 71 Buyer # 10. Absent-minded Dan
- 72
Features of communication with representatives different cultures
- 74 Organization of a meeting with a potential foreign client
- 74 Features of the international dress code
- 75 Correct pronunciation of names
- 75 Dating behavior
- 76 Business card exchange etiquette
- 77 Do not invade the personal space of the interlocutor
- 77 Different approaches to presentations
- 78 The art of giving gifts
- 79 Business lunch etiquette
- 80
Customer fears and the power of persuasion
- 80 Fear of sellers
- 81 Fear of failure
- 82 Fear of overpay
- 82 Fear of being deceived
- 83 Fear of embarrassment
- 83 Fear of the unknown
- 84 Fear of repeating past mistakes
- 84 Fear caused by someone else's words
- 84
The Power of Words - Use It Wisely
- 85 Choosing the right words and phrases
- 88 Use only the jargon that your customers are familiar with
- 89 Improve vocabularyto create positive images in the client's imagination
- 92 Ability to listen to your customers
- 95
Chapter 5. Know your product
- 95 What should you know about your product?
- 98
Where to get information about your product
- 98 Attend trainings and read printed material about the product
- 99 Connect with existing clients
- 99 Learn from colleagues' experiences
- 100 Refer to primary sources
- 101 Watch competitors
- 103
Chapter 6. Application modern technologies in the work of the seller
- 103
Don't be afraid of change
- 104 Overcome your fear
- 104 Find Motivation to Make Change
- 105
How to simplify your life with modern technology
- 105 Useful technical devices
- 107 Help customers connect with you
- 107 Useful travel planning services
- 109 Making presentations with PowerPoint
- 109 Computer programs customer contact management
- 103
Don't be afraid of change
- 113 Part III. Anatomy of a Sale
- 115
Chapter 7. Exploration: Finding People Who Need Your Product
- 115
Where to start looking for potential customers?
- 116 Start simple
- 117 Search for potential clients among your friends and relatives
- 119 Web search
- 122 Your company also helps you find buyers
- 122
How to find suitable people: Proven Lead-Finding Strategies
- 123 Pay attention to the circle of your acquaintances
- 124 Leverage your business connections
- 125 Talk to sellers from whom you buy something yourself
- 126 Leverage your buying experience
- 127 There are potential customers even among your former customers.
- 129 Use your client list
- 129 New product developments open up new possibilities for you
- 130 Keep up to date with news
- 132 Know service fundamentals and support your customers
- 132 The rule of three steps
- 115
Where to start looking for potential customers?
- 135
Chapter 8. The first meeting with a client: organizing it and creating a relaxed atmosphere
- 136 The basics of establishing contact with potential customers
- 137
Start by making phone calls to potential customers
- 138 Step # 1. Greeting
- 138 Step # 2. Presentation to the interlocutor
- 139 Step # 3. Thanks
- 140 Step # 4. The purpose of your call
- 141 Step # 5. Make an appointment
- 142 Step 6. Another "thank you" at the end of the phone call
- 142 Step 7. Thank you letter
- 143
Other ways to reach a prospect
- 143 post office
- 144 Email
- 145 Personal communication
- 146
How to meet the purchasing decision maker
- 146 Talk to the prospect's company secretary
- 147 Collaborate with the decision-maker's assistant
- 148 We develop a strategy
- 149
How to make good first impressing the client during your meeting
- 149 Choice suitable clothing
- 150 Sign language
- 151
Let your potential clients treat you with sympathy and trust
- 151 Step # 1. Smile sincerely
- 152 Step # 2. Install eye contact with the interlocutor
- 152 Step # 3. Say hello to a prospect
- 153 Step # 4. Shake hands
- 154 Step # 5. Your name in exchange for the prospect's name
- 155 Connect with a prospect
- 156
Establishing contact with a customer in the retail sector
- 157 How can you replace the phrase: "Can I help you?"
- 158 How to Recognize Buyer Signals
- 158
How to find mutual language with buyers in any situation
- 159 Keep your conversation with the client casual.
- 160 Praise what the other person is proud of
- 160 Avoid controversy
- 161 Adapt to the tempo of your conversation partner
- 163
Chapter 9. Assessing potential customers
- 164
A few hints from detectives
- 164 Don't make guesses
- 165 Treat the other person calmly and kindly
- 165 Always take notes
- 166 Let the other person feel like an important person
- 166 Ask standard questions
- 166 Pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal signals
- 166 Listen carefully to the answers to your questions
- 167 Avoid tension during the meeting
- 168 Let the prospect know that you will be there.
- 168
Lead Scoring Engine: Buyer Needs
- 169 "H" - what does the buyer already have?
- 170 “A” - what does the buyer like about what he has?
- 170 "D" - what will your product give him?
- 170 "About" - who makes the purchase decision?
- 171 Customer satisfaction
- 172
"Right" questions are the key to successful prospect assessment
- 173 Questions- "lasso"
- 174 Give the buyer a choice
- 175 Help the client introduce himself as the happy owner of your product
- 164
A few hints from detectives
- 177
Chapter 10. How to Give Successful Presentations
- 178
Let's start from the beginning
- 178 Identify key figures
- 179 Hurry up - or end up overboard
- 180 Timely break is the key to success
- 180
The basics of product presentation
- 181 Speak the client's language
- 182 Control your speech rate
- 182 Selling on the basis of assumption
- 183
Interlocutor sign language decoding
- 184 Remote presentation
- 185 Video presentations and web presentations
- 186
The finest hour of your product
- 186 Step aside
- 187 How to maintain control of the situation
- 187
Better to see once ...
