Secrets of successful sales. Golden flaws

If you have long dreamed of owning your own business, the easiest way to make your desire come true is to organize your own retail outlet or your own store.

However, there are significant difficulties in implementing your plan. This is the presence of competitors with the same product as yours at almost every step.

Successful sales managers they say that best way Having your own regular customers means luring customers away from competitors. But the seller needs to make a lot of effort so that the buyer does not want to look for others great deals, and remained your client all the time. To do this, you need to constantly work on yourself, improve and increase your professionalism.

Believe me, this really works for you, because the number of new customers your already regular customers will bring depends only on your quality service. Here good service word of mouth will play, where a satisfied buyer will want to tell their close people about your work, who, as a rule, will want to come to you.

Everyone has their own secrets of successful sales, but there are also universal best practices that allow you to work effectively.

7 secrets of a successful sales manager.

1. Respect

2. Training

3. Uniqueness of the work

4. Listen

Take every conversation seriously;
focus as much as possible on what the client says, notice the smallest nuances;
try to immediately answer the question posed, but never interrupt the interlocutor;
clarify all unclear details with the client for a better understanding of the problem;
try to unobtrusively demonstrate your knowledge of information on a particular issue.

5. Fears

6. Sales

7. Family

Know that improving and honing your professional skills is within your power. Work on this, and the buyer, when he next comes to you, will be grateful for your skill with his purchases.

The first secret of successful sales:

It even sounds somewhat ominous: KGB. Don’t rush to get scared, it’s not what you thought. The acronym stands for: Client Says More. To my great regret, the authorship of this transcript does not belong to me. If I'm not mistaken, it was invented by Alexander Derevitsky. But as a child, my grandmother (she was a wise woman) often told me: “God gave you two ears and only one mouth, so use it accordingly.”

Probably not all sellers are lucky enough to have such a grandmother. Because most of them believe that the more the seller talks, the better. This is a big misconception. In most cases, when the seller sings his solo arias in praise of his product or service, the buyer manages to come up with 10 excuses for how to technically avoid the purchase.

While the seller is talking, he is handing over a lot of unnecessary and unnecessary information, which becomes fertile ground for client doubts and objections. But if the seller listens carefully to the client, then he receives a lot of information about what the client needs, what its key benefits are, and can formulate convincing arguments in favor of the purchase. I already wrote a little about this in the article “”, but the topic is inexhaustible, so we will return to it again.

The second secret of successful sales:

Don't tell the client about the product, talk about the client's benefits. The client does not want to buy your products or services. He wants to buy solutions to his problems. So all you have to do is find his problem and show him how your great proposal will help solve it.

On average, a person thinks more than 90% of the time about himself, about his business or work, about solving his problems, and, in extreme cases, about his immediate environment. And you want him to drop everything and start thinking about your proposal! Does he need it? Better talk to him about his problems (well, not globally, of course, but about those that your proposal can help solve) and you will find a grateful listener in him.

The third secret of successful sales:

"Everything is decided." Your initial internal attitude is that the deal will definitely take place. It cannot be any other way. Calm confidence. A powerful and warm current that you don’t want to resist, but you want to trust and swim towards the alluring goal... Sorry, I got carried away - I’ve already started meditating on the topic. However, you can safely use it, it’s a good mental image for entering the desired state. At one of the trainings, we even came up with a special term denoting this state: “Make a Gulf Stream!” - and everyone understands everything.

To make it clear what we’re talking about, during training I often ask the question: “Who leads in a pair dance?” Girls usually say, “A man should lead.” And those who have ever danced know: “The leader is the one who knows how to dance better and is more confident in himself.” So, in the sales process, a successful seller is always the leader. Another question is that this should be done so skillfully that the client, at a minimum, does not have resistance, and at most, so that the client does not guess about it.

