Wasp Barcode Technologies: The Barcode Solution People
Sales Tips for the Non-Salesperson
In a small business, every employee can play a role in selling your products – even if sales is way out of his or her comfort zone. That’s where our sales tips for the non-salesperson come in handy. These tips were crafted by our sales team to make it easy for anyone in your organization to sell your products or services, build customer relationships, and promote the business.
Customers are just people, like you or I. Focus less on selling, and more on connecting personally – about weather, sports events, or other common ground. It will help customers feel more comfortable with you, and will make talking about your company’s offering easier.
Know who you’re talking to. How does the person you’re speaking with affect the purchase decision? Will this person use the product or service, or is this person a buyer? The more you know about your contacts within a company, the simpler it is to paint pictures specific to their roles.
Ask questions. Have a handful of pre-scripted questions that will help you understand which product or service will fit the customers’ needs, and allow the customer’s responses to guide you to the right solution.
Sell benefits, not specifications. Specifications don’t sell a product, features do!
For example, if you’re selling a barcode scanner, it may make sense to experts to say that the scanner’s speed is 200 scans per minute, but it will make sense to everyone to say, “A scanner with this scan speed will let you get more customers through your retail check out – in less time.”
Know the product or service. Make sure that everyone on your staff knows your products and services forwards and backwards, so that a sales presentation can be tailored to a customer’s application. Regular refresher training on more complicated products is a must!
People make decisions based on emotions. Listen to your customers and talk to them in a way that makes it clear that you were paying attention. Use their words and ideas when you explain how your product or service will benefit them.
Communicate the way your customers want. Ask each customer proactively how he or she prefers to communicate – by email, office phone, or cell phone. Some of your clients are so busy that taking time out for a phone call is nearly impossible, so email is the way to go. Other customers may prefer the flexibility of being contacted by cell phone – especially those that are constantly on-the-go. Be sure to record the customer’s communication preferences!
Put Google to work. Research your customer on the Internet. In just five minutes, you can get a good understanding of what your customers do from their websites. The better you understand a customer’s business, the easier it will be for you to see how your products and services fit in to their business. No need to become an expert – just be sure you understand the basics!
In a small business, it’s important for every employee to be well-versed on helping a customer find the right product or solution.
Do you have other tips for helping non-sales staff get comfortable talking to customers? Share your thoughts in the comments!