- 188 Visual aids provided by your company
- 189 DIY visual aids
- 190 Demonstration of goods to potential customers
- 191 Presentation of intangible goods
- 192
Typical mistakes and how to avoid them
- 193 Find outlets and figure out how to connect equipment
- 193 Make sure your visual aids OK
- 193 Check every little thing in advance
- 194 If possible, adapt the presentation for a specific client
- 195 Provide everything
- 178
Let's start from the beginning
- 197
Chapter 11. When the client doubts or objects
- 198 How to interpret signals from customers
- 199
A few simple strategies to overcome customer doubts and objections
- 200 Sometimes objections can be circumvented
- 200 Help the client understand that this deal is profitable for him
- 200 Get ahead of the client
- 202
They object to you: what to do and what not
- 202 Don't ignore objections
- 203 Let the client answer his objection himself
- 204 Don't argue with the client
- 204 Don't play down the client's doubts
- 204
How to Overcome Objections: A Solid Six-Step Recipe
- 205 Step # 1. Listen to the customer
- 205 Step # 2. Keep the conversation going
- 206 Step # 3. Ask questions
- 206 Step # 4. Answer the questions
- 206 Step # 5: Back Up Your Answers
- 206 Step number 6. By the way ...
- 209
Chapter 12. Closing a deal
- 209 Time to close the deal
- 210
Sometimes you just have to ask
- 211 Determine the customer's readiness to purchase using basic questions
- 211 Make guesses
- 212 Offer the client options
- 212 Draw the wrong conclusion
- 213 Play the Porcupine game
- 214
Questions and statements to guide decision-making
- 214 Simple verbal closing
- 215 Simple written closing of the deal
- 216 The method of "repelling an attack"
- 218 Closing a deal with reference to a reputable opinion
- 220
How to overcome client fears
- 220 What You Can Learn From Benjamin Franklin
- 221 Pros list
- 222 Let's count the shortcomings and summarize
- 223 How to turn an evasive response into a well-defined objection
- 224
Dealing with the “too expensive” objection
- 225 Well, very funny prices!
- 225 Indirect comparison
- 226 Tell a similar story
- 227 Tell us about your competitive advantages
- 229
Chapter 13. Attraction of clients by recommendation
- 230
Where, when and how clients appear on the recommendation
- 231 Where to find clients by referral
- 231 Satisfied customers
- 233 How and when to look for potential clients?
- 234
Finding clients by recommendation: six steps
- 235 Step # 1. Help your buyer identify the circle of acquaintances that might interest you
- 236 Stage 2. Write down referral customer names on cards
- 236 Stage 3. Ask questions to help you evaluate potential customers
- 236 Stage 4. Ask for contact information
- 237 Stage 5. Ask your client to call his acquaintance and make an appointment with you
- 237 Stage 6. Ask the client for permission to refer to him when talking to his acquaintances
- 237 How to meet with clients on a recommendation
- 238 Try to get recommendations even if the deal fails
- 230
Where, when and how clients appear on the recommendation
- 241 Part IV. Growing your business
- 243
Chapter 14. After-sales Service and Customer Relations
- 244
How to know when (and with whom) to maintain a relationship
- 245 Be mindful of customer expectations of maintaining a relationship
- 246
How to choose a method of maintaining a relationship
- 246 Personal meetings
- 246 Phone calls
- 248 Regular mail
- 249 Email
- 250 SMS messages
- 250
Don't forget the importance of thank you letters and gifts
- 250 When to send thanksgiving letters
- 252 When to move from letters to gifts
- 253
How to get the most out of your relationship
- 253 Order first
- 254 Everything is good in moderation
- 256 Keep track of your achievements
- 257 How to stick to a relationship maintenance program
- 244
How to know when (and with whom) to maintain a relationship
- 259
Chapter 15. The Internet is your assistant on the road to sales success
- 259
How can the Internet be useful for sellers?
- 260 Why the Internet is better than newspapers and magazines
- 260 Why the Internet is better than word of mouth
- 261 Why the internet is better than guesswork
- 261
Internet use at different stages of the sales cycle
- 261 Searching for potential customers on the web
- 262 Conducting presentations and selling goods online
- 264 Keep in touch with customers
- 265 Effective use social networks
- 266 Remember the sense of proportion
- 259
How can the Internet be useful for sellers?
- 269
Chapter 16. Effective planning time
- 269 Don't waste time - invest it
- 271
Take time to plan so you don't have a single minute wasted
- 272 Urgent business
- 272 Things to do
- 273 Relatively insignificant matters
- 273 Suddenly arisen cases
- 274
Sliding the waves of time
- 274 Explore your past
- 275 Analyze today today
- 276 Look into tomorrow's day
- 278 When and where to plan?
- 279
Organization of the workplace saves time
- 279 Keep only those urgent matters on the table.
