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While the idea of garnering advanced selling skills sounds like a daunting, time consuming task, it can actually be a relatively simple transition.
To become an advanced salesman requires a different approach and to attack problems from a different angle. In turn, this requires the salesman to look at the sales process in simpler terms. The key to obtaining advanced selling skills is not to work harder, but to work smarter.
An advanced salesman is everything the smug, pushy salesman is not. A salesman with advanced selling skills is not short-sighted. They look for long term gains by aiming to build relationships with their prospects that revolve around mutual respect. Learning this and other aspects that go into gaining advanced selling skills takes time, dedication and a patience to learn. These advanced selling skills can also be taught directly from a training sales manager as part of a sales and management training program.
Here are a few comprehensive tips that can help a salesman at any experience level gain the advanced selling skills they need.
Intentions Come First
As a salesman, it’s important to make your intentions clear to the customer within those first few moments. In other words, never candy coat the reason for you being there on the sales call.
So how does this help a salesman? It saves them valuable time. By making their intentions clear and direct from the moment the salesman arrives, the prospect has a chance to make it very clear that they’re not interested, which lets the salesman know not to invest too much time into that particular customer, and it allows the salesman to quickly move on to the next prospect.
Share the Negatives
Whichever product or service the salesman is pitching to the prospect, it more than likely comes with a few drawbacks. It’s important to explain these drawbacks during the initial sales pitch.
But what if it kills a sale? While that is a possibility, not relaying the negative information only causes mistrust between the salesman and customer. Doing this also eliminates any unwanted refunds from customers.
In addition, the customer is bound to notice these negative aspects eventually, so it’s ideal to come forth with the drawbacks in the beginning and let the prospect know that the salesman is straightforward. This also instills a sliver of trust with the customer.
The Closing
All great salesman who possess advanced selling skills have one characteristic in common: They know how to close the sale and ask for the customer’s business. While this is certainly one of the more obvious skills that an advanced salesman should possess, it can be surprising at how often a salesman waits for the prospect to come to their own conclusion. Ask for their business in a direct manner. Give them guidance and a quick recap of the benefits. This saves the salesman and the customer time and allows the salesman to spend effort and time on other prospects that could lead to more sales.
Learning how to perfect these and other advanced selling skills is made easy by utilizing a sales management development program or by taking advice from a training sales manager.
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Anne Harvester is familiar with customer service and how to successfully use selling skills to sell products. Anne refers to Learning Outsource Group when in need of additional professional assistance. Add Anne on Google Plus.
