I’ve advised businesses of all shapes and sizes, and run a variety of projects and training for individuals and large businesses. I am a buyer of domestic and business products and services, and I sell high value and complex business advice as well as routine services.
The points below are not theory, but well researched, tried and tested, and from first-hand experience (failures and successes!)
We are all busy, so there is no waffle…
Let’s start with selling in a ‘normal world’.
Perhaps 80% of ‘salespeople’ do zero selling. They take an order and process paperwork. Maybe 15% educate and explain what the product is/does (Note: the term product includes services). But in reality only around 5% are what I would call professional salespeople.
The role of a salesperson is to build rapport with the buyer. Explore their needs, and understand the key aspects of their buying decision. To educate on the features and benefits of their options, and sometimes to persuade as passive buyers to make the decision to commit.
To do this, they must know their products inside out, and understand body language cues to know what the buyer is really feeling. Listening skills are key (most salespeople just talk too much) so they know what is important to the buyer, how the decision will be made and who really makes it. They should have considered the likely objections and have good responses to these.
All these skills should be refreshed and updated, so they are comfortable with new techniques and industry practices.
I am a Chartered and Certified Accountant. I worked hard for those qualifications, but if I don’t prove every year to both those professional bodies that I am keeping up to date, they take them away from me.
When I challenge salespeople on the last training course they attended, the last book on selling skills they read, what industry magazines or online articles they have researched, it is years and often decades ago. If sales is to be regarded as a profession, then salespeople need to be professional.
So regardless of a socially distanced world, the harsh reality is that most salespeople are just not improving and developing their skills to do the job properly. If you aren’t sure, test your frontline time with some basics.
- Ask a couple of typical questions and assess the professionalism and preparedness of their response. I.e. A price objection – “That’s expensive”. Or the competition issue “ABC say they are better than you”. These are common issues and should have a quick and professional answer.
- Pick a couple of products and ask them to explain the key features and benefits. Do they explain things clearly and cover all the key issues? Do they ask what elements are important to the customer or what issues frustrate them on other products?
- Ask them to give you their opinions on your major competitors, or industry challenges. Do they come across as knowledgeable and up to date? Do they know their competition and are they able to help the customer differentiate and understand your USP’s
So before Covid-19, most businesses had frontline sales people that were not properly trained to manage and handle selling opportunities professionally, and to win business rather than just take orders.
What’s changed?
Nothing really. Whilst it is more difficult to do some of these things via audio or video calls, or in e-mails or written proposals, the principles are no different.
If you have a sales meeting via Zoom or Teams, prepare properly, consider all possible objections and have good responses. Understand your products, know your marketplace, and think about body language (even more important when you only see head and shoulders!).
In a challenging world, businesses may simply need fewer salespeople, so make sure you know who the professionals are, and who are just order takers.
Peter Hill is a practicing accountant and business consultant.
He has worked with hundreds of businesses across Europe on developing sales systems and training and helping to increase revenues and profits.