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GuestR401x3
Guest
Why listen to a random young dude on the internet for sales advice you might ask? Here's why, I've been in sales for the majority of my short career so far, and even though it's been short I've had quite a bit of success. According to "Personal Finance Data" I currently am in the top 99.8th percentile for income to others at my age. I achieved this by reading, having mentors, and learning from in-person sales courses. Sales is something that I've learned and become pretty good at.
Sales as a job is not truly Fastlane, although it is more Fastlane than most other jobs out there. To break down sales with the CENTS criteria:
Control: 6 - In sales, you have control over your activity and performance, but not typically over the product or service you're selling. This is usually determined by the company you work for. If you're selling an excellent product or service your control is a lot higher than if you are selling a crappy product or service.
Entry: 8 - Although anyone can sign up for a sales job, few people enjoy it and even fewer people are good at it. Giving it a higher barrier to entry.
Need: 9 - Every business needs sales. Sales is the lifeblood of business and without it, every other person would be out of a job.
Time: 6 - In sales, you get paid commission, so your income is based on results not hours. I know some outside sales reps who work for multiple companies and created a machine for themselves where all they do is facilitate repeat orders between contractors and manufacturers and are making a ton of money with little time involved. That being said you need to be available in sales and if you take a month's vacation your income is going to take a big hit so time is one aspect where it's not the greatest but it's good.
Scalability: 8 - The scalability of sales depends on how good you are. But since you are getting paid commission your income usually has no limit. You can make as much as you want as long as you are willing to put the work in.
The importance of trust
Trust is everything when it comes to sales. If a client doesn't trust you they are not going to buy from you. They want to know that their product is going to be exactly what they want or their service is going to solve the needs they have. You as the salesperson are a guide, and you are here to guide them to the solution to their problem.
How do you gain trust you might ask. I'll tell you.
Making and keeping promises. The more small promises you make and keep the more trustworthy you become. Tell your client you'll send that information by the end of the day and then send it. Tell the client you follow up with them in three days then follow up in three days, not four.
Being a knowledgeable guide. As I said earlier you are the guide to their solution, and if you can truly understand their problem at hand they will trust you more. You are not an order taker, and sometimes a prospect may make a request that is something you don't recommend. If you don't recommend it tell them that, and guide them to the better solution. This will not make them upset, it will build trust.
Having multiple meaningful conversations with a client. People trust those that they have a relationship with, and you cannot build a relationship over one short phone call. You build a relationship with someone by being in proximity (in person or virtual) with them over an extended period of time.
You gain trust through testimonials. In today's digital age prospects have options. There probably are 50 other people that can solve their challenge. So how are they going to choose, they are going to ask friends and family and they are going to look at Google reviews. Build trust by gaining referrals, reviews, and testimonials. If you don't have many Google reviews interview a few past clients and put testimonials on your website. These testimonials should include the pain, the process, and the solution and end result.
According to a study by HubSpot, 81% of customers trust the advice of family and friends over business advice. Your current client that you are working with has family and friends. These family and friends could be your future clients or they could never purchase from you, depending on what your current client's experience was like.
Trust is not only going to help you close this one sale, it will help you close hundreds in the future. Whether it's repeat customers or testimonials trust is the lifeblood of the future of your business.
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More to come...
Sales as a job is not truly Fastlane, although it is more Fastlane than most other jobs out there. To break down sales with the CENTS criteria:
Control: 6 - In sales, you have control over your activity and performance, but not typically over the product or service you're selling. This is usually determined by the company you work for. If you're selling an excellent product or service your control is a lot higher than if you are selling a crappy product or service.
Entry: 8 - Although anyone can sign up for a sales job, few people enjoy it and even fewer people are good at it. Giving it a higher barrier to entry.
Need: 9 - Every business needs sales. Sales is the lifeblood of business and without it, every other person would be out of a job.
Time: 6 - In sales, you get paid commission, so your income is based on results not hours. I know some outside sales reps who work for multiple companies and created a machine for themselves where all they do is facilitate repeat orders between contractors and manufacturers and are making a ton of money with little time involved. That being said you need to be available in sales and if you take a month's vacation your income is going to take a big hit so time is one aspect where it's not the greatest but it's good.
Scalability: 8 - The scalability of sales depends on how good you are. But since you are getting paid commission your income usually has no limit. You can make as much as you want as long as you are willing to put the work in.
The importance of trust
Trust is everything when it comes to sales. If a client doesn't trust you they are not going to buy from you. They want to know that their product is going to be exactly what they want or their service is going to solve the needs they have. You as the salesperson are a guide, and you are here to guide them to the solution to their problem.
How do you gain trust you might ask. I'll tell you.
Making and keeping promises. The more small promises you make and keep the more trustworthy you become. Tell your client you'll send that information by the end of the day and then send it. Tell the client you follow up with them in three days then follow up in three days, not four.
Being a knowledgeable guide. As I said earlier you are the guide to their solution, and if you can truly understand their problem at hand they will trust you more. You are not an order taker, and sometimes a prospect may make a request that is something you don't recommend. If you don't recommend it tell them that, and guide them to the better solution. This will not make them upset, it will build trust.
Having multiple meaningful conversations with a client. People trust those that they have a relationship with, and you cannot build a relationship over one short phone call. You build a relationship with someone by being in proximity (in person or virtual) with them over an extended period of time.
You gain trust through testimonials. In today's digital age prospects have options. There probably are 50 other people that can solve their challenge. So how are they going to choose, they are going to ask friends and family and they are going to look at Google reviews. Build trust by gaining referrals, reviews, and testimonials. If you don't have many Google reviews interview a few past clients and put testimonials on your website. These testimonials should include the pain, the process, and the solution and end result.
According to a study by HubSpot, 81% of customers trust the advice of family and friends over business advice. Your current client that you are working with has family and friends. These family and friends could be your future clients or they could never purchase from you, depending on what your current client's experience was like.
Trust is not only going to help you close this one sale, it will help you close hundreds in the future. Whether it's repeat customers or testimonials trust is the lifeblood of the future of your business.
---------------
More to come...
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