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Sales Skill: Cold Calling

April 5, 2021 By Don Crawford

Well great salespeople I’ve been doing cold calling lately. Since the pandemic hit I’ve been working with our local Small Business Development Center. When a new program to help small manufacturing businesses was offered, I agreed to recruit companies for the initial cohort. So here I am again doing sales calls to create interest in the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program for Existing Enterprises. I’m a sales professional who relies on the fundamentals of good selling. I’ll tell you how I prepared for this new challenge.

Girl on phone making cold calls

Be Happy! Make Cold Calls!
Image From Pixabay

What Is Cold Calling?

Great salespeople have lists of prospects matching their current best customers. They have done some research about the person they are about to call. There is a purpose to the cold call. Then they dial the phone. For the salesperson it’s part of their days work. For the person you are calling, it’s intrusive. I know the person who answers the phone is not sitting around idly waiting for my call. No when they pick up the phone and realize it’s a “cold call” they usually feel ambushed. That person on the other end of the phone wants to escape from this call as politely as possible. And you great salesperson, want to achieve your purpose for calling….

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salesprospecting, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales

Sales Skill: Sticking To The Sales Process

March 1, 2021 By Don Crawford

Every great salesperson knows sticking to the sales process is the way to win the sale. The fundamental elements of the sales process are: building rapport, finding the pain, determining the budget, understanding the decision-making process, making the presentation, asking for the order and following up on the sale. Each of us has adapted the fundamental process as our own. We use the process in ways that fit our personality and skill set. So let’s explore ways to stick to the sales process.

Salespeople win sales by sticking to the sales process

The Sales Process Yields The Win
Image from Pixabay

Building Rapport

People buy from those salespeople who they like, respect and trust. So salespeople set about building rapport with buyers by getting to know them as a person. Everybody has dreams and goals. Your job as a salesperson is to find out what drives the buyer. At the same time building a relationship with them so they are comfortable with you. As an integral part of the sales process, each encounter with the buyer is well-planned. A salesperson who hears the buyer say: “I’m not interested” has a response planned. Perhaps it’s: “OK. Since you agreed to meet can we talk about (insert something of interest to the buyer)”. Great salespeople are prepared to respond to anything the buyer might say….

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

Sales Skills: Selling Virtually

July 2, 2020 By Don Crawford

Every sales blog I read is tackling Selling Virtually; so I’m going to add my opinion to the discussion. Great salespeople know there is a fundamental selling process to winning and keeping good customers. That process doesn’t change just because we can’t meet in person. The challenge for salespeople during this pandemic is to practice the fundamentals while selling virtually.

Two characters popping out of laptop screens and shaking hands showing success in virtual selling

Virtual Selling Wins Business
Image from Pixabay

What’s Different Now?

Depending on how you sold the answer ranges from “not much” to “everything.” If you were already mostly selling virtually then the difference is minimal. But for the road warrior sales team now required to work from home it’s a major change. Even as the economy opens up companies are limiting face-to-face contact. Selling virtually, that is using video conferencing and the telephone to find, win and keep customers has become the new normal for old road warriors.

But we can learn from the Millennials who grew up in the digital age. Communicating online is their normal. As they move into decision making roles with their digital comfort we old road warriors need to change. The pandemic has just accelerated the change….

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

Sales Skills: All Buying Decisions Are Emotional

May 28, 2020 By Don Crawford

“Yeah, right!” You’re thinking this is a bunch of hooey: “all buying decisions are emotional.” “My customers give a lot of thought about what they buy from me.” Or “It’s how I present the opportunity to prospects that convinces them to buy.” Or “When the price and benefits align, that’s when the customer buys.” These are all true statements. But think back to the beginning of a successful sales event. Didn’t you first have to earn the respect of the prospect. Wasn’t your first encounter all about building rapport; getting them to like you enough to be comfortable answering your tough questions? Great salespeople know prospects don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

*A NOTE ABOUT SELLING DURING A PANDEMIC

All Buying Decisions Are Emotional

Even Remotely Great Salespeople Connect Emotionally
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

All Buying Decisions Are Emotional

Yes, that’s true. It took a while for my “engineering mind” to understand it. But think about it. For consumer products marketing works hard to make an emotional attachment to a brand. I like Coca Cola. The real one made with sugar and sold in glass bottles. Now my ability to taste is not particularly well developed so I couldn’t discriminate between Coke or Pepsi in a blind taste test. In fact all colas taste pretty much the same to me. But I only buy Coca Cola made with sugar in glass bottles. This is emotional attachment to the brand is it not? Ever bought a home or a car? Didn’t how you felt about the vehicle or house tip the decision? True after you made the selection, then the rational mind cataloged all the reasons it was a good decision. Still wondering whether all buying decisions are emotional?…

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salesprospecting, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

Sales Skills: Buyers Need A Compelling Reason To Change

April 30, 2020 By Don Crawford

For the next several months my blog will focus on the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge that makes a great salesperson. I believe that these are fundamental qualities of a great salesperson. And fundamentals are the basis of successful sales whether we are in “normal times” or dealing with a pandemic. Great salespeople know buyers make a decision when they have a compelling reason to change. One of the most valuable skills a salesperson has is the ability to help the buyer find a compelling reason to change.

