Sales Skills and Development
Sales Skills
Features tell, Benefits SELL! Think of the last time you’ve had a salesman list everything on a spec sheet. I see it in the bike shop all the time. “This bike has a carbon frame and wheelset, with a 34/50 crankset, 11/32 cassette, and relaxed geometry.” Sweet! That’s a lot of words and gear ratios. What does all that feature dumping mean? “It means the reason this bike is worth every penny of $6000 dollars is because its comfortable design will allow you to ride all day, its climbing gear ratios turn mountains into mole hills, and it’s extremely lightweight will have you accelerating towards the finish line in front of your jealous buddies.” Features are logical and benefits are emotional. SELL THE FEELING, not just the product.
BE CURIOUS. ASK QUESTIONS! If you have a question, ASK IT. Don’t pretend like you comprehend everything a person is saying. Even if you think it is a dumb question it will just boost their ego. People like answering questions about themselves. When you ask them a question it conveys a genuine interest and they like you more…and guess what, you end up learning something while building a relationship. Even if you think you know the answer ask the question. If your sure you know the answer ask the question. “Excuse me miss, is your hair blonde?” “Actually it’s Champagne. Well really more of Warm Golden. See I was going for Sand but I bought Champagne but I didn’t leave it in long enough…yada, yada, yada.”
Be curious and ask questions. For each bit of information you get think of and ask 3 questions. Don’t pretend like you know what someone is talking about when it is going right over your head. If they tell you they are a Project Manager there is a dozen follow up questions you can ask. What does a project manager do? What’s the most interesting project you’ve managed? What’s the biggest project you’ve managed?…
Price focused is pain focused.
Value focused is the removal of pain.
Sales Books
This book written by former FBI agent Joe Navarro is about interpreting peoples non-verbal communications. It’s focus is on how the brain’s limbic system sub-consciously controls body movements that can give us incite into how people are actually feeling. People will lie with their mouths facial expressions in an effort to be polite don’t realize they can be communicating something else with their bodies. If you can read that people are uncomfortable with what you are saying or are to polite to tell you they don’t like the product you are selling you have the opportunity to make a course correction.
Reformed “Wolf of Wall Street” Jordan Belfort shares his “Straight Line Selling Method” that made him a sales legend that has inspired several Hollywood movies based on his life story. Blinded by the power of the method he created Jordan found himself in some trouble but is on a mission on how to clean up his legacy and teach people his method ethically.
Chapter 1: Cracking the Code for Sales and Influence
The Three Tens:
#1 Product, Idea, or Concept
#2 Personal Trust and Connection
#3 Company Connection
Favorite Books