The fourth secret of successful sales:

The best impromptu is a prepared impromptu. Yes, yes, I’m talking about sales scenarios, scripts, speech modules, etc. again. Don’t be lazy to write down:

• where will you start the conversation (so that they don’t send you right away),
• how will you establish contact (to be able to ask the right questions),
• what questions to ask (to make an irresistible offer),
• how to present your offer (so that it is impossible to refuse it),
• how to respond to objections (they will be there anyway),
• how to close a deal (pauses and deep thoughts about what to say are definitely unacceptable here),
• how to end a conversation (you know, last impressions are best remembered).

It’s better to write it down – it’s remembered better and can be used in the future. This is the kind of work that bears fruit repeatedly. Subsequently, it can become the basis (or your personal sales book). It only seems that an experienced seller speaks on a whim, impromptu. He just has all these impromptu songs already in his head, and there are a lot of them.

The fifth secret of successful sales:

In one of the interviews, Mary Kay, the founder of one of the largest cosmetic companies, when asked what main secret her success, answered: “I know that every person, regardless of gender, age, position, has an invisible sign hanging on his chest with the inscription: “Let me feel my importance!”

Most of our contemporaries have a clear lack of evidence of their own importance. And if you manage to make the client feel important, he will cooperate with you happily ever after.

The fifth secret is the most difficult, as practice shows. Too often, companies declare that “The customer must be loved,” “The customer is always right,” thereby causing salespeople to quietly hate their customers. Imagine how easy it is to love someone who is always right? (The default mentality is that the seller is always to blame). In my opinion, it is much more productive to teach salespeople simple techniques that make the client feel important and AT THE SAME TIME increase the importance of the seller and the company!

I will definitely write more about each of these secrets of successful sales, and for those companies who want to implement them into their practice and increase sales, I recommend mine.

(Excerpt from the book by Yu.V. Shcherbatykh “Psychology of Entrepreneurship” St. Petersburg: Peter, 2007.)

9.1.1 Elements of the sales process

An analysis of successes and failures in the field of sales shows that all the skills of a seller can be divided into two components: professional knowledge of their product and knowledge of the psychology of the buyer. Since this training manual is devoted to business psychology, then in the future we will focus on the second aspect of sales. However, before moving on to analyzing customer needs, one more feature of sales should be noted - its three-component nature. Successful selling is based on selling yourself, the product and the company.

Let's start with the sale of the company. This term refers to those properties of a company that increase the attractiveness of its products and services. Firstly, of course, product quality. Some companies have spent decades building their reputation by improving quality. And now their reputation works for them. Secondly, this firm size, and the share of the market captured by it. Buyers often prefer to deal with a large company rather than with a small one. Thirdly, the sale of the company means culture of communication with consumers. There are companies focused on the product, and others - on the client, and the latter feels it. Fourth, the credibility of a firm may depend on the authority of her clients. Fifth, buyers tend to purchase durable goods from a company that has already has been on the market for a long time. The logic here is simple: if a company has only recently been operating, then it may just as soon “fall apart.” To whom then should claims be submitted? And if an organization has existed for a long time, then, intuitively, it is expected that it will continue to work for a long time. Sixthly, this international relations enterprises and its recognition abroad (this point applies to Russian manufacturers). The advantages that increase the buyer’s confidence will be foreign equipment, personnel trained abroad, etc. Seventhly, of no small importance are awards and diplomas, which were awarded to the products of this company at various exhibitions and competitions. Typically, copies of them are displayed on the sales floor, and sellers must refer to these awards at the right time during the sale. Eighth, the company can be proud of its after-sales service traditions: delivery, assembly, service, guarantees, etc.

It is clear that a novice entrepreneur has many of the factors outlined above ( large size firms and long term on the market) will be absent, so he must focus on other features of his enterprise.

Now let's move on to such an important trading factor as “selling yourself.” This process also consists of three components, each of which is important in the interaction between the seller and the client. The highest sales volumes will be achieved primarily by the seller who knows as much as possible about his product or services, is confident in himself and what he offers to clients, and will show maximum friendliness towards customers.