- 279 Use your time effectively
- 279 Remove the phone from the table if necessary
- 280
Don't waste your time
- 280 Endless quest for what could not be lost
- 280 Work that doesn't get it right the first time
- 281 The habit of procrastinating
- 281 Unnecessary or unnecessarily long phone calls
- 282 Unnecessary or too long meetings
- 282 Business lunches that last more than two hours
- 282 Negative thoughts
- 283 Inefficient use of time on the road
- 283 The habit of not confirming appointments
- 284 Pointless TV viewing
- 284 Invasion of your personal space
- 287
Chapter 17. Collaborate with other vendors
- 287 First, understand what you expect from cooperation
- 288
Cooperative activity (joint venture)
- 288 Who needs what you have to offer?
- 289 Who has what you need?
- 290 Cross-promotion (cross-promotion)
- 292 Partnership programs
- 295 Part V. What To Do When You Fail
- 297
Chapter 18. How to Deal with Failure and Rejection
- 297
Find out what motives drive you
- 297 Money
- 298 Feelings of independence and security
- 299 Achieving Success
- 299 Confession
- 299 Approval of others
- 300 Self-affirmation
- 301
Find out what demotivates you
- 301 Loss of security
- 301 Lack of self-esteem
- 301 Fear of failure
- 302 Fear of change
- 303
Five strategies for overcoming failure
- 303 Benefits of negative experiences
- 304 Think of failure as a signal to change course
- 304 Treat failure with humor
- 305 Think of failure as an opportunity to practice and improve yourself.
- 305 Think of failure as part of the game to be won
- 305 Level up with the best - and do what the middle peasants never do
- 306 Do not mix personal life and work
- 306 How to deal with difficult times in your industry
- 297
Find out what motives drive you
- 309
Chapter 19. Goals Don't Relax
- 309 Set yourself achievable and effective goals
- 310
Break your goals down into their component parts
- 310 Long term goals
- 311 Medium-term goals
- 311 Short term goals
- 311
Different kinds goals
- 312 Sales goals
- 313 Personal goals
- 314
Work towards your goals
- 314 Write down your goals
- 315 Don't lose sight of the goal
- 317 What to do when the goal is achieved
- 319 Part VI. Magnificent tens
- 321
Chapter 20. Ten mistakes to avoid
- 321 Mistake # 1. Misunderstand the tasks of the seller
- 322 Mistake # 2. Thinking that you know everything about selling without training
- 322 Mistake number 3. Talk a lot, listen a little
- 323 Mistake # 4. Using words that negate all your efforts
- 323 Mistake # 5. Don't know when to end a sale
- 323 Mistake # 6. Don't know how to close the deal
- 324 Mistake # 7. Lack of sincerity
- 324 Mistake number 8. Lack of attention to detail
- 325 Mistake number 9. Letting yourself get depressed
- 325 Mistake number 10. Lose connection with customers
- 327
Chapter 21. Ten Strategies to Improve Sales Performance
- 327 Get ready
- 327 Make a good first impression
- 327 Determine quickly if you can help a client
- 328 Prepare carefully for each presentation
- 328 Listen carefully to doubts and objections
- 328 Check everything
- 329 Ask the client to make a decision
- 329 Tell about other buyers
- 329 Work on yourself constantly
- 329 Be an advertisement for your product
- 331
Chapter 22. Ten Ways to Master the Art of Selling
- 331 Be curious and open to new knowledge
- 332 Don't overestimate your learning outcomes
- 333 Avoid Dogmatism and Rejoice in Change
- 333 Rehearse, apply and critically evaluate your new skills
- 334 Develop your style
- 335 Be disciplined
- 335 Evaluate achieved results
- 336 Keep a journal of your successes
- 337 Learn from every sale
- 337 Tune in to study
- 339
Chapter 23. Ten effective ways complete a deal
- 339 Method number 1. "If only, if only"
- 339 Method number 2. "Productivity increase"
- 340 Method number 3. "All the best in life"
- 340 Method number 4. "Not"
- 341 Method number 5. "My mommy once said ..."
- 341 Method number 6. "Law of Ten"
- 342 Method number 7. "Buyer's remorse"
- 342 Method number 8. "It doesn't fit into the budget."
- 343 Method number 9. "Training"
- 343 Method number 10. Lost deal
- 344 Subject index
For whom the book was written
I wrote Ability to sell for dummies not only for those who work in the field of trade and strive to improve their professional qualities, but also for everyone who wants to change their lives for the better with the help of selling skills
For you - if you are just starting your career or looking for a way to improve your qualifications.
For you - if you are unemployed and want to find your place in the sun; or you have a job but dream of a promotion.
For you - if you are a teenager and are eager to impress adults; or if you are already an adult and want others to take your opinion into account.
For you - if you are a teacher and are looking for ways to the hearts of your wards; or if you are a parent who finds it difficult to get along with your children.
For you - if you have an idea that can make all mankind happy, or if you just want to improve your relationship with others.
Students (as I call everyone who attends my seminars, regardless of age) tell how, with the help of my techniques, they manage to get the consent of family members on literally all issues Some of the students have acquired the ability to sell helped to successfully sell themselves - and get a more interesting and highly paid job. The little secrets that I reveal in my lectures are useful in everyday life - get to know them and you can count on top-notch service everywhere and never miss a deal
How to use the book
The sales process is a sequence of stages. Each such stage is devoted to a corresponding chapter of this book. You can read everything from beginning to end, or you can look at the table of contents and start with the chapter that seems most interesting to you. Read it slowly. Then look again for anything that might interest you.
