BASICS OF SALES

We all have moods. Customers included. We all vary in our traits, outlooks, and opinions. As salespeople we must recognize the changing moods of the customers we call on and adapt to a particular mood at a particular time.

Moods can change a person's outlook from time to time. Let's take an example of what happened to me.
I was calling on a man who I always thought was an even tempered individual, but when I called on him this time he was short, curt and down right hostile. Very out of character for him. So much so that I considered never calling on him again, or at the very least calling on him much less frequently. Before I did anything drastic I paused a moment and reflected. Perhaps he was in a bad mood, nervous about something, tired, or had some family problems. Okay, so I wasn't welcomed cordially, he was down right nasty. What should you do? I still wanted his business but not at the price of being abused.

Let me tell you how I handled it. Sometimes pressure and worry can change a person's mood and change decent people into ogres. I kept my cool. Acted as congenial as possible under the circumstances, and didn't force the meeting further. I made some positive comments and facts about my products and left leaving a positive foundation for my next call. I decided that just because the mood on this particular day left something to be desired I wouldn't give up. I would call again and see if there was a change in this customer's attitude. After all I left as professionally as one could under the circumstances, and if he remembered the situation perhaps he would think better of me for putting up with him in his strident state. Next time I called the air was a bit cool but nothing like the previous call, he seemed a bit ill at ease, we concluded our business quickly and I left. On the next call the conditions were much more relaxed and although he didn't apologize he did work into the conversation the fact that he had had some family problems several weeks back and had been in a bad mood for weeks. I'm not going to tell you that we became fast and true friends but, he always maintained a professional manner with me after that and we were able to do business for a long time. He got the best out of me as a salesperson and I made plenty of money from the account

Salespeople who classify a customer as tough, nasty or overbearing only see half the picture. By devising a strategy for dealing with customer moods we can better handle them when we encounter them. If I suspected the customer was in a mood :
I would let them lead the interview.
I would slow down or speed up to conform to their pace.
I would look and listen for reactions to my suggestions and change my pace accordingly adapting to their mood changes, that was key.

You can sometimes recognize a customer's moods by their appearance, words and actions. When we observe and consciously try to understand these moods we can choose a strategy to handle them effectively. This approach will pay dividends by putting you in the same frame of mind as the customer thereby making it easier to understand and deal with them.

Thank You
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blog offering sales tips

Knowing how to sell can benefit you by providing you with a better livelihood and earnings potential in any economic environment. Click the free preview on the above site and let me show you how.

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To sell someone you have to know what prompts them to act, and how they think.
Unless you shape your sales ability to meet the buyers viewpoint, you are not going to make the sale. You must sell the person on the benefits of listening to you. Convince the prospect that you are not there to only sell them but to help them satisfy a need ---- be of service to them.

Once you gain a persons confidence his judgement will come next. Once you give a person something that is of value to their business you peak their interest.

Each of us, customers included, posses motives which prompt us to buy. These buying motives which i am going to discuss do not necessarily come from our logical side but from our emotional side.

1-Following The Leader – These business people like to model their buying patterns after leaders in their industry. They tend to go with proven results that put them in the realm of the top echelon in their field.
2-Convenience – Many people like to do their work with the least amount of effort. Do not confuse this with being slipshod or lazy we are talking effort. Saving mental effort has strong appeal. How many times do you hear or use the word convenience. It is a strong emotional motive.
3-Being Noticed – What you offer in a product or service that is better than what is presently being done may help catapult your customer to being noticed in the company or better still being promoted.
4-Being Current – Showing how your product or service will put your customer in step with the latest technology in the field relaxes them and they consider themselves up to date.
5-Relaxation – Point out how having what your presenting will lead to more free time for the decision maker to relax. Make sure you present it as not more time to do nothing but more time to relax and distance themselves from pressure.

These are just the culmination of my thoughts, my experiences. There are so many more that others may point to, they too will undoubtably be valid. Not everything in life or sales is done logically or based on what is proven or known to be fact. This is an attempt to make you aware of the fact that just because something is right or logical a customer does not have to choose that path. We all have emotions and emotions enter into decision making in sales.

Thank You
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blog offering sales tips

Knowing how to sell can benefit you by providing you with a better livelihood and earnings potential in any economic environment. Click the free preview on the above site and let me show you how.

I'm hired, I have some training, I have a territory---Now what do I do to make my quota and earn some money? How do I start? What do I do? To begin with you can talk to the person who had that territory before you if they are available. You can get opinions from seasoned salespeople or your mentor if you have one,or you can go and hit the ground running and see how things turn out. Or if none of these options are available you can rely on old reliable, Yourself.

