BY Rachel Cagle
Have you ever given a thought to what your sales principles are? That is, what concepts are at the root of every sales process you go through? You may be struggling to come up with what yours are. Or maybe you can name a few right off the bat. No matter how you answered, it's always a good course of action to learn from others in your field. According to Sarah Chambers, writing for HubSpot, here are three sales principles that high-performing reps have in common.
Best Sales Principles
Potential Clients will Only Buy Products/Services that Offer Value
Let's start off with one of the most common, yet most effective, sales principles you can base your process on. You have to offer your potential clients value. No one will buy something that they don't need in an economy that's recovering from a global pandemic. "Customers see value in many different ways," says Chambers. "A product might be a time-saver, a results-booster, a money-maker, or an insight-bringer." Each of your prospects will have different views on value. It's your job to identify the value they're looking for and to tailor your sales pitch around that value. This sales principle should always be a part of laying the groundwork for a sales pitch.
Momentum = Sales
Time is money. You're busy and your prospect is busy. If you want to close a deal, you need to add momentum to your sales pitch. "Without momentum, deals will drop to the bottom of priority lists for prospects, stakeholders, and even sales reps," says Chambers. "But with momentum, there’s always a next step ready to be worked on and energy to get the deal closed." Now, momentum doesn't mean pressuring your prospects or rushing the sales process. Instead, this sales principle just means that you need to keep the sales process flowing. You need to send timely follow-up emails and make your outreach goal-oriented. Make sure you're being proactive in getting/giving what you and your prospect need in order to close the sale.
Establishing Authority Builds Trust with Prospects
You've likely heard this piece of advice from everyone throughout your sales career: Trust results in sales. Or, at least something similarly worded. But how can you build trust with a complete stranger who is already suspicious of your ability to help them purely because of your job title? Let them know that you're an authority figure in your industry and theirs.
The third of the major sales principles is based on establishing trust with the 97% of consumers who don't trust sales reps. "Consistently demonstrating expertise and sharing knowledge with your prospects shows that you understand the industry and are empathetic to their challenges," says Chambers. You need to prove to your prospects that you not only know all the ins and outs of your product or service, you are also an advocate for the prospect themselves. With your expertise of your product/service and their industry, as well as their company and personal goals and wants, you are in a unique position to help the prospect get the most out of their money. Our own research shows the importance of credibility to sales reps. Keep driving home this point throughout the sale. (But not bluntly. Most people won't react well to, "Look, I'm kind of a big deal in my field of work. Been around for a while. Trust me; you need me." Instead, opt for a more subtle inclusion of your experience with other clients in the same industry and such.)
Photo: Christina @ wocintechchat.com.