Effective Sales Techniques

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

All business in the world today is based on sales. The products and services of a wide variety of companies from various industries are offered, due to which there is an exchange of values and the further development of commercial relations. It is sales that are the very source by which companies move forward. And, of course, the biggest challenge any business faces is how to organize sales.

In this article, we will look at the most relevant sales methods. We will try to reveal their effectiveness as much as possible, to characterize each of them in terms of effectiveness and difficulty in use.

General theory

In fact, there is a huge amount of different theoretical materials that describe what sales methods exist, how to use them, what to remember when using one or another of them. Still, of course, there are many individual aspects that need to be remembered. For example, one of them is the specifics of the product or service you are selling. You need to evaluate it not only on the basis of the characteristics of the product itself, but also using the analysis of your direct buyer, his preferences and interests.

That is, it should be noted that the science that studies the methodssales is much more complex than it might seem at first glance. It should study the setting in which you are selling, the item you are trying to sell, and the entity that is your customer. With these elements in mind, let me introduce you to the main methods of effective sales that often take place in practice. However, this cannot be said to be an exhaustive list. In fact, there may be many more such forms of sale of goods. We give only the most common and generally accepted.

Sale through service

Each of us has probably encountered this technique most often. It lies in the fact that the company provides its customer with a service, due to which the latter makes a purchase. It looks very simple: you come to the store and choose which product you would like to purchase. The supermarket provided you with a service in advance: its employees laid out the goods in a certain order on beautiful shelves, created all the conditions for you to successfully take this product and conveniently take it out on a cart to your car. They also provided various methods of paying for goods and, perhaps, even some bonuses for those who will buy more often and more. This is a classic example of how service sales methods work.

This technique is characterized by high demand for goods. That is, the best way to sell such items as food, shoes and clothes, some basic necessities. To sell anything morecostly and less needed in everyday life, other approaches must be taken.

The service, on the contrary, works according to some standard template, offering the buyer what he has already seen many times. For example, think for yourself: you like to come to the store and immediately go for the product that is located in a place you know. You don't like walking around the supermarket for a long time looking for bread and milk. Most often, these typical methods of selling goods are the focus of stores operating in this area. They also try to provide a high level of service in order to tie the client to their store, make him go here regularly.

Aggressive selling

For goods that the buyer does not need, a slightly different methodology should be applied. In this case, it is used to implement some additional products that the user often has not heard of. For example, this is how a store offering kitchen and home accessories (which constantly broadcasts advertising on TV) works. Sometimes real estate sales methods work the same way.

The main thing in this case is to draw the buyer's attention to your product. First, you just need to inform him about the product, reveal its positive aspects and potential, indicate how much it will make the life of the buyer easier, how happy he will be if he takes possession of your product. This approach is aimed primarily at arousing desire in the client. Once you achieve this, he will gladly give his money.and collect the product.

The downside of aggressive selling is the fact that today most buyers no longer respond to the tricks that traders use. Most often, they simply refuse to communicate with you, immediately suspecting that you are trying to sell them something useless. But in industries such as real estate and automobiles, this approach can still work great.

Speculative method

If you don't offer your customer a proper level of service and you don't want to pounce on them with your product, you can use another item in the list of "sales form methods". This technique is called "speculative approach", and the main principle by which it operates is the manipulation of the client. It should be noted that in this case, a strong factor that will determine whether they buy something from you or not is psychology. You yourself, by your actions, can make sure that this the technique worked or, on the contrary, you can easily ruin the whole thing. What is the principle of its action?

We all know that sometimes certain companies give us (as their customers) gifts. Why is this needed? Do they really expect us to fall for this?

On the one hand, it seems silly. On the other hand, numerous practice shows that this approach works. By giving something to a client or congratulating him on his birthday, the company becomes psychologically closer to this person, he remembers her and treats her more friendly. Perdue to this in the future, the technique will lead to new sales and loy alty of this client.

Sales through consulting

Another interesting method, which is also included in the group of “retail methods” (that is, used in stores / in the market), is consulting. Recall how often a salesperson will begin to "diagnose" your problem, for example: "Did your old ISP charge too high? There is a solution - go to us and get 3 months of internet as a gift!” Or: “Is your car consuming too much fuel? Don't get upset! We can offer you a new car that is equipped with the most economical engine!"

You may not have experienced situations like this in your life, but believe me, companies often focus on the customer's problem and point it out to him in order to immediately offer their solution.

This way of selling looks like a consultation. Because of this, this technique got its name.

Selling with Reputation

When working with a customer, it is not uncommon for companies to indicate their age, country of origin, or the number of satisfied customers who have left product reviews. You noticed it too, didn't you? So, all this is done for a reason. Such actions lead to the fact that in the eyes of the buyer a certain reputation is formed regarding the company. It must, of course, be positive. And then, as any method of comparing sales shows, such a manufacturer / brand / store receives more than itscompetitors. And it's all about reputation. Seeing that a particular company has been operating for more than 20 years, the client subconsciously prefers it over younger and possibly less experienced firms and brands. And this is the main sales tool through reputation.

Experimentation is the key to success

In fact, if you want to find the best way to market your products, there are a few techniques you can use. If you can't do both at the same time, proceed with this kind of "testing" one by one. After all, even a technical analysis of your product and buyer, as well as the conditions in which sales are made, will not give a guaranteed result. Any practical methods for evaluating sales are always more accurate and predictable than some theoretical indicators that may not take into account all the points. Therefore, any experiments that can give a real result are needed.

Comparison of indicators

Of course, after you sell with different approaches and techniques, you will understand what works best. And before that, first of all, it is necessary to obtain analytical data and compare them with each other. This is the only way to understand more accurately which of the approaches helps to sell products better.

Analysis of conditions and results

Using various methods of sales analysis (both "live" and viewing statistical data - it all depends on the specifics of your business), you should analyze not only the overall results in their absolute terms. It is also necessary to pay attention tothe conditions under which they were achieved. After all, you must admit that an assessment of the market conditions that have developed in a particular niche regarding a particular product will give you the opportunity to say exactly which of the methods gave a more tangible result. And, of course, using and scaling it, you will get the most effective way to sell.

Help identify: competitor analysis

If you study what approach to use in sales and how to decide on it, you can find situations where the business owner does not know which method is best for him to apply. After all, there are quite specific categories of goods that do not lend themselves to such a simple analysis.

In this situation, the best advice would be to point to competitors. Analyze how your colleagues work with the same type of product and in the same niche, and you will understand where to start. We especially recommend paying attention to the most successful competitors positioned as leaders in your industry.

Learn to sell

Another important piece of advice that will definitely come in handy when it comes to marketing is constant learning. Believe me, even the leaders of the most competitive business industry imaginable don't know what works for sure. And no matter how many theoretical materials you re-read, you will still learn no more from them than as a result of long-term practical work. So always learn how to sell. Combine theory and practice - and only in this way you can achieve meaningful results!