Professional Sales

FAST TRACK TO PROFESSIONAL SALES

 

This manual will improve your effectiveness as a business person who needs to understand the sales process in order to improve their ability to gain new clients and maximise the revenue from existing clients.  This is a ‘cliché-free’ guide that concentrates on providing the high-level knowledge that every high-achieving professional sales-person practices.

 

Like all the Fast Track guides, the emphasis is on practical and proven approaches, providing an introduction to some advanced sales concepts rather than slowing you down with masses of theory. 

In bringing this wide range of material together in one publication we provide you with a document that will grow in usefulness as your experience grows.

 

Written by a successful business services sales-person and sales manager with 30 years experience, the manual summarises the work practices needed by a good sales person.  It will assist in qualifying, closing and satisfying new business sales, providing you with the confidence to approach any sales opportunity including;

  • Your Values and ‘Sales 10 Commandments’ guides you on how to identify, work as a team and profit from sales opportunities.
  • Forecasting and Qualification is the essential link to your business plan with an accurate indication of future revenue.  Includes the Fast Track Qualification Checklist  to analyse your prospective business.
  • How to Conduct Yourself looks at the impact of what we say and how we present ourselves at a meeting or formal presentation.
  • Buying Influences is the essential analysis of the types of ‘buyer’ essential for a sale and how to locate them within a business.
  • Red Flags provides an early indication that something is not running correctly so that you can revise your sales strategy in a timely fashion.
  • Information Gathering provides effective skills of good questioning techniques, holding effective business meetings and analysing the information you have received. 
  • Report and Proposal Writing describes an approach that will deliver written work with good Content, Structure and Style and provides a set of guidelines on the effective business use of English.
  • Negotiating Guidelines ensures that all parties achieve success from the business relationship.

 

Excerpt from Fast Track to Professional Sales – The Impact of Nasty Words

 

What are the words and expressions in daily use that destroy any chance of sales success?  Essentially they fall into three categories; Commitment, Sales Slang and Industry Terms.

 

Without meaning to, you can totally destroy your credibility by saying things that , whilst appearing innocent, actively prejudices your potential client against you; sometimes without them being conciously aware of their reasons.  We are not talking here of the obvious dangers of ill-conceived references to race, religion, sex, politics and profanity.

 

COMMITMENT

 

When making a buying decision, no one wants to feel trapped by something they later feel they will not want, yet the following words serve to emphasise just that fact;

  • Buy, Bought
  • Sell, Sold
  • Cost, Charge
  • Commit, Contract
  • Sign

Instead, the forward thinking sales person uses words that emphasise the positive; INVEST rather than BUY, AGREEMENT rather than CONTRACT, OK rather than SIGN and CONFIRM rather than COMMIT.  So substitute using;

 

SALES SLANG

 

In an attempt to be amusing, sales people often use slang terms to describe their activities in what is infact a deprecating manner.  In the same way as a senior doctor never refers to themselves as a Quack or an eminent lawyer as a Shyster, so a sales person should never use terms that put their profession in a bad light;

  • Pitch or Peddle
  • Dem or Demo
  • Hit
  • Bung 

INDUSTRY TERMS

 

There is a vocabulary of technical terms in all businesses that act as an express shorthand that like-minded people use to communicate concepts and techniques.  However, such terms are often mistakenly used with clients and potential clients who have no reason to understand them . 

 

People have a natural tendency to want to impress, especially under pressure; so there is a tendency to use technical terms in the mistaken belief that it gives the impression of superior knowledge.  However such terms will baffle, anger and eventually cause the buyer to switch-off.  Always be aware of the words and terms being used and ensure they are easily comprehended by the potential client.