Direct Sales - Four Selling Skills to Get You Started

"Sell" is only a four letter word if you're doing itAfter you've done steps one and two, you'll
wrong. Here are four simple selling skills you canmake some sort of product presentation to them
learn today and use tonight to do a better joband ask if they would like to know more about it
finding the right people for your products. Whoor place an order. This can be anything from a
are the right people? The ones who need it andfew sentences to a formal presentation in front
want it now. Your job is to find them and solveof a group. When it's done, you'll ask if they have
their problem.questions. If not, ask for an order. Then, you'll get
Step One - Ask a Good Prospecting Questioneither an order, or an objection. This is where the
You can either use your personal experience orFeel, Felt, Found technique comes in. Not sure
general product knowledge, but the point here iswho invented this, but it's a staple in our business.
to be specific. So, instead of asking a shotgunIn three steps you want to acknowledge the
style question like, "Do you know anyone whoconcern, acknowledge you or others shared it,
needs some extra income?" Or, "Do you knowthen share what turned out to be the case. For
anyone who likes to cook?" You ask a moreexample, "I know how you feel. I felt that way
pointed question like, "Do you know anyone whotoo. I found out that it didn't matter how many
wants to lose weight without going on somepeople came to my show. I only had five friends
crazy fake food?" "Do you know anyone who isthere and I still got over $500 in product as a
homeschooling their child because of disciplinehostess."
problems?" In other words, think with as muchStep Four - Ask for the Order
detail as possible who NEEDS your productsOnce you've taken someone through steps one,
features the most, then ask for those people. It'stwo, and three you've established that they have
ideal if you had that need first, because youra need, and have a desire to solve that problem.
story can be very valuable to relate to them. IfNow you need to ask them to go ahead and
you've never had a weight problem, and you'remake that decision. "Are you ready to place an
selling weight loss, prepare for skepticism.order?" If they're not, then go back to step two
Step Two - Be Able to Qualifyor three and work through it again. The point is,
Once you've identified that someone has anyou're not "pushing" anything on them because if
interest in your product - then you need to getsomewhere along the way you identified they
additional information about them. In particular youdidn't need or want your product, you wouldn't still
need to know not just that they need thebe talking to them, right?
product, but that they want to make the changeBut if they aren't grabbing the form from you to
to purchase it. For example, someone mightbuy, then they may be stuck in Step Two. That
express an interest in losing weight. You need tois, have the problem, not that interesting in solving
find out how serious they are. Use the followingit. This is not a potential customer for you NOW.
question. "Please...tell me more about that." ThenLet them go and follow up in three months.
listen to what they say, because it will give you aSelling isn't persuasion or aggressiveness. It's
great feel for their interest in acting on their need.finding a need and filling it for people ready to
Step Three - Be Able to Refocus/Overcomesolve their problems. Your job is to find those
Objectionspeople.