Sales in business stem from a variety of factors: great products, setting, clear communication, and customer service
A great product, for example, would be hard to pitch if it’s in the wrong environment and unwarranted. Bad communication could stifle the benefits of a product if the salesperson doesn’t fully understand the value of the product. Bad customer service is often a big deal breaker. All-the-while the product could simply be a dud being pitched in perfect conditions.
Sales, to say the least, can be tricky when one of these factors are out of your favor.
A sales team that runs at full efficiency is one that has the appropriate training, dynamics in communication, naturally performs well, and has the right resources at their disposal.
You may be wondering, how exactly does a business create an irresistible pitch?
It all goes back to those four main conditions that affect the sales environment:
· Products – Products need to solve a problem or be so appealing that a person cannot see their existence without it. Sales people generally do not have a say in the process of product development, but they can provide input on improvements through the questions and feedback they gain from talking with real-world customers. With an ample amount of data gained from customer interaction, a business will be able to resupply their sales force with the products which speak to the customers on the same levels as what they desire; this is all part of building the customer avatar.
· Setting – Ever wonder why so many deals are struck during after parties, at golf courses, or at the bar? It’s because it’s a relaxed environment where people want to stick around. Bringing customers in to demo a product or hear a pitch is also very effective, since it brings them into your environment, giving you a sort of home field advantage. To make this work efficiently, it’s best to schedule the right rooms to place the right salespeople with desired clients, uninterrupted, and make sure they have the right resources to make the pitch. An easy way to do this is with services such as Asure Software, which offers mobile and cloud-based solutions to register and regulate meeting spaces for office settings. Once they’re in, hearing the benefits, and feeling the pressure of the pitch, they are often locked in because it’s in-your-face and exciting.
· Communication – Sales goes hand-in-hand with the marketing materials. A salesperson that does not fully understand a product is one which will show terrible returns because they aren’t able to answer the questions presented by the potential customers. Every step of the process, from product development to launch, should be clearly communicated and documented for every employee to understand. Marketing campaigns should align with sales campaigns (and vice versa); the combined continuity between what they see in an advertisement and what’s being pitched will lock interested parties into fully understanding why it benefits them to become a customer.
· Service – The follow-up is an all-too-neglected aspect of the sales process which, in all reality, is just as important as the actual pitch. A customer doesn’t want to feel burned in their purchasing decision and the best way to alleviate this troubling thought is to assure them through stellar customer service and commitment. Customer service is often as simple as asking if they’re enjoying the product but could also include sending the representatives over to help the individual further understand the capabilities of the product. These small gestures go a long way toward developing a long-term relationship with the client.
It would be nice if sales were as simple as presenting a product and receiving money, but there needs to be a bit of coercion between the parties. A salesperson with the right resources, in the right environment, backed by excellent products, and offering great service will be primed and ready to deliver excellent results. Perfecting the pitch, beyond the basics, is a matter of placing these fundamentals in motion and providing the right resources to allow growth and collect data so you can expand your reach and understanding.
How does your business approach sales in a way that gives you an edge on the competition? Share an insight with a comment below.