I myself am a great believer in being organized, being prepared, and setting parameters. So let's peel back this artichoke and see what we get.

1- First and foremost there should be some paperwork you inherit. Read it carefully familiarize yourself with it and make sure you understand it. Write down any questions you have and try to get answers. If no answers are immediately available, make a list and get the answers as they become available to you in the future.

2-List all the companies you have and rate them according to sales.
These sales are what make up your quota and surpassing this quota is what makes you money.

3- Next determine how many times you have to call on a particular account to get the results you need, (an old adage 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers). So now you know the dollar amount you need from each customer and the frequency with which you have to call on them to get that amount. Sometimes more calls are needed than you think necessary because the customer wants to feel satisfied by seeing you more often. Oblige them if time permits and they are worth it, but always make sure you find a way to satisfy them regardless of their size or worth.

4-Figure out how much business this gets you, and if it is not enough, figure out where to get the rest. You might have to open new accounts to supply the rest of the dollars you need.

5-Ask your company if there will be a price increase in the coming year, and when. This will yield additional dollars.

6-Find out if there are any new products or services forthcoming so you can figure out how much this will yield and add to your figures.

7-Get in touch with salespeople selling products to your account that your company resells. This being the case, ask them to give you better training in those products so you can increase your sales.

8-Make use of any tools the company offers to help you get additional business, pre printed letters, appointment cards, any specials, short stocked merchandise that is specially priced, rebates, coupons, contests, prizes offered, etc.

Lastly, and throughout your entire selling career remain flexible. Every thing in life is subject to change. Sales is no different. Today's best customer may be gone tomorrow through no fault of your own. Always be aware that your business and industry are in a constant state of flux and you must adapt to this to remain competitive,be successful and make money.

Thank You
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blog offering sales tips

Listen.....let me repeat that.....Listen

Just think how much better off all of us would be in life if we listened more, no, make that just plain listened. How many times during a conversation did you miss out on some important points because you were formulating a reply to something you just heard and missed everything said after that.
Happens a lot. In life this is embarrassing, in sales it is tragic.

Selling is a conversation between you and your customer whereby you find out the needs of that customer, agree with those needs, and supply the benefits of the features of your product or service to answer those needs. How can you do this if you don't listen. Through my career the one glaring mistake I made and observed from other salespeople was the inability to listen. Observing salespeople I trained and accompanied I was amazed at their lack of ability to listen. So many areas to pursue were overlooked, and even more importantly openings to get the order missed. Why, because of not listening. Many times I would say to my customers; “Not only did I hear what you said, I also listened”. They responded to that. They would pause no matter where in the sale we were and let me know they were aware of what I said by sometimes nodding or just making eye contact with me. We bonded. It showed me we were both on the same page. It let the customer know I knew what they were talking about. I was listening.

To be a good parent we should listen to our children. To be a good juror we should listen to the evidence. There are countless examples we could all cite where we realized we should have listened more. To be a salesperson first and foremost we should listen. We know what we know and what we want to say, but we don't know what the customer is thinking unless we listen to what he or she is saying.

Try practicing this with your customers and anyone else in life you come in contact with.
Believe me you will be the better for it.

1.Listen
2.Don't interrupt for any reason.
3.Let the customer finish getting a complete thought out before you comment.
4.Listen with your ears, eyes and body language focused on the customer. A slight smile and nod
wouldn't hurt.

You can't sell someone unless you first discover what they want and need. The way to do that is to ask the proper questions and listen to the reply. Most times if you asked the right questions and listen to the customer's reply, the customer will tell you what they want and how to satisfy their needs. So listen, listen in sales, listen in life, and you will be surprised how much easier things get accomplished.

Thank you,
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blog offering tips for selling

Knowing how to sell can benefit you by providing you with a better livelihood and earnings potential in any economic environment. Click the free preview on the above site and let me show you how.

I had a customer I inherited that was a legend throughout the company I was selling for at the time. The owner of this company had two of the oldest business machines we ever produced. They were targeted to be replaced for over six years and by as many salespeople that had preceded me in the territory. I called on this account many times in the one and a half years that I covered this territory. The amount of calls would be worth the time invested if the sale was made. The commission would be in the thousands.

Each time I called on the account I prepared for a sale to be made,but I also was prepared with a little something extra if the sale was not made. I would not leave until I made a suggestion of worth or helped someone in the office do something. Eventually there was a problem in the account and I seized the opportunity to push for the order again. The owner talked it over with his office manager and other personnel and decided to replace both machines and add a third one for another application.

When I was at His desk writing the order He said to me "Do You know why You are getting the order and Why Your predecessors didn't get the order? Do you know why I'm replacing now even though I could still wait"? (Waited I said to myself) I wisely smiled slightly and said nothing giving Him time to tell me what I knew He wanted me to know. He said "it's because you were not only persistent but I and others in the office noticed how you took an interest in what was happening here. We took note of the suggestions you made and the hints you gave us even if it didn't seem to benefit you. I just nodded - Thanked him and wrote up the order.

Sometimes selling is not just parachuting in, telling your story and beating a pathway to the door. It's about showing the customer you care, that you are interested in what happens to them and, you are concerned about them.

Treat your accounts like customers. Like you have a vested interest in their success and are looking out for their welfare. In the final analysis their best interests' are your best interest. Be not only persistent but caring,and always have a back up plan ready to use.

Thank You
Joe D"Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blog offering sales tips

Knowing how to sell can benefit you by providing you with a better livelihood and earnings potential in any economic environment. Click the free preview on the above site and let me show you how.

Whether We realize it or not everyone of us is selling to every other one of us. Consider this; you are trying to get a better job. What You will have to do is persuade that company to take You on. Sell them on Your qualifications. You want to get Your child into the proper school. You must point out Your child's attributes to the person in charge. Sell those attributes. You are an executive in Your company and want to take that company in a certain direction. You have to first convince Your coworkers of the validity of Your position. Sell them on it.

Pause and think of your daily activities and You will realize how many of them involve convincing someone of Your point of view. Selling them on Your point of view.

Take this one step further, if You are in any type of sales like retail sales or in home sales; or business to business sales, and it involves selling something to someone, shouldn't You be adept at it? Shouldn't You be good at it? Your livelihood depends on it. Take a selling course. Read as much as You can about the art of selling. If You have salespeople as friends; practice with them, talk selling with them. Make selling a part of Your life. Hang around with some seasoned salespeople they have great stories to tell and You will learn quite a bit.

Selling is the only discipline in business where someone will give You a product or service that You can make a living from and it doesn't cost You one red cent not one thin dime. It's like being in business for Yourself. Where else can You get a deal like that?

Selling is a noble and lucrative profession. Sure there are some annoying sales people,just like there are some annoying architects or incapable Doctors or Judges. Learn sales from the basics. Learn the essentials of selling. Enjoy it. Bring satisfaction to the people You come in contact with and earn a great livelihood while doing it.

Thank You
Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
Sales Blog offering sales tips

Highly experienced with a broad knowledge of selling product solutions across Industries.
Joe D'Ambra has demonstrated the ability to sell complex solutions to multiple buyers, in diverse organizations.

Joe Graduated from St.Johns University with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in Management.
He began his career selling small business machines office to office in Rockefeller Plaza in New York city where he learned the range of selling skills necessary to become an accomplished salesperson. After this successful introduction to sales he moved on to selling desktop computers in the Bowery section of New York City. At that time no one had figured out a strategy to be successful there. The area was labeled "unsophisticated" and "underdeveloped". Customers did not see the need for machine technology. Joe knew exactly what to do. He viewed it as a great opportunity. "the customers just need to be shown how this technology will benefit their business and increase their profits". Joe turned the area into one of the most profitable territories in the entire company.

More success followed, Joe then set his sights on a more promising field, the Health Care Industry. He spent the remainder of his career there, amassing nine major selling awards and three Salesman of the Year awards while selling hundreds of millions of dollars and training countless salespeople during that time.

Joe gained a better livelihood for himself and his family along with the actualization of his goals and feeling of self-worth, and accomplishment.

His successful approach to selling is set forth with simplicity and thoroughness of purpose in his DVD "Selling the Joe D'Ambra Way". He introduces the Basics of Sales in an easy-to-understand; step-by-step approach with straight forward examples and, an easy to follow script.

Selling can give you a better life. Joe D'Ambra has shown he can sell and teach people to sell.

Please click the free preview and see how "Selling The Joe D'Ambra Way" can put you on the road to a better livelihood for you and your family. Let your common sense be your guide.

If the success of what you are doing depends on selling something to someone, Joe D'Ambra can show you how to do it.

Joe D'Ambra
www.basicsofsales.com
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