It is not enough to think you’ve understood the customer’s problem. No. Repeat the problem back to him to confirm. Miscommunication costs, not just immediate, but future sales and, unfortunately, trust. “I want a kioo in my cars (lifts),” so the mzungu prospect told the lift selling company salesperson. They had a good laugh at
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Dear Branch Manager, do you run your branch focused or costs and operations or sales and profit? Perhaps yours is a service centre focused purely on the former and that’s what’s required of you. And if that’s the case, that’s okay. Just know that, that’s the exception, not the norm. Still, don’t sit too pretty
#branchmanagerskills, #deliveryledmanagement, #effectivebranchmanagement, #salesledmanagement, #settingasalesculture
To avoid high pressure selling, salespeople should take a page from the playbook of doctors when it comes to engaging with customers. Think back to your last visit to a doctor. As a percentage of the duration you took, what would you give for how long he took to prescribe? Better still, split the engagement
Just by changing the frame of a picture, you make it look different. Try it. Easier still, watch the same video on your phone, in landscape then portrait- it’s a completely different experience. And that’s what reframing is. In sales it means getting the customer to see the same thing in a different frame of
Contrary to popular belief, your personality does not determine success in Sales. For instance, there’s a pervasive myth that effective salespeople are extroverted, charming, charismatic, and instantly likable. The only problem is there’s no evidence that it’s actually true; it’s a widely held belief but just that-a myth. While charisma can certainly be an asset
#extrovertsmakebettersalespeople, #importanceofsalespersonality, #personalitydoesnotdeterminesuccess, #Personalitytraitsofsuccessfulsalespeople
Should deal makers be debt chasers? Should salespeople do debt collection? At first blush the response, would be, “Duh! Yah. It’s their job. Further, it makes financial (cost) sense as opposed to having others do it and in any case isn’t a sale closed, when payment is received? Why should someone else do it and
Are you engaged in problem identification or problem solving? Are you identifying problems, or solving problems identified? Confused? Well, if you are selling in a hardware shop and a customer comes in stating, “I want a drill,” do you sell him one, or do you find out why (or what for)? If you do the
Dear business owners, why do you do this? Why do you invest heavily in the premises complete with extensive grounds, imported furniture and manicured lawns, then sit back and expect the money will roll in. And it does, momentarily. But then it suddenly stops. And you get surprised when it does. Here’s why your investment
Connect the dots is a form of (children’s) puzzle containing a sequence of numbered dots. When a line is drawn connecting the dots, the outline of an object is revealed. In the sales profession, connecting the dots will determine professional health or morbidity. Connect the dots to sales success Why? Because, the ability to discern
Persistence and the art of connecting the dots pave the path to your success in selling. They are cornerstones of the sales odyssey; the sales journey. Here are two compelling stories that demonstrate this—one of unwavering persistence and another of methodical dot-connecting. The stories illuminate the essence of thriving in the competitive realm of sales.