Sales methods

1. Basic sales techniques

When making a sale, it is important to remember the AIDA marketing communication model:

• Get the customer's Attention.

• Stimulate the customer's Interest.

• Create the Desire to buy.

• Confirm the Action to be taken.

To stop a potential customer switching off or putting the phone down straight away, take the following precautions:

• Do some research beforehand.

• Prevent your brochure from going straight in the bin, or the listener from turning off, by gaining their attention with an eye-catching design or thought-provoking statement.

• Explain the benefits of purchasing. Don't just talk about the efficiency of a floor cleaner. Say that it will also reduce staff costs and the customer's maintenance bill. Explaining the benefits creates the desire to buy.

• A call to action - such as a time-limited offer - can also help prompt a customer to buy, or at least find out more.

A golden rule is to always include your telephone number, address, email address or order form on all literature.

At the end of a sales conversation repeat what has been agreed and the next steps, such as delivery times. Send a confirmatory email or letter.

2. Sales Techniques.

Sales Strategy - Direct

A direct sales strategy is the sales technique used most of the time. It is the frontal assault on your competitor, not the customer. A direct sales strategy means going head to head, feature for feature against your competition. A direct sales strategy is a hard way to sell, unless your have clear superiority over your competition.

Sales Strategy - Indirect

An indirect sales strategy is a less used, but more sophisticated sales technique. To use an indirect sales strategy means to change the rules of the sales evaluation process. You do this by introducing new capabilities and criteria that the competition may not have and making them essential to the buyer's evaluation criteria.

Abbreviations:

USP - Unique Selling Point.

AIDA - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

GBS - General Benefit Statement.

WIIFM - What's in it for me?

SLA - Service Level Agreements.

A. EFFECTIVE SALES:

You are at an international sales conference. The following practice is based on highlighted points you have heard at the different programmes at the conference.

1. Choose a synonym from the list to complete the tip box on successful selling.

rapport superior cooperating assurance persuasive consideration grooming

Success in sales depends on:

• Showing self-___________ (confidence);

• Building good _____________ (understanding) with people;

• Being ____________ (convincing) with new or regular customers;

• Showing _____________ (attention) with good listening skills;

• Being smartly dressed with neat _____________ (care in appearance);

• Providing ____________ (excellent) after-sales service;

• ______________ (working well with others) within a sales team.

2. Match the sales ideas from A to their meaning in B.

A	B
1. follow-through	a. say something that isn't true or realistic
2. network the market	b. visit or phone customers
3. make sales calls	c. keep a record of customer contact
4. do cold calling	d. set a goal
5. overcome objections	e. make contact after the sale is finished
6. log visits and calls	f. deal successfully with customer worries
7. establish a target	g. research, profile and make contact with new customers
8. over promise, exaggerate	h. do something 100% for the customer
9. follow-up	i. make new contacts for potential clients
10. prospect a customer	j. visit or call a customer unannounced

3. Choose the best word to finish each sentence:

a. Good selling is all about ________________ (friendship/relationship/connection) building.

b. Your product or service should be _______________ (adaptable/changeable/variable) to meet the needs of each customer.

c. The sales manager and the customer have an intense _____________ (conversation/ negotiation/ discussion) to agree on the details of the contract.

d. We always aim to give a long-term ____________ (promise/decision/commitment) to every customer.

4. Number the sales tips and steps in a logical order.

a. …… Negotiate with the customer.

b. …… Clarify features and benefits. Give the customer a GBS.

c. …… Give alternatives.

d. …… Don't rush the sale.

e. …… Recap the agreement.

f. …… Identify and analyse needs.

g. …… Deal with rejection.

h. …… Set up an appointment with the client.

i. ……. Write a sales proposal.

j. …… Follow-up on the SLA.

B. SALES TALK:

You are in a sales meeting with your colleagues. The following practice is based on your discussion on revising your sales techniques.

1. Match the products in A to the typical customer expectations in B. More than one combination is possible. Add 2-3 other features or benefits that a customer would expect from the products.

A	B
mobile	after-sales service
computer	environmental friendliness
television	style
refrigerator	price
dryer	user-friendliness
car	dependability
washing machine	reputation

2. Use these sales ideas to finish sentences that involve the sales sequence.

trial purchase awareness preference loyalty consumer behaviour

a. First, you should research and study ………………… to get to know your customer base.

b. Second, you can stimulate ………………..…, so the customer will pay attention to your product or service.

c. Next, you can offer a ……………….. for 30 days to test the quality and performance of a product.

d. Subsequently, buyers will give …………..…… to your products over your competitors.

e. Finally, satisfied customers will show ……..………… to your business.

3. Complete these sentences with the right word.

a. If we …………….. the market completely, then we …………… customer demand.

b. We have just done a market launch. If the products ……………. well, we ……………. our prices to create more demand.

c. He is thinking about doing business in the Middle East. If he ……………. the product name, it ……………… well in Egypt.

d. If we ……………. more money in our budget, we …………….. a wider market. Next year, our financial situation is looking better.

4. Match A to B to make sales collocations.

A	B
achieve	personal contacts
close	a sales presentation
attract	customer needs and demands
cultivate	a free trial period
offer	a sales quota
give	new customers
recognise	a deal
try out	long-term sales
meet	a new product or service

5. Write other words or phrases for the following for high-impact sales talk.

a. made just for the customer's needs: ___________________________________

b. lets a customer do something: _______________________________________

c. gives the ability: __________________________________________________

d. differentiates us from our competitors: ________________________________

6. Fill in these notes with suitable language for a sales presentation on your company product or service.

Introduction

First of all, I'd like to …

Let me just briefly give you some background information on …

Main ideas

Our product features and benefits include …

However, in contract to our competitors, our USP is …

Special offers

We are prepared to give you …

Please pick up one of our …

Conclusion

To summarise, I would like to ……….. the main points of this presentation.

Are there any ………..?

C. Read the text and complete the gaps using one word only.

Anyone who has …………… (1) with customers is a salesperson - that includes the telephonist who answers the phone and the service engineer …………….. (2) calls to repair a machine. So that probably includes you!

The …………….. (3) between a salesperson a client is important: both …………. (4) want to feel satisfied ………….. (5) their deal and neither wants to feel cheated. A friendly, respectful relationship is more effective than an aggressive, competitive one.

A salesperson should believe that his or her product has certain advantages over the …………….. (6). Customers want to be …………. (7) that they are buying a product that is of good value and of high …………… (8). People in business are not going to spend their company's money ………….. (9) something they don't really need (unlike consumers, who can sometimes be persuaded to buy “useless” products like fur coats and solid gold watches!).

Some salespeople ………….. (10) a direct “hard sell” approach, …………… (11) others use a more indirect “soft sell” approach. Whichever approach is used, in the end perhaps a good salesperson is someone who can …………….. (12) anyone to buy anything. On the other ………………. (13), maybe a good salesperson is someone who knows how to …………. (14) with different kinds of people and who can point out how his or her product will benefit each individual …………….. (15) in special ways. After all, a buyer is called a “buyer” because he or she wants to buy. All you …………. (16) to do is to convince them that you product is the one they want. A successful sales meeting …………….. (17) on both the salesperson and the customer asking each other the right sort of questions.

Q: Which sell approach do you prefer?

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