The fastest way to increase business is to employ sales strategies that generate quick returns. Distributors who consistently implement the following steps shown below sell more orders and are able to increase profits on their business. You, too, can achieve greater success by taking these simple but effective six steps
Whenever you come in contact with someone, look him or her straight in the eye and then greet him in a friendly manner. By saying something as simple as “Good morning,“ you are showing respect and making him feel important. You never know when you might run into that person in a business situation and you want him to remember you in a favorable way. This small gesture may be all you need to have a leg up on your competition.
See and be seen—Make personal visits on potential prospects instead of spending time trying to phone them to talk them into appointments. This approach saves you time and allows you to gather the necessary information that helps eliminate bad prospects early in the selling process. Personal calls make it possible for you to actually see how a business operates and discover the brutal truth that some people are not worth calling on further. This approach shortens the selling process because it helps determine with whom you should be spending quality time.
Look for logos—There is no faster way to connect with people than to look for unique logos on the apparel they are wearing. Most people like to talk about their activities or favorite sports teams. Use the logos as a way to start conversations after noticing the logos imprinted on their clothing. It’s a surefire icebreaker!
By following up with prospects in a timely manner, you will stand out from many of your competitors. Most salespeople don’t call people back in a timely fashion or ever even visit them at all. Instead, they spend their time constantly looking for more people on whom to call--once. If you take the opposite approach, you’ll see an overnight increase in your number of customers.
Be reliable—If you tell someone you intend to get back to him or her within a certain timeframe, make sure that you do so. When you promise to find out something, do just that and then let them know what they needed to know as quickly as possible. No part of the selling process has suffered more than the process of following up; so if you take the time to do so, you will earn your customers’ trust and respect.
Make your voice heard—You can save time and keep your customers properly informed by using voicemail wisely. Instead of repeatedly trying to get people on the phone, call them after hours and leave detailed messages. By doing this you are moving the sales process along more effectively and making more time for yourself.
Be a social networker—Expand your sales network by encouraging customers to link themselves to you. There are many Internet resources that offer linked in contacts and their use can build your networking forum. By making yourself available on the web and actively encouraging connections, you are increasing your exposure big time.
Make yourself known—By becoming acquainted with others in different forums, you dramatically increase your chances for increased sales. Volunteer your time so that you can be in the company of others who share your interests. Long-term connections are often made in settings where like-minded people gather.
Cause referrals—Successful distributors build their book of business by relying on leads referred to them by satisfied customers. Because they appreciate excellent service and follow- up, they can be easily encouraged to refer you to their friends and associates. There is no better feeling than answering the phone and having the person calling state that they were told to call you by someone with whom you currently do business.
Call on everyone—Many people in sales only feel comfortable calling on people who are just like themselves. They never venture outside of their comfort zone and fail to call on groups or individuals who are not just like them. To significantly increase business, expand your networking circle by calling on people who speak different languages or who are members of different ethnic groups. Consider joining your Hispanic, African-American or Asian Chambers. They are a great resource for new business contacts.
Ask appropriate questions—When you meet a new prospect, find out as much as you can about them by asking several pertinent open-ended questions. To sell effectively, you must have sufficient knowledge about the person with whom you are dealing. You can only learn that information by asking more than one question.
Most distributors are understaffed. As a result, they are forced to do all the tasks associated with sales, order entry, marketing and billing. To reach your potential, find someone to help you with the administrative tasks. Consider using interns from your local college to help make follow-up calls, check the status of orders, and generate mailings. That way, you’ll have more time to spend finding new prospects and handling sales.
Use search engines—Rather than spending hours searching through catalogs for ideas and new products, use product search engines that are available through services such as Distributor Central. When you find something that your customer is looking for, e-mail her a product image without the pricing. By doing so, you can set your own pricing and prevent people from shopping your price
The worst mistake you can make is to bid on orders. Bidding is at best degrading to everyone and its practice cheapens the selling concept and lowers the level of competency in the industry. When someone asks you to bid on an order, run away from the opportunity as fast as you can. There are thousands of customers out there who won’t require bids, so spend your time looking for them instead of fighting competitors over crumbs.
When you begin implementing these six steps every day, you will dramatically increase your order flow. So don’t delay. The sooner you adjust your sales practices to incorporate them, the sooner you will make things happen.