This book is divided into six parts. Each part contains chapters in which the general topic of the part is considered in more detail.
Part I. Ability to sell
In this part, you will learn what counts as a sale and what does not. I look at selling examples in different aspects of everyday life. Millions of people enter into a buying and selling relationship every year. Part I teaches you how to recognize and benefit from selling situations.
Part II. Homework for Future Champions
In selling, as in any business, preparation is important - without it you will not be successful either in the usual sale of goods and services, or in negotiating, or in trying to convince others that you are right.
In this part, I look at the stages of preparation, which will give you an advantage over others and will help you hear "yes" more often than "no".Part III. There is no limit to perfection!
Don't stop there. You already have some sales skills, since selling is something that you face every day. But you have the opportunity to develop these skills. Then you will strengthen your position in negotiating and closing deals and will certainly win the interlocutor to your side.
Part IV. Workshops
If your goal is to start your own business or build a brilliant career, this part is for you. Because what sets you apart from everyone else is your desire to achieve more. A common person he does not particularly strive for anything, and people like you see every step they take as an opportunity to rise higher. There is no big loss for you.But remember that you are creating not only and not so much your own business as relationship, because it is more important and more satisfying.
Part V. What To Do When You Fail
Trouble is an inevitable part of our life. Learn to be ready for them, calmly accept and overcome them. This part of the book will teach you how to put up with failures and not let them unsettle you. In addition, here you will learn how to spend time usefully and how to control the situation so that minor troubles do not spoil your life.
Part VI. Magnificent tens
In the small chapters of this part, you will find brief reasoning about the art of selling and the ability to persuade. I recommend reading them in your spare time.
Salesmanship
In this part ..
It tells about selling as a phenomenon of everyday life You will make sure that you yourself are selling something all the time, without even realizing it.Chapter 2 describes the basic skills that anyone who is trying to sell something or something should have. Convincing Something Chapter 3 focuses on applying these skills in everyday life.
Chapter 1
You don't have to stand behind the counter to sell
The art of trading
Tom Hopkins
Chapter # 1
The essence of the art of sales
I learned a long time ago that selling is the highest paid hard job and the lowest paid light job at the same time. I also made another very important conclusion: the choice belongs to me and only to me. I could turn my business into the highest paid hard work or be content with the lowest paid easy job. The sales career was completely dependent on me, and the desires of other people did not play a noticeable role. What someone could or could not give me didn’t matter either. The only thing that mattered was what I did for myself, what I gave myself.
Do you agree with this statement? Hope so. The point of this book is that knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm are qualities that make us great people, and can be deepened and improved if you are willing to invest time, money, and energy in yourself. Is there a better capital investment? Many people understand this, but, alas, they do not often or decisively act on the basis of this conviction.
You yourself are your greatest asset. Invest time, money and energy in developing, nurturing and rewarding your best qualities.
Let's talk about some of the benefits of the art of selling.
First advantage and the reason for my love for this profession lies in freedom of expression. Selling is one of the few professions in which you can be yourself and essentially do what you want. You can win this freedom for yourself by successfully competing in areas where resourcefulness and perseverance are required and highly valued. There is no activity more important to the health of the economy than the sale of goods and services. There is no activity that is more dependent on personal initiativethan selling.
Second advantage selling is that you can reach those heights that you yourself have outlined for yourself. In our profession, no one and nothing limits your income, except yourself. There is no income ceiling.
You may doubt this statement. You may consider yourself a ceiling on the highest income achieved by the most successful salesperson in your company. But does this mean that you cannot earn even more? Of course no. However, this means that your company's salespeople who are not making a higher return on their trades are not applying all the strategies and methodologies required for the Selling Champions.
Third advantage is that the art of selling challenges us every day. You can work in a specific area and not be challenged. It doesn't work like that with a sale. But let this fact please you, and not plunge you into despondency. Be proud of it. In our overly controlled and highly organized society, there are practically no activities where at the beginning of each working day it is impossible to predict how it will end. We were privileged to participate in one of the few processes where freedom and challenge are not rarities, but constant companions. When you are selling, you don’t know what opportunities will open up for you tomorrow, what heights you can reach ... and what disasters lie in wait for you on the way. Every day is an adventure for a sales agent. With such work, we can go from sky-high heights of optimism to depths of disappointment in forty-eight hours and climb back to next morning... Isn't this an exciting prospect? Say yes! Tell yourself every morning that the challenge in your job is great and that you are looking forward to it. Take this seriously. Learn to enjoy professional challenges, boldly face obstacles and overcome them. If you want to rise above average, do it. If you want to achieve true greatness, do not waste time. The shortest path to high earnings is through the challenges you face.
Fourth advantage sale lies in the fact that high potential profits are possible here with a small investment of capital. What is the cost of being able to access a profession that has no income ceiling? Compare your findings to the investment required to build a local fast food chain that is considered to be very profitable. Typically, the owner puts in $ 200,000 or more, works late into the evening, and charges himself a paltry salary. He does all of this in the hope of making a $ 40,000 profit by the end of his second fiscal year. You can start your sales career with only a tiny fraction of that capital and earn more income from your job much sooner if you apply our methods. The huge return on small investment in sales has always fascinated me. What a great prospect! Fifth advantage selling is about having a good time. Do you know how many people deprive themselves of fun and entertainment for a living? My philosophy is that if work is not fun, it shouldn't be done. Life should be fun, and there is no reason to avoid fun as long as you have a decent income for your family.
