The top sales techniques that I use day to day

Hopefully, you got enough out of my first blog that you're back again to hear (or rather read) some more of my thoughts.

In this post you can expect to find out what I consider to be the top 3 sales techniques that I use on a regular basis. Now I certainly don't claim to be a Tony Robbins but I am comfortable with my achievements and mentoring others in order to get that immediate interaction with a client off to a great start. The fun thing about sales is everyone has something to share when it comes to this topic and we can all learn off of each other. Whether you're a salesperson, someone in marketing or even an admin person we all sell every day, sometimes without even noticing. This is the art of influencing that Daniel Pink speaks of. Sales simply put is influencing and it's a skill we flex every day in various situations.

I first started my "official" sales journey as a cadet in the automotive industry at the ripe young age of 20, this is where I began learning these techniques and saw the value to have them as my top 3. I was exposed to on the job training shadowing experienced sales people with real customers, this was complemented with classroom time run by some great trainers delving into techniques in great detail and as most salespeople do throughout their careers LOTS of role plays. On top of this I have been lucky enough to have full access to a Sales & Training coach in the form of my dad Nick who has been in this space since before I was born. Over the years he softly coached me on different techniques while just being at home - whether it be him discussing with me how he thought I should handle a project at school or talking about where we should go on a family vacation, there was always an element of sales or influencing involved.

Moving on to the fun bit (I think!) here are my top three sales techniques:

Technique #1 - Open Ended Questions

This might seem super obvious to every salesperson out there (it's probably the first technique we're all taught) but that’s because it truly is one of the simplest and most effective tools to use when selling. Honestly, it's also one of the most underutilised and almost unappreciated ones, it shocked me how many people don't take the time to really get into the detail and understand the need. Therefore creating a hurdle to effectively sell back to the prospect. Open v Closed questioning can have a drastic change in rapport building, understanding, contact and also access with a client. Without the ability to get the client sharing more information or to confirm that what you've heard is correct then the chances of the sale drop quite dramatically. It also has the ability to allow the prospect to feel more in control of the process whilst also building trust. Now there are plenty of examples out there of open ended questions but it's really simple to remember that ALL open ended questions start with 3 words. What, Why or How. What do you mean by that? Why does it need to be implemented by that date? How do you want to address any changes that arise?

Technique #2 - Validating your client

Here's one that probably isn't considered a traditional technique. What I've found works really well with all types of customers (emotional, logical, those with attention to detail) is validating their decisions and thoughts. Whether you as a sales person agree with their decision or not you can still validate it. Take for example a colourblind person who might think the sky is green because they don't realise they are colourblind. You can validate their decision by saying something similar to "just like the ocean". Now you and I both know that the sky and ocean are blue so whilst you haven't agreed with them you have validated their thinking. This goes a huge way to building rapport with your client and we all know that without that you're never going to make a sale. The only caution I have with this technique is to be very careful which parts of your interaction you are validating. If you do this wrong you can validate something that is actually going to work against you when it comes to trying to close the deal. This technique is linked closely with anchoring which is another great tool. Being aware you are anchoring to the right aspects of the interaction you can keep the sale moving along the straight line.

Technique #3 - Mirroring

Here's one that can be easy to do in person but tricky for anyone who might have a phone sales role (I've done both). Now when I say mirroring I don't mean looking at yourself in the mirror and admiring yourself! Mirroring is where you match the tone and pace of your clients as well as their physical body language. So if they want things done quickly - you work quickly, if they want it slow and calm then you do that too. This has a similar effect to technique # 2 in that it really helps to build rapport with your client, subconsciously we as humans like others who seem to be familiar to them and mirroring helps to create this feeling. Think about a time you went into somewhere like JB Hi-FI and you just needed to get in and out and grab something really quick. Do you want to talk to the salesperson who is in no rush to do anything. Of course not, you want to talk to the person who looks super busy because you know they are just going to grab what you need and move you through and this is ideal for your current situation. Now if you flip the interaction and you're interested in a new TV and haven't done any research the person who is trying to rush through things isn't the person you want to be dealing with. You want someone who will take the time to give you their undivided attention and provide you with all the information you need to make a decision. On the phone this can be a bit trickier as you don't have the extra context of observation. You can still use this technique effectively by using the right tone, similar words and patterns of speech but you'll just need to utilise your other skills such as active listening.

BONUS Technique #4 - Honesty

Believe it or not but being truly honest really is the best policy and it's why I find this to be the most important technique of all. In today's day and age of constant communication being an honest salesperson can really be the difference that sets you apart. Not to mention being honest makes it a lot easier to accept the end result of the interaction (good or bad). It also helps the quality of the interaction, by telling your client the truth about what your product/service can provide in reality helps to set the expectation and provide the opportunity for the client to full understand if it will meet their needs. This leads to more engaged and happier clients because they already know what to expect before going ahead. Let's compare, say someone says to you "yes it should be able to do that" or "no it can't do that but here is a work around…". Which response do you prefer? The first which doesn't give you much clarity or confidence or the second that clearly states no but we have thought about your needs and here is an option for us to still work together. I know I certainly prefer the second option even if it meant that their work around wouldn't solve the problem. Being honest is absolutely necessary when working with any long sales cycle, returning or new clientele. I would caution you here to say that no one ever wants to hear the dreaded "to be honest with you". This can negatively impact all that hard work you've put in to build rapport. The reason being that the client now questions if everything else you have said to this point is not honest. Remember honesty is a feeling you will give off not words you say.

For those that skimmed to the bottom the long and the short is…

Ask open ended questions, validate your clients thoughts, mirror their behaviour and most importantly BE HONEST!

So there you go, my 2nd blog post done. Hopefully the challenge I had of putting this on paper wasn't one that got the better of me and at the very least you got a refresher on some techniques you already use every day.

I'd love to hear from you all about what your top techniques are and how you think I might be able to use them in conjunction with these above.

Thanks for taking a read.

Alex