Sales skills can be extremely important to your success in a variety of different positions. At some point throughout your life you’re going to need to convince someone to buy something or to invest in an idea. Every position within an organization is a salesperson. Sales is a skill that everyone needs to work on especially for the times where want to make your vision heard.
Here are some of the methods that you can use to practice sales even if you aren’t a full-time salesperson:
Research: understanding what the process of selling and sales is all about is one of the first steps to really understanding how you can influence someone’s decision. Your overall goal is to work in collaboration with someone who you are selling an idea to or selling a product to.
You don’t necessarily want to push someone into a sale but rather inspire them to feel like you are providing a value that can significantly improve their life.
Picture yourself in the customer’s shoes: before pitching any type of idea or attempting to make a sale with someone it’s very important that you focus on a problem that they have, seem extremely attentive and help them solve the problem with your idea or product. Focus on understanding of the person you are speaking to and how they will measure a successful outcome.
Working on your technique: eventually working on sales and technique involves a team of support. Even the best salespeople in the world at one point had a coach, a team or even a trusted peer that they could practice with and bounce ideas off of. If you could speak to a parent or even a friend who is an expert in your field and help them draw a connection to your idea or product, this can help you really craft a helpful sales pitch.
A focus with closing: long-winded sales or not having an endgame can make the process much more difficult. Be flexible but have a method for moving to the next step or the agreement in a pitch. Have some type of permission to close the deal such as asking if the customer or investor is ready to take the next step forward.
While these techniques work for any level of sales professional, make sure that they do not feel alone in this process. Remember, researching your client, supporting their needs and vision with a game plan aimed towards the future could be the difference in making or breaking a deal!
