1. Understand Your Market

No market remains static, it is always in flux.  ALWAYS.  As technology changes and improves its effects related markets.  When disasters strike on the other side of the world it affects global markets. Your market is no different.  To stay on top or to make waves as you speed by your competitors you must understand the market better than others.  Know what your customers are saying, thinking, and desiring.

2. Ask Good Questions

Good questions open up dialogue.  Some sale people try to dominate the conversation about the product, service, etc.  Yet, some of the best sales come from just listening to people.  A good array of assorted questions can be just the sales tools you need to succeed in 2019.  So think of questions that encourage conversation, introduces important thoughts, help to promote reasoning, draws out feelings, exposes false thoughts about your product/service, and emphasizes specific ideas.  Never underestimate the power of inquiry!

3. Think About the Details

Obviously good notes will help you to create a common group with a prospect that you are calling on.  However, when you review the notes what do they tell you about the person.  A hobby, goal, trophy, picture, or a particular type of clothing may give you hints about what is truly important to the person.  If you have several of these, you can usually link the dots and find a particular approach that could improve your sales chances tremendously.

4. Become a Storyteller

Hardly anyone enjoys being told what they should do—especially from a complete stranger.  Yet, this can be accomplished by relating a story of someone in a similar situation.  Using this technique prevents awkwardness and helps facilitate the sale.

5.  Use the Data

Sometimes salespeople shy away from data, preferring the gut feeling approach.  It may work for a while but the number don’t lie.  Great salespeople learn, understand, and incorporate data into what they’re sales campaign and technique. 

6. Sprinkle In Humor

Insurance is boring.  That’s why nearly every major insurance company advertises and market with humor.  If you make people laugh, you get them to relax, and interestingly you come off as more trustworthy.  There’s a human factor of common ground in laughter and if you want to be a better salesperson you need to learn to get people to laugh from time to time.  A word of caution: Never be over the top.  It can come off as annoying and it tends to make people avoid you.  

7. Offer Valuable Advice

As a salesperson, you may have valuable insiders’ information that changes the way a prospect views your product or service.  Everyone likes free but everyone really enjoys something useful for free.  Good advice from top class marketing and sales experts hardly ever goes unnoticed, especially when it is useful.  So think of some advice that could save your prospects time, money, or frustration.  If you do you could transcend just being a point of contact for sales—you could be a trusted advisor.

8. Build Relationships

Relationships have long been coined as the truth behind certain sales.  Simply put: It’s true.  Often people buy from individuals and businesses they are comfortable with.  Trust is earned in a number of ways.  Everyone knows this, yet every sales person doesn’t do what it takes to build real relationships.  Will you?

Author: Usman Raza is the co-founder of Christian Marketing Experts and marketing strategist working with various brands online, and the content marketing manager of PSD to Wordpress and Ionva.com. He is devoted to helping small businesses bridge success gaps by providing in-depth, actionable advice on digital marketing, SEO, and small business growth. Follow him on Twitter @usmanintrotech.