In an interview, the president of Southwest Airlines, H. Kelleher, said: “I know it sounds simple, but I always tell my employees: “Follow the golden rule of service - serve others the way you want to be served. I ask my people: “Do you enjoy visiting a restaurant or department store where they show complete indifference to you, do not take into account your wants and needs, and treat you like an inanimate object? Everyone, of course, will answer that this is unpleasant. Then I say: “In that case, don’t be prudes, provide the kind of service that you yourself want to have.”

Seller competence means:

Knowledge technical characteristics product (for example, for computers - type of processor, speed, amount of memory, type of video card, etc.);

Knowledge of the consumer properties of a product (for the same computer, these are the possibilities of its use for work, study and entertainment);

Knowledge of the assortment available in the store;

Knowledge additional features to expand the range (“Not at the moment, but we can order from the warehouse or from the manufacturer”; “We don’t have the required configuration, but we will select it especially for you”, etc.);

Knowledge of the price range of products in your company and among competitors;

Knowledge of new products and development prospects for this product group;

Knowledge of possible product shortcomings and counter-arguments for them;

Knowledge of the basics of psychology and the ability to use them in your work;

Friendliness is expressed in:

Good mood of the seller;

smile,

Posture open to communication;

Interest in the buyer;

The desire to help him, etc.

The manifestation of self-confidence is quite multifaceted and is expressed both in the subjective feelings of the entrepreneur or his sellers, and in their external signs:

Raised head;

Straightened shoulders;

Firm handshake;

Slow movements;

Direct gaze;

When organizing the sales process, it is important for an entrepreneur to remember that this process is not one-time, but consists of several important stages. Knowing each of them and using them increases the likelihood of a purchase. If the seller, wanting to sell the product quickly, “skips” over one of the stages, then the chances of selling the product are sharply reduced. So, let's look at the main stages of the process of selling goods or services:

1. Preparing the seller for work

2. Establishing psychological contact with the client;

3. Identifying his needs;

4. Presentations commercial offer;

5. Dealing with objections

6. Completion of the sale

7. After-sales customer support

At the first stage, the seller solves two problems: to attract the client’s attention and interest him, and also to create an atmosphere of goodwill and trust. At this stage, the seller should ask himself the following questions:

What kind of person is in front of me?

What condition is he in?

How do I get a client to like me?

In this case, the seller must demonstrate the following qualities: goodwill, patience, optimism, confidence in success and competence.

9.1.2 Identifying customer needs

The next one is very important point When making sales, it is identifying the client's needs. The seller’s big mistake will be the idea that his client thinks the same way as he does, and the specialist who will temporarily forget about his desires and try to understand his client will have a great advantage. It is useless to offer a spinning rod to a philatelist, or tweezers for stamps to a football fan. But if he manages to ignite the fisherman’s interest with a story about a miracle lure that fish catch, then he won’t have to be persuaded to buy it. The main commandment of the seller seventy years ago was formulated by the great Dale Carnegie: “Get into it!” . Understand what a person wants, find out how he thinks, what he values ​​and what he rejects. Enter his world, and only then offer him your product. Thus, the most important task of the seller is the need to understand the basic current needs of the client in a short period of time in order to show how his product can satisfy them.

We have already talked about the professional competence of the seller, and if he sells cars, he must understand engines, upholstery materials and even the steel from which the body is made, but professional training is not everything. For if the seller does not understand in a short moment of communication with a potential buyer, Why he came here and What he wants to get from this car, then the seller simply will not have a chance to communicate the most important for this specific buyer information about the product that could prompt him to purchase. For example, a person may choose a car with different motivations. Maybe he wants to make an irresistible impression on women with his car, and, accordingly, will look for chic and comfortable car. Another buyer is a passionate fisherman or hunter, indifferent to external details, the main thing for whom is reliability and maneuverability. For a third client, for example, an official of the “old school”, the car, first of all, must be solid and thorough, for the fourth, prudent or even stingy - the main thing is the price of the car itself and its efficiency (gasoline consumption, maintenance, repairs), for the fifth, with a developed aesthetic taste, everything will be solved enamel color etc. Thus, to make a sale, you need, firstly, to identify the client’s leading needs, and, secondly, to connect your product or service with them.