Sixth advantage selling is that the profession is satisfying. You feel good when a customer leaves you with a purchased product. It’s nice to know that you’ve helped people, and when you come home in the evening, you can say, "I have attracted a few more people to my company's products." When a company employee or government official signs a purchase order, it is encouraging to think that you helped them make a profitable investment. The benefits of the people you serve are in direct proportion to your ability and business skills. The better you sell, the more you benefit others: your customers, your family, and the country's economy.
Nobody limits your growth opportunities except yourself. If you want to make more money, you need to study more. This means you will have to work harder and work longer for a while, but your efforts will pay off. additional earnings and an increase in total income.
Many people have a job or profession that does not allow them to fully develop their capabilities. The scope of their activities is limited by a narrow framework; labor rather hinders their development than favors it. They don't like their job; satisfies, perhaps, only a sense of security, brought up by a long habit. Therefore, instead of engaging in unfamiliar and possibly favorite work, they prefer to remain trapped in a well-known and unloved job.
Have you already got a job as a sales manager or are you just going?
Despite the seeming simplicity of this work, I still want to warn you that this work is not easy and its ease is visible. In fact, get ready for the fact that you will come home much later than usual and will feel worse than a squeezed lemon.
Because selling is not as easy as it might seem to an inexperienced person. This is fraught with some difficulties. Therefore, before getting a job as a sales manager, I advise you to think carefully, because a manager is not just an employee for 8 hours, a manager works constantly, even in his sleep, on vacation, at a resort, or a summer residence. You only need to make a choice once, and this choice will determine your further life without rest. Aren't you scared yet? It's good. Because, despite all of the above, it is very interesting to work as a sales manager - constant meetings, new acquaintances, a new flow of information, a very wide range of activities and no routine.
What do you prefer? Calm, monotonous, a little boring work according to the once and for all established scheme, without interrupting the workplace?
Or do you still want new experiences?
Answering the question of where to start, I can only say: you need to start with the right choice profession.
Before you start working as a manager, think about whether this is what you want? Or is it from hopelessness?
If from hopelessness, then it is better to look for something else, because the job of a manager is specific and does not suit all people.
I can roughly list the qualities and properties of a person capable of doing this job. First, sociability, or, as it is now commonly called, sociability. But, on the other hand, sociability does not mean talkativeness or talkativeness. For all the sociability, the manager must be able to keep the organization's trade secrets, listen to the client and be independent from others. The work of a manager implies a large share of independence, that is, you must be able to make decisions, take responsibility and have some (enough high degree) self-organization.
Secondly, a manager is a creative person who will work not according to a scheme, but according to a strategy that is inherent in him alone. Moreover, the strategy is constantly changing, adjusted according to the knowledge gained, experience and specifics. Creativity is precisely about creating new packages of proposals, looking for different approach to people, to be flexible and light. The job of a manager implies by itself adjusting the available product to the consumer, looking for a need and satisfying it using available resources.
Thirdly, the manager should not be withdrawn, irritable or hot-tempered, this work should be taken seriously and responsibly, but you should not take everything that is said to you personally, otherwise it will be doubly difficult for you.
A manager is the most flexible employee, the easiest interlocutor, the fastest thinking specialist, the most creative artist and the most organized pragmatist. Can you combine all these qualities in yourself? Then you are on the right path, this work will bring you happiness.
If something is missing and you do not feel the strength to acquire this quality, then you do not need to strain yourself and your character. What for? When you can find a different kind of job!
So, do you still want to be a manager? It is perfectly! It means that you are suitable, because a good manager must also be courageous and confident in his abilities. Believe me: you will not be bored, there will be no time to be sad, but also to dream.
Hope you don’t regret the decision! Remember one simple truth, if you constantly regret the decisions you make, why make them then !?
So, the choice is made!
You have been hired as a sales manager. In terms of sales, it doesn't matter yet. How do you like such a surprise ?!
For now, try to take this at its word, in the future we will try to convince you with examples that selling sausage and tights, office equipment and metal, advertising and snow (to residents of northern regions) share the same principles.
One way or another - they expect from you concluded deals, signed contracts, profits for the company in which you work. Well, you, of course, are full of desire to make money more money and as soon as possible.
Where do you start?
The management of the organization in which you work will probably have their own answer to this question. Then your success, as well as the success of the enterprise, will depend on your diligence and on how correct the path of leadership is. Not a very convincing addiction. After all, you always want to influence the events in which you are involved in the maximum possible way. As a rule, this requires knowledge and experience.
The latter comes over the years, and knowledge can and should always be obtained.
Therefore, to the question "Where to start?" the answer is very simple: "From knowledge."
Fortunately, there is now plenty of literature on marketing and advertising. Books on this topic are written in accordance with the basics of marketing. Simply put, they are designed for a wide variety of segments of the population. Some of them are written in such a language that, apparently, are intended only for professors of economic sciences, although the annotation does not say about this.
At the first stage, so that the new business does not scare you away, we recommend publications for dummies.
However, in the most abstruse, and in the simplest book with pictures, it should be written not in an intricate scientific language, but simply and clearly.
