6 Things That Separate A Good Seller From A Great Seller

Nobody starts a business with the thought of closing it one day. Everyone wants their business to last forever, and this is why an effective sales mindset is so crucial. Why? Because it directly affects how long you will remain in the market.

And after spending almost 2 decades in the banking and insurance industry, having seen both successes and failures, I have summarized 6 ways in which you can grow into a great seller. Let's begin!

1. Know exactly why your product/service can help your client

People are quick to brand a USP to their product or service. However, the benefits derived from a product are subjective and not always common for all. Instead, it is the task of the seller to tailor those benefits in a way that is the most relevant to your client. 

For example- do your customers need your service quickly? Stress your fast turnaround times, and think of ways to improve your speed. Do they need better quality? Stress on how you ensure to provide it. Do they need a simpler way to do something? Stress on how you eliminate complexity and keep everything lean.

2. Help clients decide, not manipulate

Good sellers think that great sellers manipulate their clients' thoughts and that is how they win them over. However, that isn't true. Instead, great sellers are great listeners. They understand the pain points of the client, the problems they may have faced from other providers, and then help the clients make an informed and conscious decision. This leads to another point- a sale through coercion is worse than no sale at all. Because even if you manipulate the clients today, they will gain sense tomorrow, after which they will start to dislike you and your business.

3. Your client's interests are your interests

To be honest, this is textbook stuff. The contentment of your client reflects the quality of your work. Seeing a client succeed brings you joy, not to mention a sense of pride in your work- something I regard as very important if you want to keep growing. But how to let your clients know that you think of their best interests?

For starters, begin by researching what they want and ensure what you offer is as closely aligned as possible to their requirements. Next, check out some key customer strategies, such as making sure that transactions and issue resolutions are as easy as possible. 

It is important that your client should feel important and valued. Doesn't matter if the price in question is $100 or $10,000, your client should always get top quality from you. 

4. Build Trust

Always remember that nobody buys from those whom they don't trust. That's why building trust is so important for your business.

To do this, follow this checklist:

• Don't sell a solution that is not in the client's best interests.
• Don't promise anything you can't deliver.
• If a problem develops, don't seek to blame, just fix it.
• Always show the true picture. If there's bad news, don't lie because facts may come out in the end and the client may never trust you again.
• Solicit testimonials from satisfied clients to tell prospective customers that you're worth doing business with.

5. Benefits over features

This is the most fundamental characteristic of a great sales mindset. Your client doesn't really care about the specifics. They want to hear how you will solve their problem. So instead of features, promote the benefits of your solution. Again, benefits are subjective; they have to be in line with the client's problems.

For example- “I realize one of your main concerns is X, and you would like to achieve Y, so I'd like to introduce a solution…”

This is the cornerstone of any successful deal.

6. Make peace with failure

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you won’t clinch that sale. Sometimes, you may be the one who turns down the deal. In developing a positive sales mindset, it’s important to see such setbacks as part of your longer-term sales strategy.

In such times, remember that the greatest sellers and entrepreneurs too have had their share of setbacks. And, as famously quoted, setbacks are setups for comebacks.

The key here is to keep trying. Don’t lose your enthusiasm and passion, and analyze why you didn't win the client. Was it due to your misjudgement of their needs, were you too focussed on selling the service instead of listening to the client, or any other reason? 

Conclusion

A positive sales mindset is crucial to secure sales and stay in business. Such a mindset takes into account client wishes and preferences and involves listening as well as communicating. To sum up:

- Know why your product can help your clients.

- Help them decide, not manipulate.

- Have your clients’ best interests at heart.

- Build trust.

- Benefits over features.

- Don’t be put off by failures.