In order to identify the dominant needs of customers, a sales manager can use three techniques: open questions, clarification and paraphrase.

Open questions - these are questions that cannot be answered with a monosyllabic “yes” and “no”, and as a result the client has to reveal:

« What is the most important thing for you on TV?

“What qualities of a car are most important to you?”

“What type of beer do you prefer?»

Clarification necessary to ensure understanding of the client's wishes or needs. At the same time, you repeat his statement with the words:

“Did I understand correctly that you like whipped cream?”

“So you think that the main thing for you is the guarantee of the safety of your deposit?” ( or "...as much as possible high interest rates compared to other banks?).

“Did I understand correctly that you want your car to have, on the one hand, increased cross-country ability, and at the same time, to look elegant?”

The third trick is retelling , in which you agree with the client and tell how your product can really satisfy this or that need: “ I share your idea that the main purpose of a vacation is, on the one hand, good rest, and, on the other hand, a change of scenery and new impressions.”

After applying this technique, it makes sense to draw a conclusion pushing the client to purchase: “... In this regard, you may be interested in looking at our options for Egypt, where the high comfort of hotels is combined with educational tours to Cairo or St. Catherine's Monastery».

“What we have as a result: You buy a car mainly for the city, and it appearance must correspond to your status and social position. But on the other hand, you are keen on hunting, and the road to the dacha in the spring is far from ideal. So, let’s see what SUVs we have that would combine the requirements you stated.”

TO typical mistakes, which are quite common during unsuccessful sales, include the following:

Dispute with client

Trying to control the situation too tightly

Inability to identify the valuable qualities of a product in response to the client’s stated needs

9.1.3 Presentation

There are a number of important factors that increase the effectiveness of a seller’s argument during the presentation of goods or services:

Before starting the presentation, clarify your needs again of this client and choose the main ones. In the future, use only those arguments that address the client’s motives. Use language that the listener understands, inserting his own expressions into your speech;

During the presentation, monitor the client’s reaction (does he listen, does he keep up with your argument, does he agree with it, etc.), and make adjustments to your story;

Use questions to which the client will answer “Yes” (“Agree that our drawers ideally slide along the guides easily and require a minimum of effort, right?”);

Use arguments and facts used by the client to confirm your point of view,

Whenever possible, support your arguments with a demonstration. Make the listener a participant in the demonstration - let him feel the product as if it were his own thing.

Describe the positive effect that the client will receive from using the product, use his imagination as much as possible;

Provide expert opinion famous people, have supporting argumentation at hand.

Speak slowly, short, in clear words. Do not speed up your speech unless absolutely necessary.

Remember that the emotional component of the speech should not be the same throughout the entire speech. The most emotional and saturated with energy should be...

Every person is a seller: we literally sell our skills, abilities, experience, ideas, ideas every day. And the most important thing here is understanding how to present yourself, the ability to find mutual understanding with other people. And it is worth noting that only a bright personality who competently uses both verbal and non-verbal language, and, more simply, knows the features of psychology, is able to influence others. Despite the fact that further we will talk about the manager and the client, the information offered is applicable to any field of activity in general.

Trust is the core of any relationship

Establishing a trusting relationship with another person is the most important thing. But this is also the most difficult thing to do. And the main role here is not played by arguments, but the right approach to the buyer.

Using reason alone, it is almost impossible to find a “key” to a client. But if you understand with your heart his true needs and desires, it becomes easier. Knowing what your client likes and doesn't care about can help you make your words more persuasive. You need to treat the buyer as if you are ready to do anything for him. Then he will trust you and listen to you.