In order to start and successfully sell (sausage, pantyhose, metal, computers, advertising, air) sales, a sales manager must answer three questions.
What? Who? How?
In other words, what, to whom and how he will sell.
What is a product or service of the company in which you work.
Who is the client of the company you work for. These are those who already today buy from an enterprise its product or service, and those who can buy a product or service under certain conditions tomorrow or in a month in your company or in an organization competing with you.
How is the strategy and tactics of a specific sale. To work with each client, the manager must study it and develop an action plan designed specifically for this buyer.
That is, this is the case when their theory can be considered adapted to our practice.
The described approach to the sales process is relevant for all types of goods and services. If we still try to classify sales objects by groups, then I want to propose the following gradation for the sales manager:
1) to sell a product is to sell something that you can touch with your hands and whose quality can be determined at the time of purchase according to specified criteria: TV, telephone, food, etc.;
2) to sell a quick service is to sell certain actions, the result of which (that is, the quality of the service) can be assessed immediately after the purchase according to specified criteria, for example, washing a car, learning a foreign language, etc .;
3) to sell a slow service is to sell certain actions, the quality of which cannot be assessed immediately after the purchase. In this category, the most a shining example are just some types of advertising services.
Even if you are not an expert, you understand that selling a slow service is the hardest part. Many managers have had to do this repeatedly, and below we give a few practical recommendations on this occasion. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Don't forget: you need to figure out what you will be selling.
The answer to this question should be given to you in the marketing department, if it is provided for by the staffing table. If there is no such department, you should torture the manager, or executiveto which he will direct you.
You probably guessed that the answer to the question "what are you selling" is not limited to literal voice of the product or service. The matter is more complicated. If the company has a competent marketing department, consider yourself lucky. You will be provided with comprehensive information about the product according to all the criteria necessary for your subsequent work. But you should prepare for yourself. difficult option... You yourself will have to find out everything about what you will be selling.
There is an anecdote on this topic.
War. The prisoner is being interrogated through an interpreter. Translator: "This is from er name?" Prisoner: "My name from John Smith." Translator (slightly angry): "This is from er name?" Prisoner (bewildered): "My name from John Smith." The translator beats the prisoner with a flourish and furiously asks: "This is from er name?" Prisoner (falling from his chair and crying): "My name from John Smith." Translator (angrily looking into his eyes): "I ask you for the last time, how many tanks do you have?"
Seriously though, you need to know what questions to ask and understand exactly what you are asking. Only then can you expect to understand the answers.
Now, in more detail about how to get started with a client
There are several stages of work that a manager goes through when working with each client. It:
1) telemarketing;
2) meeting;
3) contract;
4) work on the implementation of the contract;
5) control over the fulfillment of all contractual obligations;
6) the final stage;
7) communication support.
All these stages are listed in a somewhat simplified diagram, sometimes there are more complex ones, but more on that later.
I will explain in more detail each of these stages.
The first stage is telemarketing. This term came to us from Western literature (sometimes it is called telework), but in Russian it can be called not very nice word "Call", telemarketing sounds better - a call to a client.
Regardless of whether you yourself are looking for a client or you will be given a ready-made working base, the first stage of establishing contact is a call, which should lead to further cooperation.
What usually happens when telephone conversation? Oh, there can be a huge variety of variations - from the conclusion of a contract and ending with dissatisfied statements about sellers, advertising and you personally. You must be prepared for this in advance. But in recent times the good news is that most firms still adhere to business etiquette and you can rarely hear a frank message, but this happens in the practice of any manager.
If you were not sent and started a conversation (believe me, this happens in 98% of cases), you inform the potential client about your services, advantages and benefits. This often ends with a request to fax or e-mail your suggestions. This is where the telemarketing stage ends.
The point of this step is to:
1) make contact;
2) find a client in need of your service;
3) inform the client;
4) try to continue contact, make an appointment.
Telemarketing has no other tasks, with the exception, perhaps, of an indirect side research of the market needs and the general situation. By the way, this is a separate conversation. Looking ahead, I want to say that it would be nice if you write down the approximate needs and wishes of your customers: this will help you form your own understanding of the sales market, as well as (possibly) formulate a rationalization proposal for your bosses and increase your turnover.
The second stage is a meeting. If at the teleworking stage you managed to get the client to make an appointment, you can be congratulated, because a meeting is a big deal, eye contact will not interfere with your work. Although, to be honest, my personal practice convinced me that the meeting was not like that. important pointbecause if the client is stubborn, little can convince him and your personal charm is unlikely to help here. But I will not quench your enthusiasm: meetings are needed, and they should be, because this is another effective tool manager. At the meeting, try to test your gift of persuasion and influence on people.
The third stage is a contract. Its essence is the simplest and one of the most pleasant - the conclusion of a sales contract. For you, this means the fulfillment of the task (financial plan) and the formation of salaries.
The financial plan is an individual task assigned to the manager by the management of the company, consisting in a certain fixed turnover in monetary terms. To put it simply: upon applying for a job, you will be told the amount for which you will have to conclude contracts on a monthly basis, in which case you will be able to receive a salary and other manager's privileges. Otherwise, you will be deprived of some opportunities, and if you systematically fail to fulfill the plan without a good reason, you will simply lose your job.
