How to Increase Profits with 5 Simple Steps
- Posted on: Sep 26 2016
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Like it or not, selling is a critical aspect of everyday life – whether it’s selling a product or service, selling yourself as the best candidate for a job, or as the best choice as a Saturday night date. Selling is part of everything we do, and it often gets a bad rap (think of all the used car salesman jokes).
Although the ultimate goal of selling is to sell your product or service, sales is about educating your clients/patients. If you reframe selling as educating when you are interacting with clients/patients they will interpret your message as valuable information instead of a sales pitch. Sales is about connecting with people, helping them to understand an idea, negotiating with them and finally closing the sale. It’s a simple yet often intimidating process. Here are five easy steps that will change how you view sales forever and will help you sell more effectively:
Step 1 – Prepare
We have all heard the quote “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” It is pivotal to prepare for your first impression to ensure you communicate who you are to your clients/patients from the very start. Just as a surgeon wouldn’t perform an operation without advance preparation, an effective salesperson won’t engage in selling without doing their homework. Know the product/service you are planning to sell, know your competition, and know as much as possible about your prospective customer.
Step 2 — Listen
Listen to your customer; ask open-ended questions to engage conversation. Your clients/patients should be talking 80% of the time and you should be talking 20% of the time. Your goal is to understand what your customer’s needs are and what is important to him/her. You are selling a solution to their problem not just a product or service.
Step 3 – Build a Relationship
People do business with people they like. Successful selling is about building a relationship with your client/patient. The best way to do this is to be relatable and use anecdotes that resonate with your client/patient Decisions are made at an emotional level; logic isn’t what drives the purchase decision. People buy what you believe and you are selling yourself. People are motivated by their primal needs and a sense of acceptance is one of those needs. Clients/patients want to purchase products and services that speak to them. Build a relationship. Connecting with your customer on an emotional level increases the likelihood of a sale.
Step 4 – Educate
Clients/patients like to know what they are buying. Describe the features, ideas, and performance of the product/service you are selling to them; but if you want a successful sale, educate the client/patient on how the product/service benefits them. Describing how your product/service meets their needs and helps them achieve their goals is the secret to a successful sale.
Step 5 – Partners, Not Adversaries
As a seller, your job is to help the client/patient meet his/her needs and achieve his/her goals. That means you work with them, you are partners. You are on your their team, helping them get what they want. If you focus on helping your client/patient achieve their goals, you will win at sales.
For additional tips on increasing the profitability of your practice contact cherylwhitman@BeautifulForever.com. Beautifully Profitable Forever Profitable book by Cheryl Whitman is available for purchase in both eBook format and hardcopy at https://www.beautifullyprofitable.com/.
