50 Great Sales Tips

50 great sales tips, from around the sales and marketing blogosphere, in no particular order:

• •If it looks like a salesperson, if it smells like a salesperson, if it tastes like a salesperson... it is a salesperson. Don't be a salesperson. I mean, don't be just like every other salesperson. Be different.


• •Be natural. Don't size up your prospects.


• •Be sincere with your customers.


• •If somebody can't afford something, remember that everything is negotiable.


• •You don't have to be an extrovert to sell. Introverts can sell too!


• •Answer your phone on the first ring and return every call.


• •Sales closing techniques are manipulative. People don't like being manipulated. Sales closes could do more harm than good.


• •There are better and more efficient ways of prospecting than making cold calls. The first rule of cold calling is... DON'T DO IT!


• •Cheerleaders may make great salespeople. Why? Because enthusiasm sells!


• •Time has value. Practice time management to help your sales.


• •You don't need to be technically sophiticated to sell complex products. Just let your business savvy, creativity, and sales skills shine through


• •Sales momentum can provide the confidence to succeed. Keep the momentum alive.


• •Don't make excuses. Everybody will fail at something in some point of their sales careers. Learn from the mistakes but quit making excuses.


• •Your customers should trust you. Otherwise, the relationships with your customers may fall apart due to stranger danger.


• •Sales and marketing are intertwined. Get the sales and the marketing departments of your company to co-operate, fully understand, and help eachother. Otherwise, they are pink elephants


• •Sales is interpersonal. Look your customer in the eye.


• •A sales lead isn't a sales lead until it's been qualified. Differentiate between inquiries and leads.


• •Do you think liars make for a good salesperson? No way... You can only convince others of what you, yourself, believe.


• •Sometimes salespeople work too hard. This could lead to burnout and affect your job. Work smarter and be sure to enjoy your downtime. Quality of life is important.


• •True sincerity with your customers will lead to higher profit for yourself.


• •Sometimes, talking too much may confuse your customers. You don't want to confuse your customers because that's a good reason for them not to buy from you. Try to say more with less.


• •Loyal cutomers mean repeat business. Be sure to have a unique loyalty program.


• •Don't always follow the rules. Sales is an art, not a science. So, there should not be any step-by-step sales plans that you need to follow religously. Some sales gurus try to set rules. Don't follow them. rules are made to be broken.


• •Great salespeople and great speakers have something in common; they persuade by being great story-tellers


• •Make sure your customers like you because it's not true that nice guys finish last.


• •Develop a good elevator pitch.


• •If you're married to sales, be the best bride or groom possible.


• •React quickly when a customer needs help because in sales, speed wins!


• •Create a killer offer that no other business can compete with.


• •Preparation is required for successful negotiation.


• •Free doesn't normally mean free. Getting something for free usually has a catch - it requires an investment of time prior to getting something for free, which doesn't make it free because time is money. People expect this, so free doesn't sell, at least not like it might have in the past.


• •Features aren't enough. Translate those features into benefits.


• •Remember when you were new to sales, a sales rookie? Did the sales veterans in your office guide and mentor you? Most salespeople have had a mentor. If you're an experienced sales professional, lend a helping hand to the rookies. You can often learn new sales skills just by helping.


• •publish articles to generate buzz for your target market.


• •Try user generated advertising.


• •Convert customer service into sales because selling ain't just for sales reps. Customer service reps can sell too. Ever heard of cross-selling? That's perfect for CSRs.


• •Sometimes, it's best to have the last word.


• •Adopting soft sell techniques is a good idea for the accidental salesperson.


• •Being a good salesperson entails being a good sales citizen.


• •High pressure sales tactics don't work anymore. The new sales landscape requires salespeople to possess empathy, understanding, enthusiasm, and sensitivity.


• •You could be successful at networking in the virtual world. Just realize that it's different than networking in the brick-and-mortar world.


• •Humor is king in sales presentations.


• •Salespeople shouldn't be telemarketing. Outsource that to a professional appointment-setting firm.


• •If you're in sales or marketing, read Selling Power Magazine.


• •Don't lie to your customer. Otherwise, she'll choose a different company the next time.


• •Becoming an information resource is a good marketing strategy.


• •Stop working in the Dilbert zone and take charge.


• •Do you know what customer service is? It depends on what your customer thinks customer service is!


• •Consider tough times to be an opportunity.


• •Create a TradePals profile to receive free B2B and B2C sales leads.