The financial plan is put before the manager in order to control and evaluate his work, because it is difficult to evaluate the work of a sales manager differently: the result of the seller is expressed precisely in the turnover.
Let's go back to the stage of concluding a contract. Drafting and signing is the most striking moment, it is almost a victory, more precisely, it is a complete victory over the client, but a victory that entails further work... Let's move on to the next step.
The fourth stage is the implementation of the contract. The manager's task is not only to conclude a contract! The work does not end there, but a new, most creative part of the task begins - the execution of the order. What is meant by completing a task? Organization of work on a project - finding out the smallest details and putting them into practice, creating a layout, writing a text, evaluating the work done by the creators, etc. At this stage, there is the closest contact with the client, the greatest interaction with him. A manager is required to be creative, active, proactive and entrepreneurial. When the work required from the manager is completed, the next stage begins.
The fifth stage is control over the fulfillment of all obligations. This stage includes two elements.
1. Control over the fulfillment of obligations by the client (payment for services, provision of materials necessary for work, compliance with the agreed terms, etc.).
2. Control over the fulfillment of obligations entrusted to your company under the contract, that is, control over the performance of the work that is not performed directly by the manager himself, but which must be performed in the proper manner in the right time frame with proper quality.
Both elements must be controlled by the manager, and in the event of a failure, he must make a decision to overcome the difficulties that have arisen.
It must be remembered that in in this case the manager does a very responsible job and looks like a policeman who regulates the traffic: "Now you are going, and you will go next." To avoid congestion, stoppages, misunderstandings, the manager must be literally omnipresent. It would seem that all this is simple and interesting. Believe me: all this is exactly so, but there is one caveat: it is quite difficult to follow all this if you have several contracts concluded at the same time. Therefore, a manager must also have an excellent memory and excellent organizational skills in order not to lose volume and be in time everywhere.
The sixth stage is the final one. It is not highlighted by chance and consists in correctly completing the work on the project. And to complete it correctly means not forgetting anything, taking into account all the wishes and, most importantly, informing the client about the work done.
During the period of execution of the contract, you must not leave the client in the dark about what and how you are doing. You need to keep him informed about events so that you do not get the impression that you are missing with money or are messing around. A good manager is always subtly accountable for the work done. This, on the one hand, allows you to keep in touch, on the other hand, to get closer to the client and stay in his memory for a long time, on the third, to find out his wishes and involve in creative process work, which will not only make your task easier, but also reduce the level of dissatisfaction with your work as it is completed (after all, the client made the decisions himself!).
Also, the final stage includes the signing of an act on the work done, which says that the client has no complaints about the work done. This removes the possibility of various dissatisfaction appearing over time and is a documentary confirmation of the work done by you and your company.
The seventh stage is keeping in touch. If you've collaborated before, it becomes much easier to maintain further contact than with clients you haven't worked with before. If you have fulfilled the terms of the contract with high quality, then most likely they will contact you again, and for this you should not lose touch and disappear for a long time. Before ending your partnership, agree on the next contact (“When can I call you again?”, “Will we cooperate further?”, “I hope this was not a one-time cooperation ?!”, etc.).
If we take it by the percentage of stages, then we can say that for a good manager about 40% of calls continue with a meeting, 60% of meetings go into the conclusion of a contract and 100% of contracts survive until the signing of the act and the conclusion of new contracts.
So go for it! Of course, failures await you, from which no one is insured, but the more experienced you are, the fewer failures you will receive and the more contracts and positive connections there will be. In this area, success is directly proportional to the work experience and the presence of the manager's personality traits. The ability to analyze will also come in handy. The ability to speak beautifully and correctly is also necessary. In general, all in one!
What other questions may arise?
Oh, believe me, there will be a lot of them!
For example, how to find clients? What a pressing question this is for every manager!
When you are hired, this question will need to be discussed - will you be provided with a customer base or will you have to look for them yourself. Providing you with a base will make your work easier, but only for the first few months. All the same, you will come to the moment when it will be necessary to search for the so-called new blood. If you are not provided with a ready-made customer base, do not be alarmed. Searching for new customers seems scary only at first and out of inexperience. In fact, all this is not so scary, all sales managers are engaged in this.
“Okay,” you say, “but where to look ?!” And we will be happy to answer this question. There are a lot of sources! For example, all the same advertising - on radio, television, in newspapers, magazines, reference books. An excellent source is the telephone directory of organizations (where there is not only their name and phone number, but also the scope of the company, which will make your work easier). Or maybe a little differently: you walk down the street, walk, look around, and suddenly you see new organization, remember its name (or write down the phone number, if one is specified), after (if the phone number was not specified) call help desk, find out the phone and ... Consider that new client already in your database. The next step is to establish contact with a new potential client. True, sometimes a very comical situation turns out. Once I call a client (I found a company in the newspaper):
- Hello, can you tell me with whom I can talk about advertising issues?
- With me. Do you want to suggest something?
Of course, all this would be funny if it were not so sad. Unfortunately, this case testifies against advertising - in this case, it did not work.
But this is not always the case.
