Selling Tactics
By Wendy Connick, About.com Guide
Getting Started
Are you considering a career in sales? Or perhaps you're looking to start your own business and need a little guidance in how to sell. Here are some places to start looking.
- Before You Interview for a Sales Job
- Where to Find Sales Jobs
- Breaking into Pharmaceutical Sales
- What Will Your Business Sell and How?
- Overcoming Your Fear of Selling
- How to Find Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
- Unique Selling Proposition Examples
- Quick Tip: Creating a Basic Business Website
Becoming a Salesperson
Now that you've found your sales job or started your business, you'll need a little advice on how to proceed. The first step is to understand what it means to be a salesperson.
- Essential Sales Skills
- How to Sell Any Product
- Understanding The Product Creates Sales Success
- Before You Make Your First Sale
- Elements of a Great Sales Plan
- Protecting Your Customers From Your Coworkers
- Coping with Toxic Sales Managers
- Sales for Small Business Owners
- Selling By Listening
- Becoming a 2.0 Salesperson
- Track Your Sales Metrics
- Quick Tip: Finding a Mentor
Sales Channels
There are plenty of ways to reach your target customer. So which will you choose? Phone? Internet? Email? Direct mail? How about door-to-door? Understanding each channel will help you decide which ones are best for you.
- Getting Started with Internet Sales
- How to Keep Your Email Campaign Out of Your Prospect's Spam Folder
- What is Direct Selling?
Coping with Slow Sales
Selling is cyclical by nature. There will be days when you sell your product to everyone you encounter, and days when you can't seem to sell at all. Keep the latter as painless as possible by making a few preparations.
- Planning for and Surviving Sales Slumps
- Breaking Out of a Bad Sales Slump
- Keeping Confidence Up Even When Sales Are Down
- Resolving an Unrealistic Sales Quota
- Managing Your Sales Pipeline
- Following Up with Prospects
- Two Strategies to Increase Sales Revenues
- How to Increase Sales
- Increase Sales Revenue by Increasing Sales Quality
- When Your Quota is Out of Reach
Building Rapport
Building rapport with your prospects is vital. It's the only way you'll earn their trust during the brief window of time you'll have to speak with each prospect.
- Why Rapport Matters
- 3 Ways to Build Rapport
- 26 Questions that Sell
- Selling to Salespeople
- The Power of Testimonials
- Collecting Customer Testimonials
- Choose Your Words Carefully
- What is Mirroring?
- Quick Tip: Ways to Improve Your Phone Voice
Keeping Your Customers Happy
Your existing customers are like money in the bank. You can keep selling products to them, and if they're happy with you they'll tell their friends how great your company is! Happy customers are the sales version of compound interest.
- Providing Great Customer Service
- Why Refunds are the Key to Loyal Customers
- Turn Your Customers Into Company Ambassadors
- Selling a Price Increase
- Fixing Mistakes
Build and Maintain a Network
Having a network of contacts, associates and friends is a huge help for any salesperson. They're an ongoing support system and a great source for information and referrals.
- Networking Through a Sales Association
- Basic Business Networking Tips
- 6 Great Referral Sources
- Properly Use Your Business Card
Tools and Resources
Here are a few helpful tools to maximize your sales or help save you some valuable time and money.