Great salespeople Find or create the Pain a prospect sees in the current situation

Prospects Buy When Salespeople Show Them The Pain
Image From Pixabay

First Understand The Buyer’s Habits

We are all creatures of habit. Buyers keep placing orders with suppliers who they have come to trust because it’s easy. For years I went to the toothpaste display and grabbed a tube of Crest. Never gave any of the other brands even a glance. Then I developed tooth sensitivity. My dentist recommended I change to Sensodyne toothpaste. I now buy that brand. Think about your own purchasing decisions. What compels you to change? How can you relate this to changing a prospects buying habits?…

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

Sales Skills: Prospecting For New Business

April 16, 2020 By Don Crawford

For the next several months my blog will focus on the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge that makes a great salesperson. I believe that these are fundamental qualities of a great salesperson. Prospecting for new business is important to success in selling. Great salespeople know there are several skills involved in prospecting: getting the attention of the prospect, checking the level of interest or need and setting the first meeting.

Great Salespeople are always asking what's next and then prospecting to find it

Prospecting For New Business Answers The Question Of What’s Next
Image From Pixabay

When Are Salespeople Prospecting for New Business?

The short answer is: “all the time.” The best source of new business is by getting referrals from your best customers. A referral can be to a colleague in a different business or within the customer’s own company. Great salespeople keep their antennae up for potential opportunities. When casual conversation at a social event strikes an interest, the great salesperson says something like: “I’m interested in knowing more about this. But now is not the time. Might I call you to schedule a time to meet?” Read something interesting in a trade magazine, on-line, or in the paper? Make the call to see who the best person is to talk with about the opportunity. Great salespeople keep the prospecting pipeline filled….

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salesprospecting, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

Sales Skills In Times of Uncertainty

April 9, 2020 By Don Crawford

We great salespeople in outside sales typically fill workdays meeting with customers and prospects. The Corona virus pandemic has radically changed that. To stop the pandemic we need to eliminate face-to-face contact.

So what’s a great salesperson to do. My father who was a “traveling salesman” always said: “Son if they have a recession you don’t have to participate.” What he meant was that all of the economy wasn’t affected the same. With this pandemic, it might be more complicated but I think the philosophy is still valid. There are opportunities to be had.

Great Salespeople are expert at dealing with disruption in sales

Rise To The Challenge Of Dealing With Disruption In Sales
Image by Vektor Kunst from Pixabay

…

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salestools, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

Sales Skills: Asking Good Questions

March 26, 2020 By Don Crawford

For the next several months my blog will focus on the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge that makes a great salesperson. I believe that these are fundamental qualities of a great salesperson. Asking good questions and actively listen to the answers is the key to controlling every sales situation. Great salespeople are very good communicators. They use this skill to connect with prospects and customers, gain their respect and understand opportunities to win business.

Great salespeople ask good questions and listen more than speak.

Great Salespeople Encourage Prospects To Speak
Image From Pixabay

Asking Good Questions Is Fundamental

Great salespeople ask good questions throughout the sales process. During the prospecting phase asking good questions eliminates those prospects who are not good candidates. In the rapport phase salespeople ask questions to build a relationship with the buyer. Asking good questions finds out the urgent problems and the implication of those problems. By continuing to ask good questions the salesperson confirms what they have learned during the sales process. Listening to the answers will tell the great salesperson what next question to ask on the way to closing the deal.

Listening Is The Key to Sales Success

I have often heard it said: “God gave you two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you speak.” Great salespeople are very good at active listening. They ask open-ended questions designed to keep the prospect talking. These questions keep the prospect talking and the salesperson listening. Open-ended questions typically begin with “what,” “when,” “where,” “how,” “what if” and sometimes “why.” The skillful salesperson crafts open-ended questions to keep the prospect talking on topic:

  • What would cause you to change your fire extinguisher service company?
  • When you achieve 85% productivity, what would that look like for your division?
  • Where is there a problem in your delivery system?
  • What if there was a way to reduce inventory costs?
  • Why do you think your advertising isn’t effective?
  • How would you evaluate a sales trainer for your team?
  • Great salespeople have lists of open-ended questions to use at each step in the sales process.

Reversing Questions Keep Control Of The Conversation

Crafty buyers will often respond by asking questions themselves. What’s a salesperson to do? If it is appropriate to answer the question at this time do it. But if you are still digging for more information you need to get control of the conversation again. Great salespeople are skilled at using the “reversing” technique. This is simply answering a question with a question. It is something we do naturally every day. A colleague asks: “How are you today?” You respond: “Fine. How are you?” See how easy this is to get the other person back into the speaking mode. Maybe a buyer asks: “Are you able to deliver on Tuesday?” To reverse a seller might say: “Why is it important to have Tuesday delivery?” Of course having been in active listening mode a great salesperson might be ready to close asking: “If we deliver on Tuesday, would you place the order with me?”