When offering a deal to someone, first strive to create an atmosphere of trust. You can, for example, offer to drink tea or coffee, but just clarify in advance what this person prefers. It seems like a banality, but by showing genuine and sincere attention, you will show the client that you value him and are trying to be sensitive to his desires. Then he will feel comfortable with you, which means he will be ready to listen to everything you tell him.

Openly ask the potential buyer about everything that may be useful to you in your work: ask questions about his type of activity, hobbies, habits. Be considerate of his wishes. And in general, try to spend more time on those with whom you communicate than on your person or product.

To understand what you are on on the right track, just ask yourself whether the client is comfortable with you, why he likes to be around you, whether he strives to maintain further relationships, whether you know what the client really wants. If the answers to these questions are positive, half the work has already been done, and only a little remains to close the deal.

Full perception

Most people during meetings and presentations focus only on how to sell their proposal. This thought captivates them so much that they completely do not notice what is happening around them, what the situation is, how the client feels, etc.

But an attentive manager, striving to establish strong contacts and ensuring that the client is satisfied, should not lose sight of such “little things”. An ordinary conversation on a free topic can be more useful than dozens of diligent attempts to make a deal. Make it a rule: the client always comes first, and the most important thing is his well-being and well-being.

Also think about the fact that professional and successful people never give the impression that they urgently need to run somewhere and solve a bunch of important things (even if in reality this is the case). Such specialists are precisely distinguished by the fact that they are ready to devote all their time to the client’s disposal, notice the slightest changes in the situation and arrange their actions in such a way that everyone who is nearby is in the center of their attention.

Knowledge of people

The better you understand human nature, the more accurate your assessment of any interlocutor will be and the more effective your adjustment to him will be. Of course, it would be easier if all people could simply be divided into several categories, but labels are not suitable here, because all people are unique and have characteristics unique to them.

However, psychologists have proven that everyone with whom we communicate exhibits the properties that we attribute to them. Based on this, you need to tune in to the fact that people are positive, responsive, friendly, and sincere. Believe me, this rule works, and you will see for yourself. Remember how often what you believed or believed happened to you. It’s the same in communication – try to produce positive emotions and be optimistic.

But we should not forget about such things as temperament, character, beliefs. Active and cheerful people require one style of communication, slow and melancholic people require another; those who keep up with the times can openly offer their ideas, but conservatives should take a different, more cautious approach.

Focus on the client’s personal characteristics initially creates a favorable climate for communication, when everyone is comfortable and cozy with each other. Set yourself the task of learning at least a little about human nature every day, and the more you study it, the easier it will be for you to communicate.

Persuasion is effective, persuasion is not

Often it takes a lot of time to convince a client, but patience is worth it. If a manager managed to convince someone with his arguments, he can consider that he has won a complete victory, because it turns out that the person trusted him and went over to his side.

It also happens that the buyer can be persuaded and almost forced to conclude a deal, but in practice these are one-time cases that have no value. Know that a client who has been convinced will come back again, but one who has been “persuaded” is lost forever.

Customer care

Human relationships are like a flower that requires care and love. If you water the flowers in the garden only during flowering, you can be sure that they will not please you for long. Likewise, if you only contact a client when you want to sell something, he will instantly register that you are just a chance for him to make extra money.

Hence the conclusion: just as you need to water flowers regularly so that they do not wilt or dry out, so the manager should call his clients even without any reason as such. Happy Birthday or Happy New Year, share interesting story that happened to you the day before, simply find out how you are doing and what’s new in life and at work.

Showing concern, and caring sincerely and from the heart, is an excellent non-verbal signal that a person occupies some place in your life. And if you are not indifferent to him, if you think about him, if in the flow of things you find time to call him, then the attitude towards you will be mutual, and the client base will be more like a list of friends or, at least, good acquaintances.

