Nine Nifty Tips to Succeed in Sales

Selling products is not always easy. However, people in sales generally appreciate the profession for the flexibility it offers and for the ability to earn unlimited amounts of money.

There are two general types of human personalities that exist: extroverts and introverts. Extroverts are outgoing and overtly expressive people. They tend to be energetic and have no trouble starting conversations, even with strangers. Introverts are the opposite. They tend to be quiet and reserved, and often enjoy alone time. Extroverts are comfortable selling to large groups of people, whereas introverts feel more comfortable with smaller groups or personal interactions. Generally, selling things is easier for extroverts as they don’t mind dealing with folks they don’t know. However, introverts can also succeed and do particularly well in one-on-one sales. Despite varying personality traits, most people can sell products and services successfully by applying some general sales principles.

1. When doing a sales pitch, be polite and listen – Salespeople often give a short pitch, or a brief presentation that describes the nature and benefit of their business. However, equally important to a good sales pitch is being an active listener and receptive to what the clients have to say. This enables sellers to learn about their clients’ needs and ultimately explain the benefits of your product or service. Buyers also like to be treated well, thus it’s important to have manners when dealing with people. Listening well is one aspect of politeness.
2. Believe in your product – To succeed in sales, you must believe in your product. Your goal is to get others to want what you’re selling and value its worth. For example, if you are selling a mattress, you’ll want to emphasize its quality, comfort, value, and more and sound happy and excited about it. Your enthusiasm convinces people that the products or services you are marketing are useful or important – and something they must have!
3. Believe in yourself – To maximize sales, you must be confident in your abilities to sell. You’ll want to be friendly and enthusiastic but not overly aggressive. Though introverts may shy away from group sales, they can succeed by being attentive to their customers on a one-on-one basis. Your self-confidence will let your customers know that they are in good hands. Remember that not only are you selling a product or service, but you’re also willing to stake your reputation on it.
4. Know your target audience – Your time is valuable. To sell successfully, you must understand who your product can best serve. For example, if you are selling baby mattresses, your target audience is new parents. Don’t waste your energy on teens, non-parents, or the elderly who will likely have no interest in what you’re selling.
5. Be honest – Sticking to the truth is essential. To sell that mattress, you must make honest claims. For example, if your mattress is designed for back sleepers or is better for side sleepers, let your customers know. Failure to be honest can lead to customer dissatisfaction, returns, complaints and more. Honesty is the basis for good working relationships and is known to bring back repeat business. 
6. Demonstrate what your product can do – To sell that mattress, use illustrations to demonstrate how the memory foam conforms to curves and supports the body. Whenever you can, allow the customer to test the mattress for comfort. Having them experience the comfort firsthand can help to seal the deal.
7. Back it with science or facts – Rather than simply sharing your opinion, it’s important to back up claims with evidence. If you want people to know that your mattress is high in comfort, use studies, surveys, and recommendations to support your claims.
8. Close the deal – This is a crucial step in the sales process as it convinces prospects to make a commitment. For example, after you gain the client’s interest, you offer a promotion for the mattress. If they buy it now, they can gain that unique benefit. It creates a sense of urgency to get the deal done. This is just one of many techniques, and a decent salesperson will understand what it takes to make the sale. Pushing too hard could lose the sale, so it’s a delicate balance.
9. Love what you do – People who are successful at sales tend to have positive mindsets and love what they do. They find it rewarding to focus on helping buyers solve problems and take pride in the products they represent. They build relationships with clients and enjoy the challenge of meeting their needs, which leads to selling success both short and long term.

Regardless of personality types, people can ultimately succeed in sales by being a good listener, believing in themselves and what they are selling, knowing their target audience, being honest, demonstrating the effectiveness of their product or usefulness of their services, backing up what they say with evidence, and closing the deal. Lastly, they must love what they do. The latter is particularly important as passion and enthusiasm are contagious. Not only do those qualities generate interest in products and services, but it gets other people excited about them too, which ultimately drives the sale.