The effectiveness of sales techniques trainings

The effectiveness of sales techniques trainings

Many sales department employees have some objections to attend in sales techniques training.

Are sales techniques useful in everyday work at all?

You've probably tried to use the advice in different books before, and you've noticed with amazement that this hasn't translated into the effects of your daily trading struggles. Going forward, you were able to participate in sales training be-forehand and, as above, you did not notice the translation of the acquired knowledge into commercial efficiency.

In my opinion, the factors that affect the translation of theoretical knowledge into the ground of daily work are so many that it is impossible to describe them in one article.

The main reason why a modern salesman cannot apply knowledge of sales techniques in practice is a small level of practical tips. Both the training market and numerous scientific positions provide theories that are difficult to adapt for daily sales activity. All too often,?the contents of American books from the 1980s are copied by authors who largely focus on commercial motivation and only giving general guidance. It is sad to say that the knowledge contained in them is often not adapted to the specifics of your sales market. The description of the sales techniques applies only to general content, without indicating practical guidance.

Thus, the problem is that the Polish market too often copies foreign methodologies of teaching sellers, assuming their 100% effectiveness. One of the subsequent reasons for low level of practical knowledge is the difficulty of using the tips and advice provided to them in practice, even if the practical content in the book is presented in a very affordable form.

I will try to illustrate this by example of the techniques of asking questions. I assume the seller has read a great book on this subject. Ba, even immediately after it he had tried to apply several sales techniques. All this, however, did not have the intended results or the effect was only partial. Similarly – based on observations during my??????training on the jobs – I noticed that the salesman tries?to implement one of the gained techniques only for about 2 weeks after such as activities: trainings, interesting sales book or motivational conference. Most often, after such a trial period of time,?he returns to earlier habits. Perhaps he encountered some difficulties. Most likely, he tried to ask open questions, but they were previously poorly designed, and consequently their form and order of use were also inappropriate.

Another, and sometimes even a key reason for the difficulty of implementing sales knowledge in practice, is simply wrong choosing?a potential customer, contrary to our sales strategy. I'll try to illustrate it on a practical example. Imagine that we are a seller of expensive and exclusive Premium products. Our company's sales strategy clearly and accurately?defines the potential client as a select group of wealthy clients. So when we try to gain over a low-wealth customer, contrary to our strategy, we will encounter difficulties at all stages of the sales process. Customers who do not have adequate financial resources will simply not be able to purchase our products.?All our sales efforts will not produce the expected results or acquiring a customer will involve too much time.

A good example of such non-compliance is a response to open questions asked to customers. When we ask well-designed open ended questions to properly selected customers, we encounter positive reactions. For example, asking a well-chosen customer the question: "What is most important for You when buying a new car?" we can expect an answer: "It is good that You asked about this. For me, the following things are important..." (the customer should list the most important needs). Thus, for a customer who may potentially be interested in buying a new vehicle, open questions will involve the conversation by articulating needs. Often, our way of talking, by focusing on recognizing needs, will even arouse his respect. However, completely different reactions will be presented by a customer who does not match our strategy. The effectiveness of our sales activities is therefore greatly influenced by the good definition of the lead customer and the matching of both the product offer and the sales method to the selected group of customers. As a general rule, it is the responsibility of sales directors and sales managers to formulate a sales strategy. In practice, however, salesmen are expected to define and continuously modify their sales strategy without any help from their superiors. Therefore, identifying target leads and matching the sales method can be our responsibility, sometimes directly and sometimes only indirectly.

In summary, sales techniques cover a number of effective methods of communicating with client, causing specific effects. From well-chosen target customers we can expect orders or general favor for buying, at least.?In the case of poorly selected customers these methods will also bring specific reactions, but not leading to the contract. Sometimes wrong selected customer can answer even aggressively.

Well, you may say that there are situations where, despite the fact that the conditions were met – i.e. the whole conversation with the customer went well, the customer clearly defined his needs, and you had shown him which of them will be satisfied as a result of the purchase of your offer or product – despite this all actions were not ended with the order. Well, such situations just happen. Don't worry about it, so you've won the favor of a customer who can pay off in the future. There are also situations where our interlocutor cannot start working with our company for reasons beyond his own, such as: top-down decisions of the board and owners, political ties, family relationships and much more. However, it may happen that with the same interlocutor you will sign a contract in a completely different company.

"The work of a professional salesmen consists systematically sowing numerous sales activities to different types of soil that make different fruits depending on its type"

Metaphorically speaking, numerous and incessant sales activities of a professional salesman fall on different soils, releasing different fruits depending on its type.

Sometimes, sometimes, we try hard to acquire a customer who has never purchased our products or services. Instead of giving the expected results in the form of orders, our actions are bringing?only more frustration. Often such a customer can even use our intrusiveness, weakening the sales message, which in effect will shake our faith in the product and the company. Therefore, it is extremely important to professionally match target customers, so that our activities bring sales effects with the least time.

I want to assure you that professional sales techniques are always effective. For customers who are not properly selected, using them will cause embarrassment and reluctance to talk. On the other hand, for well-selected ones, it will bring effects in the form of orders. ?

When asked about the effectiveness of sales techniques, I often answer as follows:

"Even our tone and timbre of voice have an impact on sales efficiency, let alone the use of professional sales techniques."

The customer cooperates with the company through the person who represents it, and not only through the company itself and its assortment offer.

Once time I have dared to perform some study in?one company?which its employees were trained by me from overcoming price objections. The aim of this study was to conduct surveys by telephone calls with customers who have already bought certain products and services of its company.

The survey consisted in making calls to customers and asking them a few questions, in order to find answer for key questions: "What kind of factors has influenced for their decision to choose just this company?” To finally ask them directly: ” What level of percentage would they be able accept higher prices: by 10%, 25%, 35%, or maybe more??

I must admit that I approached the surveys with a little uncertainty?because somewhere subconsciously I was afraid that the results would be different from my training knowledge. After all, there were many preliminary conversations with the owner of this company , which I conducted training, So, I was in some way already weakened at the beginning of the my work. He complained that there were many companies similar to his one and every of them offered lower prices. That’s way he had to optimize operating costs in order to reduce average prices, in order to remain competitive on the market.

I must admit that this company had many local competitors who could actually sell similar services cheaper. When talking by phone as part of the study, I have won completely different information, It allowed to make me sure that??I believe too much what customer had said me, treating his response as a truly information. The reality was much different – 99% of respondents people responded that a man (sales representative) had influenced for their decision.

The effectiveness of direct sales depends most on the person, on his way of communicating with the customer, on the type of sales techniques and methods he used.

In the case considered, the customer's attention was attracted by the way the seller conducted a commercial conversation to identify his needs. I would just add that previous technical and commercial advisors had undergone preliminary sales training conducted by my person, where they were to implement the techniques learned during real conversations. The study was positively surprised by me and the participants themselves. Imagine that as many as 99% of the customers surveyed expressed the opinion that they would be able to pay for the service in this company 25% more. This, in turn, confirmed that the price did not matter as the custom-er had previously thought.

"The effectiveness of direct sales depends most on the person:?on his way of communication with customers, which means: on the types sales techniques and methods using by him”