| Sales management facing clients with more self | | | | sales force draws the energy and powers of |
| assurance | | | | influence that are so essential for sales success. |
| The famous physicist, Marie Curie, once said: | | | | Confidence is a characteristic that is encouraged |
| "There is nothing in this world we need fear, if we | | | | and supported in sales training courses. |
| only understand it!" Fear is the greatest obstacle | | | | Alongside these four fundamental steps: the |
| to success in sales. Many sales people who | | | | following tips should help them overcome their |
| participate in sales training courses confess to | | | | fear of clients: |
| fear. It prevents your salespeople from making | | | | Children who are afraid of mice, rats or spiders |
| visits out of the blue, makes it difficult to visit | | | | are told that these creatures are far more scared |
| potential clients and robs salespeople of their | | | | of them than they are. The analogy holds good |
| self-assurance during negotiations. | | | | for selling: clients are afraid of being talked into |
| There are four steps you can take to make your | | | | something, being 'outsmarted' by salespeople and |
| salespeople overcome their, often only latent, | | | | of making decisions that they will later regret. |
| fears: | | | | They are afraid of being taken in by some |
| Gaining self-confidence | | | | psychological trick or being 'hoodwinked' when it |
| Goethe said: "Each individual is a miracle of | | | | comes to price. |
| unknown and unrecognised possibilities". Success | | | | It is the duty of the salesperson to alleviate the |
| primarily depends on whether you believe in it. As | | | | client's fears. If they focus on doing this, they will |
| sales manager, you should consequently set | | | | find their own fears disappearing. |
| young or inexperienced sales people goals that | | | | Admittedly it is not easy to visit a client out of |
| they can achieve. Goals, which others have | | | | the blue, without prior notification or an |
| managed to achieve and which are therefore | | | | appointment. Experienced salespeople even have |
| clearly attainable. If a salesperson believes they | | | | a meagre success rate with this difficult task: 1 |
| are capable of attaining a certain goal, they are | | | | appointment out of 20 calls or 1 successful |
| half way there already. | | | | conclusion of business out of 5 visits. They also |
| Acquiring product knowledge | | | | recognize, though, that with every telephone call |
| Salespeople who are well informed about their | | | | and every appointment, they are edging that one |
| product and its uses, naturally enter sales | | | | step closer to the next contract. |
| negotiations with self-confidence. They know they | | | | A sales professional works out how much money |
| are an able and competent negotiating partner for | | | | each telephone call or visit brings in, irrespective |
| their clients. When a 23 year old pharmaceutical | | | | of whether they are immediately successful or |
| salesperson visits a doctor, they are not just | | | | not. |
| there to sell the doctor something. They are | | | | There is always a barrier of reservation and |
| required to be able to assist the doctor in order | | | | suspect between a customer and a sales person. |
| to learn better methods of treatment. | | | | This wall protects the client from making the |
| Building relationships | | | | wrong decision and makes the work of the |
| All really important business relationships are | | | | salesperson very difficult. |
| based on friendship. It is, however, a completely | | | | There is a parable about this: the sun and the |
| normal defensive mechanism to initially have fear | | | | wind were competing with each other as to which |
| of the unknown. If a salesperson is visiting a client | | | | of them had the most power over people. A man |
| for the first time, their adrenalin instinctively | | | | wearing a thick coat was walking along the road. |
| increases. If, on the other hand, they are visiting | | | | The wind said: 'I am so strong that I can blow this |
| an 'old friend', they will be perfectly relaxed. | | | | man's coat away!' The more the wind blew, |
| Belief in the product | | | | however, the tighter the man held his coat to |
| In order to be able to sell a product, the | | | | himself. The sun, however, showed the man his |
| salesperson must be convinced that the world | | | | warmest and friendliest face, which made him |
| needs this product. Only a few salespeople have | | | | take off his thick coat of his own free will. |
| such a vision. Most see their work as purely | | | | Only a customer who eagerly and unquestioningly |
| routine and do not want to create something new | | | | breaks down the wall of distrust will be a good, |
| with different ideas. | | | | long-term customer. The most important motto |
| Salespeople without ideas accept their working | | | | for success is: 'Just do it!You can really only be |
| environment as it is, visionary salespeople, on the | | | | victorious by actually doing something. And only |
| other hand, influence their working environment. | | | | successful salespeople overcome their fears and |
| Successful sales people consider that their product | | | | acquire self-confidence. It is with this in mind that |
| will be useful to the customer, making things | | | | a key objective of sales training is to build |
| easier for them, making them a profit and solving | | | | confidence in sales people. |
| their problems. It is from this 'passion' that the | | | | |