The secret is listening. People tend to think that, as one of the most successful salespeople in the world, I must be a great talker and can influence people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Nothing could be more incorrect. The real secret to sales and most anything else is listening to the customers. Too many people talk. More success will come from being a better listener. What does the customer really need?
Service is the priority. No matter what the industry, in sales or anything else, it’s always about providing service. A person can be the most experienced industry expert in something, but without good service nobody is going to want to do business with that person.
Become invaluable to the employer or industry. It’s crucial to never stop creating ways to become more efficient, less distracted and more knowledgeable. This is the real key to moving up in any industry and becoming irreplaceable.
Be nice. It sounds simple enough, but so many people forget about basic manners in business. People would rather buy from someone who is nice, polite and treats them with respect than someone who doesn’t. So many times, people told me that I wasn’t the best-priced or offered the most options, but I was the nicest and that made a huge impact on their decision to buy from me.
Money follows a love of something. These days, too many people are chasing the “almighty dollar.” Those who do something just for the sake of money sacrifice inner joy and will eventually become complacent or experience burnout. Those who chase whatever it is they really love will become so good at it that the money will follow suit.
It’s about problem solving and value. Customers have a problem and they need help. The more problems a salesperson solves for them, the more valuable that salesperson becomes. Those who learn to do it in better and faster than anyone else will have customers for life.
Treat them as customers for life. I would see it all the time in sales. An associate would make a sale and that was the last interaction they ever had with the customer. Those who keep the relationship going can have a customer for life: Follow up; check in periodically to see how things are going, if they are satisfied, if they need any help with anything or have any questions. When they are ready to buy again they are going to think of the salesperson who took that time for them.
Kinja Dixon (www.kinjadixon.com) whose success allowed him to retire at just 34 years old, earned the Golden Stevie Award for Top Sales Executive in the world and shares his insights in Re-Creationism: The Art of Shaping Reality (re-creationism.com).
