Working in sales, you know just how difficult it is to actually make a sale these days. It seems like most consumers can pick up on a pitch before it even happens, ending the conversation before you’ve had a chance to mention what you’re selling.
It’s time to drop the rehearsed tone and phrases that make you sound like a salesperson and start making sales. Here are 5 tips to help you get started.
1. Know Your Audience
Especially when making cold calls, it’s easy to start thinking of every phone number on your sheet as just a number, not an actual person. You need to drop that mindset and start getting to know your audience. Do a little research prior to contacting any person or business so you have a basic understanding of their potential needs and can adjust your sales pitch accordingly.
2. Sound Genuine
Rather than just reciting the same rehearsed speech with every call, you need to make sure you sound genuine, as if you’re merely conversing with a friend. ACN, a leader in telecommunications direct sales, encourages their independent business owners to have a clear vision and a firm “why” behind what they do so they can personally believe in what they’re selling. You should do the same! If you feel like you need a script, make sure you rehearse it well enough that it doesn’t actually sound rehearsed. Consider using talking points instead to allow conversation to flow, but ensure you’ll still make certain points.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice may not make you sound perfect, but it will certainly help you sound a lot less like a salesman. The more calls you make, the more you’ll figure out what works. Try running through your sales pitch with friends and family until you feel confident it doesn’t sound like you’ve actually invested as much time into it as you have.
4. Make It Flow
You want the conversation to be natural and the sale to come about organically—making a sale by any other method runs the risk of sounding forced and rehearsed. If there is an awkward pause in conversation and a random shift to your sales pitch, it’ll send up red flags with potential customers and they’ll shut down the conversation immediately.
5. Be Likeable
The best tool in your tool belt as a salesman is a likable personality. Share your story, inject your personality into the conversation, be friendly and polite, and never be pushy. Don’t put all of your proverbial eggs in this one basket—doing so will leave you sounding desperate.
Don’t Give Up
You will encounter rejection a lot in your career, but don’t get discouraged. Whether you work at ACN Inc or another multi-level marketing company, continue improving your skills in sales, and you’ll find what works best for you. Put in the time, lay the groundwork, and your business is bound to be a success.