Make Yourself a Sales Natural in 3 Steps
I recently explored the importance of using unique verbiage in our sales conversations to increase our credibility, competence, and ability to convey meaning with fewer words.
Shortly after beginning my first corporate sales job, I was handed a portfolio that was completely new to me. I was asked to spearhead our Electric Utility vertical. Admittedly, I was nervous because I don't have an Engineering degree, I didn't have contacts in that industry or any real concept of what utilities needs were.
However, within 3 years of taking over the portfolio we grew from two products to eight products, expanding outside of just utilities into the greater energy arena. In order to quickly become a (remedial) subject matter expert in this space and have natural, authentic conversations I needed to have a deeper understanding of the fears, passions, and needs of my prospects.
1. Develop a passion by educating yourself. I was already passionate about my product, but to have a natural conviction I needed to develop a passion industry.
* Sign up for 2-3 leading trade journals or industry publications and actually read them.
* Don't underestimate the value of PBS specials, documentaries, and industry reports.
By absorbing as much information as I could about the electric utility space, I quickly realized how incredibly important the work that my prospective clients is. It made the sale more meaningful. When you speak for a place of genuine care, the conversation is going to be more real.
2. Stay in touch with the industry. The easiest way to do this is by signing up 1-3 Google Alerts and be aware of industry trends and important stories.
* Visit www.google.com/alerts
* Enter a buzzword like "electric utility"
* Select once a week, United States (or your country of choice)
Now you have both important industry information as well as potential leads being delivered to your inbox once a week!
3. Use each sales conversation to better understand future sales conversations. Be honest, how often has a client said something over the phone that you didn't understand or mentioned a competitor that you weren't aware of. Don't let those opportunities pass you by.
My #1 tool was to simply say - You just mentioned X, can you help me better understand what that means? You would be amazed at the flood of information that people are willing to provide.
I hope these 3 key tips are ones that you can implement TODAY. They are all very simple to apply so don't wait, sign up for those publications & alerts right now and starting making the most of each call! If you have additional questions, find me on Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetz
Shortly after beginning my first corporate sales job, I was handed a portfolio that was completely new to me. I was asked to spearhead our Electric Utility vertical. Admittedly, I was nervous because I don't have an Engineering degree, I didn't have contacts in that industry or any real concept of what utilities needs were.However, within 3 years of taking over the portfolio we grew from two products to eight products, expanding outside of just utilities into the greater energy arena. In order to quickly become a (remedial) subject matter expert in this space and have natural, authentic conversations I needed to have a deeper understanding of the fears, passions, and needs of my prospects.
3 Tips to Make Yourself a Sales Natural
1. Develop a passion by educating yourself. I was already passionate about my product, but to have a natural conviction I needed to develop a passion industry.
* Sign up for 2-3 leading trade journals or industry publications and actually read them.
* Don't underestimate the value of PBS specials, documentaries, and industry reports.
By absorbing as much information as I could about the electric utility space, I quickly realized how incredibly important the work that my prospective clients is. It made the sale more meaningful. When you speak for a place of genuine care, the conversation is going to be more real.
2. Stay in touch with the industry. The easiest way to do this is by signing up 1-3 Google Alerts and be aware of industry trends and important stories.
* Visit www.google.com/alerts
* Enter a buzzword like "electric utility"
* Select once a week, United States (or your country of choice)
Now you have both important industry information as well as potential leads being delivered to your inbox once a week!
3. Use each sales conversation to better understand future sales conversations. Be honest, how often has a client said something over the phone that you didn't understand or mentioned a competitor that you weren't aware of. Don't let those opportunities pass you by.
My #1 tool was to simply say - You just mentioned X, can you help me better understand what that means? You would be amazed at the flood of information that people are willing to provide.
I hope these 3 key tips are ones that you can implement TODAY. They are all very simple to apply so don't wait, sign up for those publications & alerts right now and starting making the most of each call! If you have additional questions, find me on Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetz
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