Closed-Ended Questions Offer Clarity

Closed-ended questions (like one immediately above) are a tool great salespeople use to confirm they heard what the prospect said. Suppose you are confirming a meeting. You might ask: “Is Tuesday at 10 am still a good time to meet?” A simple “yes” from the prospect is all you really need. Active listening involves getting answers and giving feedback on what you heard. Great salespeople summarize a conversation then ask closed-ended questions like: “Is that correct?” or “Are we in agreement?” Notice, closed-ended questions typically begin with a verb.

Questions Nurture Customer Relationships

The goal of every sales pursuit is to develop a mutually beneficial long-term relationship between you and the buyer. Asking good questions nurtures the relationship. My mentor Jim Wilson puts it this way:

“Don’t be afraid to ask your customers how you are doing. You may find out some very valuable information—like why they keep using your services or products, or that they are unhappy with something that you need to fix ASAP. Here are a few questions to ask good customers:

  • How did your company originally select us as a supplier? (This reinforces their decision.)
  • What do you like best about dealing with us? (What to keep doing.)
  • If you could change anything to improve our relationship, what would it be? (Fix the problems immediately!)
  • How can our company increase marketshare? (Good customers are eager to help and like to be asked for advice.)
  • How does our company stack up against the competition? (You need to know this.)
  • What other products or services should we provide? (Create a pre-sold condition.)
  • If you were the CEO of our company, how would you go about holding on to good customers like yourself? (They’ll tell you.)”

Great salespeople know open-ended questions are the workhorses of active listening.

Asking Good Questions Keeps The Sales Conversation Moving

Your goal is to get the order. At some point in a presentation you will ask for feedback. When the customer gives a “soft” answer be prepared to ask for an explanation. When you hear non-committal words like, “perhaps”, “sounds good so far”, “we’re leaning toward using you”, etc., it is imperative to ask good follow-up questions. Great salespeople ask the buyer what they mean by the comment. Listen for what is needed to convince them to buy.

What You Can Do Right Now To Be Asking Good Questions

  • Commit to listening more that talking
  • For each sales conversation prepare a list of open-ended questions
  • Practice “Reversing” to keep the buyer talking
  • Listen for key words in the buyer’s answers to setup your next question

To learn more sales secrets see Chapter Nine, Building Rapport, in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales encouragement, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford

Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salesprospecting, Salestools, Selling, soft skills

Sales Skills: Self-Confidence

March 12, 2020 By Don Crawford

For the next several months my blog will focus on the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge that makes a great salesperson. I believe that these are fundamental qualities of a great salesperson. Self-confidence or ego strength is an important attitude for being a successful salesperson. Being self-confident in your dealing with prospects and customers gains respect. And we all know people buy from those they like and respect.

Salespeople are confident in their capabilities to find and win good customers

Sales People Are Self Confident
Image by Pixabay

Ego Strength Builds Self-Confidence

Ego strength helps great salespeople deal with the stresses of selling. And don’t we know dealing with prospects and customers is stressful! Being confident salespeople allows us to make the best decisions for the prospect and create a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship. My mentor Jim Wilson puts it this way:

“We are taught at an early age that it is good to be popular, to be liked. The desire to be liked, when over-used, can become a need for approval, which is deadly in sales. Some salespeople work harder to get the prospect to like them than they do to get the order! If you look for approval, you may not confront difficult situations. Don’t let this happen to you.”

Great salespeople have high ego strength. This allows them to control their emotions in challenging situations to come with good solutions to problems. Have the courage to ask good questions, understand the customer and make good decisions….

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales, soft skills

In Fundraising First, Get The Meeting

January 23, 2020 By Don Crawford

In this series of blogs I’m looking at the similarities between professional selling and volunteer fundraising. Great salespeople know the first step is to convince the prospect to meet with you. Likewise in fundraising, getting a visit with the donor is the first step. I’m reading the book “Asking” by Jerold Panas. In chapters Seven, Eight and Nine, he outlines his process of getting a meeting. Writing to set up a phone call to set the time then calling to convince the donor to meet is the same process great salespeople use to arrange meetings with prospects.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

Why Send A Letter?

Panas recommends sending a letter to set the stage for a phone call to arrange a time to meet. The purpose of the letter is to prepare the donor for the phone call. Like in professional selling, the fundraiser needs to present an overwhelmingly compelling reason to meet. The letter should be personal. Take a paragraph to promote the organization in need of the donor’s money. Briefly describe why the campaign is important. And here are the most important sentences: “I promise not to ask for money during this visit. All we will discuss is the program and your good counsel and advice on what we should do next. What comes next is up to you.”…

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Filed Under: Sales Tips Tagged With: B2BSales, communication, sales, Salesperson, Salesprocess, Salesprospecting, Salestools, Selling, Smallbusinesssales

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