Selling Stuff
When I sat down to write this, I realized that the assignment said that this was due at 12 pm not 12 midnight…So with that, here is to hoping that these haven’t been graded yet and I can still get this in on time (or late I guess).
Selling is an art. It is a skill that few people have and few choose to take on the challenge of selling. There are many different ways to sell and this is one of the challenges that sales people will face in their line of work. Our book lays our selling as being clear, showing the value of the product, and being a credible seller. Having these traits and building on them can help you become a better salesman or saleswoman.
In this video, he brings up some interesting things. He tells the group to sell the pen and they all go into sell mode, but they do it poorly. They don’t ask the customer any questions. He uses the acronym AQAL which stands for Ask Question And Listen. This is the most important aspect. You have to know things about your client, even if it’s something as small as knowing that a person only writes in purple.
What would a blog post from a suit be without an article from Forbes??
Research the customer’s needs- First and foremost, you (the seller) have to know your client or who you will be selling to. Know what they want and find out what they need out of the product. The more you know about the person you are selling to, the higher chance you have to make a connection to them and in the end sell them your product.
Ask the customer about their goals- This ties back in to knowing your customer. Having a goal that both of you can see clearly is one of the most important steps to selling. You have to know exactly what they want out of the experience so that you can find the best route to their ending goal.
Use your research to ask insightful questions- Doing this steers the conversation to topics that you need to know about. It’s almost like you know where the answer to the question you are asking is going, but want to hear what they have to say about the question. The more knowledge you have about the customer, the better questions you can ask and the more information you can get out of them in the long run. This helps you form the best goal and way to get to that goal.
Listen Carefully- Although this is listed fourth, it is still one of the most important aspects of selling. Listening is something that we as a whole need to do more of, but especially if you are trying to sell something to someone. You have to know what they want and the only way to get that information is to listen to them and listen carefully. Take notes if you have to or maybe even carry something that will record what you say and what they respond with.
Come across as a consultant- You have knowledge of something that you are selling and hopefully you know more than who you are selling to (and if you don’t, you should probably rethink your career choice). Consultants help us because they are supposed to know the ins and outs of whatever they are talking about and that is equally important to people in a selling situation. You need to be an expert of the product you are selling.
Represent your product as a way to solve the customer’s problem- Show them how you are going to solve their problems. People like being able to see how the product will change their life or make their life better and there is no better way to do this than to show them or give them examples of how it has impacted others.
I am taking a job in sales so it is very fitting that I take this to heart. I have to know what I’m selling, who I’m selling to, and what they want out of the product. I will remember AQAL because it is important in sales. And also, this kind of relates to sales because this person is selling their ranch. If you have some extra cash, it would be a good buy for you…