Personal appeal

You can influence clients not only with words. A manager who exudes optimism, enthusiasm and charm acts on customers like a magnet. affects on a hidden level. Rate of speech, timbre of voice, intonation, gestures, facial expressions and even clothing - all this affects the subconscious of others.

People, without realizing it, react sensitively to the manager’s personality traits, and this once again confirms the fact that we need to constantly improve. However, only a few people actually work on themselves and think about the impression they make. At the same time, the impression created by a manager is one of the most important factors on which success depends. Only if you are aware of how others perceive you can you develop your strengths and get rid of your weaknesses.

Train in the ability to exert a hidden influence on them. Strive to become more charming and attractive, both personally and professionally.

Ability to conduct a business conversation

Despite the fact that this skill is mostly related to, its psychological impact cannot be underestimated. A business conversation consists of three stages that can be compared to the phases of plant development: by sowing seeds, the manager forms trusting relationships, promoting their growth; he works with objections and convinces; by harvesting, he concludes a deal.
Everyone knows that until the fruit is ripe, there is no point in cutting or picking it. It also makes no sense to force the buyer to initial stage negotiations, agreeing to an offer or purchasing a product or service. The client is the fruit that must ripen, and the manager’s task is to carefully grow it.
Creating an atmosphere of trust takes time. And a competent manager, understanding this fact, in every possible way contributes to this by directing the conversation in the right direction, as if hypnotizing him with his calm tone, attentive attitude, persuasive phrases and reasonable arguments. Knowing how to properly build business relationships, without haste and fuss, always leads to one result - a sale, conclusion of a deal or signing of an agreement.
Of course, if you wish, you can find many more psychological factors on which a manager’s success in sales depends. But all of them, one way or another, will touch and intersect with those we talked about. Psychology is a subtle art, which can be mastered to perfection only through practice, in the process of gaining experience, making mistakes and working on them. Therefore, the person who decides to achieve serious success in sales must be ready for hard work and permanent job above yourself.

If they tell you that anyone can sell, don't believe it. This is not true. Understanding what sales is, not every manager knows the secret of success in sales. Not all store employees will be able to step over themselves and offer people some goods or services and charge a decent price for it.

Historically, people with access to various goods and control of trade routes have always received advantages.

Those states that, unlike our country, did not fight, but built trade relations, actively developed. Therefore, people who know how to sell have additional benefits in life.

Now let's consider what is sales and how to succeed in this field today.

Selling is the goal of any business enterprise to exchange its product or service for the consumer's money. The more sales, the correspondingly higher the profit of the business owner and the wages of employees.

However, success in sales is impossible without constant training, mastering and putting into practice effective techniques, studying, and the psychology of successful sales. Lack of preparation and desire to learn sales will inevitably lead to failure. Conversely, a correctly chosen and practice-tested direction will lead to success.

The secret to success in sales

Now let's figure out how to sell successfully.

The entire sales process involves continuous communication. First comes , then the manager identifies needs, moves on, works with objections if the interlocutor has doubts, and completes the deal. In addition, the seller must be able to “sell himself and his company,” i.e. look and behave like a business card of the company. If the employee succeeds, consider that he has learned the secret of success and will be able to sell successfully.

It is from creation trust relationships The seller's performance depends on his clients.

If communication is not comfortable for one of the parties or the specialist is afraid to sell, the results will be disastrous. Overcome the fear of communicating with stranger Showing genuine interest helps.

In addition, another factor that will help reveal the secret of success in trading is the ability to overcome negativity. Each person who enters an office or retail outlet is individual and has negative character traits that you simply may not like.

But if you don’t get over yourself and show sincere interest in the newcomer, positive contact will not be installed, which means there will be no sale.

Negativity coming from a visitor in most cases is not related to you. He may be in trouble, need emotional support or expect practical help– in such cases, negativity becomes an indicator of a defensive reaction. If a salesperson starts his day with a smile, if he is positive and sales-oriented, it is quite possible that he has discovered the secret of success in sales.