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Successful sales are between science and art. To be able to close a sale requires an in-demand product, a proficient marketing campaign, knowledge of psychology, and much more.
Nevertheless, if a seller wants to increase their revenue, sometimes it only requires a few subtle tweaks to their sales technique to start achieving more effective sales. In the following ten sales life hacks, you'll find some ingenious tricks to help you sell more and or at a higher price. Learn more in "Incredible Salesman: How to Sell Anything to Anyone".
Life-hack 1. Imagine that the customer is a good friend
When we prepare for a difficult conversation with a customer, we negotiate cautiously, constantly waiting for a catch. The customer picks up on this cynicism and starts to anticipate potential bumps in the road ahead. Resultantly, this may become a self-fulfilling prophecy and may lead to issues arising. However, you can side-step this negative effect by imagining that the customer is a good friend you have not seen for ages. With this mindset, the customer's conversation will go much more smoothly, and you will build rapport and trust.
Life-hack 2. Prepare for the meeting
Hone your image and the clothes you wear down to the finest detail. People always feel more confident when they are wearing smart and comfortable attire. After all, the customer reads the seller's emotions and can feel any hint of embarrassment or indecisiveness. Moreover, because the buyer does not know that the seller is only uncomfortable in a tight suit, the customer can take the seller's indecision as a sign that they aren't getting the whole truth and that the seller is trying to deceive them somehow.
Life-hack 3. Remember the story
Storytelling is a strong sales technique. Salespeople have long been telling evocative yarns to customers, and now this trend has finally earned its name: storytelling. Weaving a great yarn can dispel a customer's doubts and eventually convince them to buy the product. Collect and remember compelling stories so that you can adapt them to your product and tell them to your customers when the opportunity arises.
Life-hack 4. Address the customer by name
Address the customer by their name. By doing this, you are showing them your respect and affection. Nevertheless, to get the customer's name, it's better not to ask, "What's your name directly?" On the contrary, say something like, "What would you like me to call you?" Then, it allows the customer to decide how they would like you to address them. Memorize their chosen name and use it where you feel it is appropriate in the conversation. However, if the customer does not want to be called by their name, don't insist.
Life-hack 5: Do the customer a small favor
It should be a small favor. It should be small so that the customer is not then feeling obligated. For example, you could offer the customer a drink or find a comfortable place to rest. Remember, it is more difficult for us to turn down people who have already done us a favor. Doing the customer a good turn in this way increases the chances of the salesperson closing the deal.
Life-hack 6. Be an active listener
"Active listening," as the name suggests, is fully concentrating on what your conversation partner is saying, rather than just passively "hearing" the message of the interlocutor. Active listening helps build rapport with the customer. Moreover, active listening can help establish common ground with the potential buyer, so please respect the following two simple criteria.
- Properly listen carefully to what the interlocutor is saying.
- Demonstrate to the interlocutor that their conversation is interesting and is being listened to attentively. You can do this by asking questions, paraphrasing, and checking if you have understood them correctly.
Life-hack 7. Convince the customer to buy now
This trick is particularly effective when it comes to products offered at a promotional price. Never pass up an opportunity to emphasize the benefits the customer receives. An effective trick is to emphasize how much the product's original price was and how much cheaper it is now. For example, "The previous price-point was $1200, and now its half price at $600!
Life-hack 8. Test drive
It is much harder for customers to turn down a purchase if they can already see themselves as the item's owner. That's why salespeople at car dealerships often offer a test drive. Clothing stores allow their customers to try things on; even if the customer initially had no real intention of buying the item - they might change their mind when they see how good the garment is in the mirror!
Life-hack 9. Continue listing
Of course, the more items the customer buys, all the better for the salesperson. Make hay whilst the sun shines, and don't pass up opportunities to give customers new shopping ideas. For example, care products for clothes or shoes that the customer has just bought.
Life-hack 10. Don't take no for an answer
It can become a customer's habit to turn down your offers. The life-hack is that it is crucial not to end the conversation with a refusal to prevent the customer from getting into the habit of refusing your requests. We remember the first and last parts of the conversation best of all, so ending the conversation when the customer has refused you already means they have begun to form this "bad habit" (from the seller's perspective). Therefore, instead of presenting the potential customer with an opportunity to decline your offer flatly, ask them to take some time to think about your proposal and say goodbye on a neutral note.
Learning and observing customers is essential for any salesperson if they want to be successful. You can learn more about techniques to help close any deal in an educational course, such as Lectera's "Incredible Salesman: How to Sell Anything to Anyone."
And a final word, which is vital to remember. It isn't enough to learn about effective sales techniques and life-hacks. You need to know how to correctly put them into practice in reality by communicating with the customer.
