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1-Page Summary of Selling 101

Why Do You Want to Sell?

Salespeople are often treated poorly and have to deal with rejection. They experience feelings such as frustration, anxiety, nervousness, discouragement and self-doubt. However, the positives of being a salesperson outweigh the negatives for some people. As a salesperson you’re your own boss even if you work for someone else or have another supervisor check your call sheets. This is a huge responsibility but it also offers tremendous opportunity because you control your destiny by realizing your dreams through selling products or services that help others in need of what they offer.

Salespeople must have certain skills regardless of what they’re selling. To succeed in the long-term, today’s sales professionals should be honest and trustworthy. They should also possess good communication skills and be able to listen well.

Prospecting for Gold

The first step in making a sale is finding a prospect. A prospect is an individual or group that can make the decision on the product being sold. Salespeople who are successful at selling their products are always looking for prospects. The best way to find them is by genuinely interested in people, and not pushy about it. Some people think you should avoid trying to sell your product or service to friends and family members because they might see you as pushy or greedy, but if you truly believe in what you’re selling then don’t be afraid to share it with those closest to you.

One way to get referrals is to have a trusted friend introduce you by phone or note to someone who might be interested in your product. You can do this by using the “center of influence” technique, which means asking someone who believes in you for contacts. Then, record the contact information on a card and ask the referrer to help prioritize it.

You can find prospects in various places. You can get them from the book Contacts Influential: Commerce and Industry Directory, newspapers, trade publications, online sources like Dun & Bradstreet and your local Chamber of Commerce.

To get started, learn as much about your industry and the competition as you can. Read trade publications, study trends, gather information and show prospects how to use your product or service. Ask them questions that will help you figure out what they need so that you can offer a solution.

Conquering “Call Reluctance”

Making sales calls can be difficult. Many people are reluctant to make them, and often it’s because they don’t know as much about the product or service that they’re selling as their prospect does. So, you should realize that you have a lot of expertise in your field and no one knows more about what you’re offering than you do. You should also focus on the person who is receiving your call rather than focusing on closing a sale, which will help with overcoming any reluctance to making sales calls.

When making phone calls, set objectives before dialing. Make your calls when people are fresh in the morning and ready to listen. Dress professionally even though the person you’re calling can’t see you. Prepare yourself for these calls and stay motivated throughout them.

The first step to overcoming call reluctance is to set a regular schedule for yourself and stick to it. If you don’t have a regular schedule, then you won’t be able to make your own appointments with prospects. Salespeople who are not directly supervised often fail because they do not commit themselves to a fixed schedule of making calls every day or week.

The Four Steps

Today’s salespeople need a plan to follow in order to be successful. They need a step-by-step process they can use over and over again. The author of this book teaches the four steps he uses for his own sales: