The Twenty Top Selling Hacks E-Book

Amy McCoy

• Herausgeber: BooxAi
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Real estate is more that just a for sale sign. Your craft should start with understanding key customer service skills that are vital for success. You and your client should share equal respect for a lasting relationship.

It is my desire that you are inspired by this book and will engage with future publications.

Leseprobe

Amy McCoy

20 PRINCIPLES TO ACCELERATE YOUR SUCCESS

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Amy McCoy

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published by BooxAi

ISBN: 978-965-578-393-3

Preparation

20 PRINCIPLES TO ACCELERATE YOUR SUCCESS

AMY MCCOY

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

What is selling?

Chapter 2

Selling is all about relationships

Chapter 3

The sale is not about the product, but their problem

Chapter 4

Price and value go hand in hand

Chapter 5

There is no sale unless you can close it

Chapter 6

Those who listen, WIN

Chapter 7

Set goals

Chapter 8

Educate yourself

Chapter 9

Do the math

Chapter 10

Think BIG, but start small

Chapter 11

Persistence pays off

Chapter 12

Build trust by demonstrating expertise

Chapter 13

Get ready for rejection

Chapter 14

Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up

Chapter 15

Mental and Physical Health Matter

Chapter 16

Process is key

Chapter 17

Collaboration

Chapter 18

Innovate

Chapter 19

No single transaction is ever worth your reputation

Chapter 20

Put passion into what you do

Afterword

Notes

Introduction

“Don’t just talk that talk, walk it and go forward. Also, the walk didn’t have to be long strides; baby steps counted too. Go forward.”

–The Pursuit of Happyness

Everything in life is about sales. No matter what you do, you are selling or buying something every day. From the minute you walk out of the door, you are engaging in some kind of transaction. Whether that’s buying a coffee on your way to work or selling your labor for a monthly paycheck, your whole day will be made up of transactions: either by buying or selling.

Of course, you don’t consciously think about this every time to buy a new hair product or share your ideas with your boss about an upcoming project. It doesn’t occur to you that the more persuasive you are with your partner, the more likely they are to agree with you. Neither do you go around thinking that if you help someone out, they are going to owe you. But ever since we humans began exchanging cows for corn, we have been perfecting the art of selling (and buying).

A brief history of sales

Before money was ever part of our lifestyle, we used to barter goods – you give me three cows and I’ll give you 3 bags of corn. That was the deal, and it was a fair exchange. When money came into circulation about 5,000 years ago, it was a game changer. Now, 3 gold shekels were the equivalent of my 3 bags of corn and if you only had 2, then there was no sale.

This system worked great until the Industrial Revolution when lifestyles changed. People moved away from their rural communities into the big cities and began to sell something new – their labor. Around this time, the ‘traveling salesman’ evolved: the guy who went from town to town selling what people needed. He even sold what they didn’t need, promoting his goods with often exaggerated claims and a whole lot of gusto! This was a time of booming consumerism, where everything and anything could be sold.

We’ve come a long way since then and sales as a serious profession really came into its own when Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People came out in 1936.1 It got the ball rolling on how to master the art of salesmanship, how to connect with people, persuade people, and influence people. Not surprisingly, it became a bestseller, stirring up excitement amongst anyone in the sales profession (and not only). A self-help bible on how to achieve success in life, most of what Carnegie wrote is still relevant today.

Not long after that, the image of the foot-in-the-door salesman began to emerge, especially in the US. Thousands of men were traversing the country plying their wares to bored housewives who were eager to keep up with the neighbors. This was the 1950s and you had to keep up with the latest trends in consumer products. The seller was king during this time, able to spin their sales talk to a buyer who would believe almost anything (this was in the days before you could check out reviews online or do your own market research). It was a one-way street and a lot of salespeople (and companies) made a whole lot of money. The shine began to wear off after a while, though, when aggressive sales pitches began to make customers feel they were being bullied into buying without having any real information about the product.

By the time we get to the 1960s, strategy selling began, which means that salesmen were taught to do an effective analysis of what the customer wanted and make them feel like they were making a sound decision. This strategy worked pretty well and by the 80s, sales focused on SPIN, which is an acronym for Selling/Situation, Problem, Implication, Need, then pay off! Consultative Selling also began around this time, which involved asking the prospective customer to find out what they were really looking for. The foot-in-the-door salesman evolved into a caring, compassionate, trustworthy friend who was there to help you find a solution to your problems. The customer’s pain now became a way for any salesman to connect and, of course, sell.

Then, boom! The internet was born, opening up the floodgates of the consumer revolution. Now, there are a zillion ways to sell products and sometimes the consumer doesn't even need a sales pitch. They are ready to buy after five minutes of online searching for what they wanted, with salesmen being taken out of the equation in many sectors.

BUT, and this is a big BUT, there are still some markets where the salesperson is paramount to the sale. Think of Real Estate for example or Life Insurance. Customers still want to be convinced they are buying the right product for them and need an expert to guide them. That gives you a lot of power and opportunity, so why waste it?

Nowadays, buyers have all the information they need, as well as a global marketplace to sell and buy in. But good salespeople can still earn a living and be successful if they learn how to use basic soft skills to their advantage. That’s why I decided to write this book. After being in real estate for 18 years now, I have seen changes in the way things work but there are still some essential principles that help generate sales. They aren’t highly technical sales strategies full of incomprehensible jargon or formulae. You don’t need to be a tech guru or understand complicated digital algorithms. You simply need to get back to basics, but with a twist.

In the following chapters, I'm going to be sharing my top twenty hacks for success in selling that have worked for me. Believe it or not, we need to get more personal, more emotional, and more connected with our goals if we want to succeed. And then, we must get personal, emotional, and connected with our clients. People (customers/clients) nowadays want honesty, reliability, and integrity. They can smell bullshit a mile off and have inbuilt radars that can detect when something is value for money or not. In fact, value is at the top of everyone’s list and that’s what your clients are looking for, first and foremost.

As we go through each chapter, you will learn how to nail transactions that bring benefits to you and the customer, and discover the secrets to building profitable client-seller relationships. I’ll be taking you through the strategies you need to implement if you want to manage your time, money, and effort, as well as telling you how to establish meaningful goals on your way to success. We will be looking at the importance of knowing your product and consistently broadening your knowledge and skill set. There are chapters on how to close sales, bounce back from failure, and stay motivated, as well as guides on how to think big and step up your game on a daily basis.

Everything you ever wanted to know about making sales is here, with practical steps on how to achieve success in both your professional and private life. One tip I want to give you off the top is this: do what you do with passion and see each day as a new, golden opportunity. There are plenty of them out there and if you go after them with enthusiasm and persistence, the world is your oyster.

Are you ready to make those sales? All you need to do is get started, so let’s go!

Chapter 1

WHAT IS SELLING?

“How you sell is more important than what you sell.” –Andy Paul

Most people are turned off by cold-calling, email blasts, annoying ads, and uninvited sales reps knocking on doors or calling them on their cell phones. No one wants to buy from a pushy salesman/saleswoman who comes across like a bully. The consumer is much more sophisticated than that nowadays, so you have to follow suit.

Customers want to feel like they have a choice, that they have options, and that they can make the right decision based on the information they have before them. But they also want that human element – someone to advise them and even take on a problem-solving role. That’s your job.

Selling is NOT about gaining financial rewards at any cost. Neither is it related to making customers buy something they don't want. Sure, you want to meet your monthly or annual sales target, shift products, gain commission, make a bonus, or whatever your motive is. After all, you want to earn a living and be successful at what you do, and that’s fine. The problem is that you are competing with educated consumers (most of the time), a powerful digital marketplace, and colleagues who are way ahead of you in the game.

Successful sellers are the ones who:

Know how to make a sale while letting the customer think it was their decisionThe customer will keep going back time after time because a relationship of trust has been establishedKnow their product and are committed to improving their knowledge day after day.Understand that buying is an emotional process not always dictated by the size of one's wallet or bank balance.

What do they also know that you don’t? Let’s read on to find out.

The definition of selling

Everyone agrees that ‘selling’ refers to any transaction where money is exchanged for goods or services. In particular, it’s the process of persuading a buyer to make a purchase using a series of tactics to influence their purchasing decisions. That’s the literal definition of selling and we all understand it. But done right, selling can make the customer desire something they weren’t even aware of and, in effect, determine their needs, and satisfy their ‘pain points’.

The different kinds of ‘selling’

There are several different kinds of ‘selling’, depending on the product or service you are involved with. The most successful reps are the ones who are flexible enough to know when to use each one and are motivated to perfect their craft. Here are some of the most common strategies, with ideas on how to elevate the experience for the buyer.

Transactional selling

This is the simple, short-term sales strategy used to make quick sales and neither the seller nor the buyer are interested in developing any kind of long-term relationship. It’s a quick buck, in-and-out kind of sale that may be ok when used in the right context. You can’t be expected to build up a relationship with every single customer if the transaction is a one-off event where you sell low-cost, generic products to a buyer who wants a quick exchange.

Imagine though if you can leave a lasting impression on the customer in this kind of transaction. Let's say, for example, you are selling an online product or service. Looking after your customer is essential, which is where marketing and customer care comes in. You can chase up customer feedback too, to show you care about their satisfaction. Be prepared to meet any complaints or answer questions in a way that shows you care about their satisfaction. Don’t just take the money and run!

2. Solution selling

Instead of focusing on the transaction, the approach here is centered on selling outcomes and features. You lead with a problem and use a range of tactics to persuade the buyer that once they buy your product/service, all of their problems will be solved. Think of hair loss products or diet pills, and you get the picture. The problem with this kind of strategy is that a lot of reps don’t have enough know-how to ‘sell’ the product or underestimate just how much the customer already knows about possible solutions.

If you want to be a ‘problem-solver,’ you need to focus on building a genuine connection with the buyer and offer innovative solutions they haven’t thought of. In addition, you should be presenting the benefits of the product/service as well as the experience and have the backup you need from your company to provide that support. Interaction on a personal level is far better than trying to sell to someone who thinks you are a bot.

3. Consultative selling

Not only do buyers want a solution, but they are also looking to make an informed decision for items such as property or cars. This is where Consultative selling steps in, incorporating solutions into strategies that allow the buyer to feel like they are identifying solutions on their own. The seller provides a narrative that includes the data, market research, and insights, and the buyer uses this information to make a decision.

This kind of selling requires you to do your homework, understand the market, and provide hard data that the buyer can use. Create a file with all of the information and talk the buyer through it, adding your industry insights and knowledge to show that you are their go-to person for all things related to their potential purchase.

4. Provocative selling

This strategy looks at the pain points of the buyer and guides them to the right solution, even before the buyer is aware of what they want to buy. A sense of urgency can be injected here, with emerging threats or crises looming on the horizon to push the sale forward. Think of the recent COVID-19 global pandemic and you can imagine how many buyers were convinced into buying things they may not have thought about before, such as additional Health Insurance, and home entertainment systems.

The trick here isn’t to cause panic, but to give sound advice to make the seller feel safe, not insecure. Combine your market insights with hard facts and figures to show you aren’t being alarmist, but sensible. It’s a fine line between causing panic and making the buyer feel they are being proactive in the face of an oncoming crisis so your soft skills need to be finely tuned when you interact with the buyer.

5. Collaborative selling

The core focus here is on developing relationships and understanding the buyer’s needs, challenges, and goals. The seller actively involves the buyer in the sales process and works with a team of fellow reps to offer solutions.

To do this well, you need to be in alignment with your colleagues, whether that be in marketing, services, support, metrics, or goals. You are aiming to offer value to the customer with this kind of strategy as well as build a long-term relationship with them.

6. Social Media Selling

We all know how much social media is a part of our lives and it has become the number one place to influence potential buyers. By using brand channels and advertising, sellers can reach their target buyers more accurately than ever before and social media selling covers an exhaustive range of products and services.

The important thing here is to connect with your customers and to generate a dialogue that they feel part of, rather than a one-sided monologue. This requires you to adopt new strategies that lead to meaningful interactions between yourself and the buyer. The aim should be to develop long-term connections and relationships with potential customers, as well as present your brands as a solution to their problems. Keep your interactions frequent, providing value and relevant content on a consistent basis.

7. High-Pressure Selling