by Kimberly de Silva

As a salesperson, you deal with negativity on a daily basis. For every deal you close, there are unanswered calls and uninterested prospects. It can be hard to push through the “no’s” and reach that “yes”. But that YES is worth it! These sales tips can make a real difference in your daily job, as they have done for our own sales team.

1. “Prepare to challenge conventional thinking”

– Hugo Figueredo, Account Executive, Bizness Apps

Selling nowadays is about challenging conventional thinking. The toughest competition out there is “Mr. Do Nothing” or “Mrs. Status Quo”, stopping many prospective clients from buying your product. You need to have arguments compelling enough to convince prospects to change their ways. Teach your prospects something new and valuable and don’t be afraid to challenge them.

2. “Treat sales like a craft”

– Andrew Gazdecki, CEO, Bizness Apps

Treat sales like a craft, the same way a doctor does. When you walk into a doctor’s office, you’ll see a well-stocked bookcase — they are always learning, improving, and studying new medical practices. This same attitude should be applied to salespeople considering how much selling has changed over time. Professional selling has evolved tremendously over the thousands of years since its existence, yet many still follow outdated practices. You can only master the craft of sales if you focus on continuously developing it.

3. “Sell the solution not the product”

– Christian Steverson, Account Executive, Bizness Apps

People purchase products and services to solve a problem. “Anybody who has ever made a decision to purchase a product already has an existing problem. If people can’t see how their problems could be solved by what you are providing, you may be wasting your time and resources,” says Entrepreneur. Selling the solution means focusing on the benefits the product can offer and how it meets your prospective customer’s needs. As a sales professional, you need to identify their problem, offer the benefit and explain how your product will solve it.

4. “Never bash your competitors”

– Sam Schnaible, VP of Business Development, Bizness Apps

Sell your company’s value, rather than talking about why a competitor is worse than you. Bashing the competition irritates customers and, more importantly, shows insecurity and weakness. What you say about your competition is a reflection of your persona, according to sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer. It influences the customer’s perception of you and can affect whether they choose to move forward or not. The solution? When a competitor comes up, point out something they do well, but you do better. Steer the conversation back towards how you will solve their problem effectively. 

5. “Measure your efforts”

– Danny Mason, Head of Sales, Bizness Apps

Do you know the answers to these questions: How many calls are you making? How many conversations are you having? What number of conversations lead to a real sales opportunity? And how many of those opportunities are you closing? You cannot increase your sales, without knowing your sales metrics. Once you uncover the most important metrics, you can methodically improve them over time.

6. “Ask for their business”

– Sam Schnaible, VP of Business Development, Bizness Apps

You can’t close a deal if you don’t ask. So, get into the habit of asking. At the end of each sales call or meeting, ask for permission to go to the next step in your sales process. You have invested time and energy in talking with the prospect, so don’t let it go to waste by not closing the deal. Asking a simple question will do the trick: “Can we schedule the next step?” Always have this next step planned (e.g. the next meeting, the second phone call) with a firm commitment from your prospect. Secure that next step!

7. “Be knowledgeable about your product”

– Hugo Figueredo, Account Executive, Bizness Apps

Your primary goal as a sales professional is to be a product expert. The customer needs to feel confident in you and the product, so make sure you know it inside and out. Even if you are excited to talk to customers, it is crucial that you understand the product fully before you go out. You want to be able to guide a customer through the purchasing process as skillfully as possible.

8. “Don’t be afraid of rejection”

– Danny Mason, Head of Sales, Bizness Apps

The number one fear of sales professionals and entrepreneurs is rejection, according to SalesGravy. Handling rejection and overcoming these negative feelings is crucial to becoming successful in sales. How you deal with rejection is simply a matter of perspective. Remember that every single salesperson experiences rejection. You can’t win every deal, so you shouldn’t be worried when a prospective client tells you no. A good close rate is around 25%, which means for every “yes” you’re going to get three “no’s”. So whenever you hear that dreaded two-letter word, just shake it off and move on to the next opportunity.

9. “Use adaptive selling”

– Christian Steverson, Account Executive, Bizness Apps

As a successful salesperson, you need to be flexible and adjust your sales approaches to match individual customer’s needs. This skill is known as adaptive selling and distinguishes top performers from mediocre ones. For this method, you must be confident and able to apply a variety of selling styles, even in the middle of a sales pitch. The challenge here is to match the right approach to the right customer. The best way to thrive at adaptive selling is by exchanging knowledge with other sales professionally to figure out what works best.

10. “Think through common objections”

– Sean Richards, Account Executive, Bizness Apps

Think through every situation that could cause friction during the sales process. List out common objections and write answers to them. Budget, time, and concerns of risk will come up all the time. Don’t take these objections at face value. Learn to navigate around them and mitigate their legitimacy. Be prepared to answer these tough questions with relevant evidence-based arguments and examples.

What inspires you every day to be a better sales person? Share your tips in the comments!