In general, advertising is largely a matter of chance. Lucky - not lucky, little depends on you personally. You can come up with original and striking advertising, but a lot is determined by the needs and market conditions. Advertising is effective only when it is beneficial to the manufacturer. The effect of advertising is manifested only in relation to competitors, and not in relation to the fact of the appearance of consumers. After all, the market is not dimensionless, a certain number of subjects participate in it, they all need something, and what can satisfy the need is in demand. If the need can be satisfied in several ways, then not only the one that is better will be in demand, but also the one that is known to the majority, and the one that is available to the majority. Therefore, advertising appears and is relevant only for those who have many competitors and who need to form a consumer segment. Advertising is not needed for those who have formed a constant circle of consumers and who have no competitors, although they may need informative advertising, but more on that later.
Therefore, never compromise on the effectiveness of the project: what is effective for one organization may absolutely not work for another; what you think will have an effect may turn out to be an outright dummy, and what seemed not very bright and effective may turn out to be a brilliant project. There is no product more elusive and ghostly than advertising, which is why it is very difficult to sell. But it is also interesting, because there is no broader sphere than advertising, in which one can be realized not only as a seller, but also as a creator.
Believe me: there really are very wide opportunities, grounds for using imagination and developing new projects, everything is constantly changing here, and this is very interesting. You, too, can change something and must manage to change yourself along with these movements. You have to keep up! If you lag behind, you may no longer catch up and join the general stream.
The advertising market is developing very dynamically and is changing very dynamically. Perhaps he is becoming obsolete? Partly. And this only means that it is time to change and change again! Running forward, running ahead and being the first is the credo of good advertising!
Basically, as you probably already understood from all of the above, to be a sales manager, you do not need to have special knowledge and qualifications, but in order to be successful manager, you will need to delve into the basics of economics, advertising, marketing and business, even if only in order to produce positive impression to their clients by understanding the main market trends and sales technologies.
There are various workshops and practical advicethat can help you acquire additional knowledge in the field of sales and sales management, but you can still get the basic knowledge only at own experience, through trial and error, analysis of conducted conversations, victories and failures.
For more than seven years of work in the field of management in a provincial city, he has climbed all the steps of the hierarchical hierarchy. He started his career in advertising as a creator of scripts for advertising audio and video clips, texts for flyers and articles, and a developer of long-term advertising campaigns. Only much later did he learn that all these duties are united by the terms "creator", "copywriter", which came into our everyday life from abroad. From there came the first translated literature on the basics of the advertising business.
He read the works of David Ogilvy and Claude Hopkins, discovering the diversity of areas that the engine of trade has absorbed. It turned out that such a “simple business - to sell something - combines knowledge from a wide variety of areas of life: psychology, economics, sociology, literature and much more. And only in this case success will come to you. Not accidental and momentary, but thoughtful, strategically built and therefore forever.
These discoveries, of course, in conjunction with other personal qualities, necessary for the manager, literally fell in love with our friend in the advertising business and soon allowed him to get the position of director of development in a fairly well-known organization engaged in the manufacture of seals and stamps. Leading an excellent creative team of professionals - managers, designers, layouts, creators, artists and other specialists, he contributed to the new establishment, or, more correctly, positioning, of the company. In less than two years, it was possible to create a large advertising holding with full spectrum advertising services, known far beyond the city and region.
To this day, he considers this successful experience to be invaluable in his career.
It was then that inconsistencies between the beautifully described import experience accumulated over the centuries, the well-functioning capitalist market and our Russian reality were outlined for the first time. Their theory did not fit into our practice without serious adaptation.
I did not go to bed mainly due to the fact that in our country there is very for a long time there was a problem “how to buy?”, not “how to sell?”. The manifestations of a scarce ideology are still an obstacle hindering the activities of Russian marketers and advertisers.
This phenomenon is especially noticeable in provincial cities. It is common knowledge that Moscow is very rapidly absorbing foreign investments with their huge advertising budgets.
Together with investments in the capital organizations came new approach to strategic planning, management and staff motivation and, of course, advertising and sales.
The province lives at a slightly different pace. And most of us have to live and work in provincial cities.
The experience of strategic planning and management of a large (more than 70 people) organization, obtained in an advertising holding, was then polished by our acquaintances when solving the problem of introducing a new advertising agency, of which he is currently the founder.
While still a copywriter (today this term can be used much more boldly), our friend got his first skills in personal sales. He had to constantly adapt the theoretical knowledge of foreign books to our reality.
Making mistakes and drawing conclusions from them, accumulating statistics real situationsarising during the sale, he gradually formed the methodology for sellers, according to which the managers trained by him in various companies still work today.
In this book, we offer several practical recommendations both for novice sales managers, wishing to help them in their early professional development, and for those who have been working in this direction for a long time. We hope that the description of the algorithm for solving some problems will strengthen them in the correctness of the chosen actions.
Let the experience concentrated in this book help you develop your own sales methodology and your own algorithm of actions, which will be unique to you and which will be constantly improved throughout your professional path.
The manager should not stop there - the manager should always move forward and lead others, including clients, who are often distinguished by conservatism and sluggishness of thinking. The manager is part of the progress that drives the advertising, marketing and business marketplace.
I wish you to become a worthy representative of this class of people! Class? Yes, precisely the class, because managers are special people who are called to lead, not be led, who must be able to fight and retreat in time, persuade and be convinced.
Are you still reading this book? So you are almost a manager, or maybe you are already a manager? Either way you are on the right way! What could be better than borrowing and learning from experience ?!