Successful Selling and Negotiation
Let's get down to the technicalities of selling and negotiating successfully. There are, basically, five steps you can take: 1) the pre-approach, 2) the approach itself, 3) the presentation, 4) defeating objections, and 5) closing the deal. Selling requires a lot of talk – a lot of negotiation. Thus, you must know what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. If you skip or scrimp on any of these steps, you could find yourself groping in the dark.
Pre-approach
When a salesman goes out to look for sales prospects, or people who would be more likely to buy his product or service, he is already in the pre-approach stage. This means he is preparing in advance by letting his potential customers know what he is selling and that the items on his roster are things they would be interested in.
The effective salesperson knows that hanging out at the back of the store and making small talk with his co-workers will not do him any good. He knows that getting out and placing himself at the front lines is what will lead to a sale.
Approach
When the salesman already sets a meeting and comes in contact with the prospect, this is the approach stage. During this phase, he seeks to gain all the information he needs about the client and confirm what he has already researched beforehand. He does so by keeping congenial relations with the customer, keeping in mind that this might not just be a one-time deal and that a customer's satisfaction means referrals.
The effective salesman does not try to sell using sympathy. Do not say, "I need you to buy these because I have to reach a certain quota today." Sell according to what the buyer needs; highlight the aspects of the product or service that would be of use to him. If the client does not seem to be convinced that he needs it, negotiate.
Presentation
When you present the merits of a certain product or service, it is also your cue to start negotiating. Do not make a hard sell, though, because most customers do not enjoy the thought of being sold to or being persuaded to purchase something. As said in the previous step, highlight the features that you believe would be of use to him, so he would be compelled to stop for a while and listen to what you have to offer. Be prepared with all the details you need and anticipate the questions he might ask about the product.
This is where studying appearances and body language come in. To be effective in sales, not only do you have to talk well, you also have to know how to read people's body language and appearance. Of course, just because a person dresses poorly doesn't mean he cannot be interested in your product. Studying physical attributes should go hand in hand with communication. Do not judge a book by its cover.
Beat Objections
Objections during your presentation are inevitable. Though they can be very distracting; do not let them throw you off course. What you can do is agree with your client first, recognizing the good points of his statement, then follow up with a 'but'. Say something like, "I'm glad you brought that up…" If he points out a negative feature in your product, acknowledge it but counterbalance it immediately with a feature that would outweigh the negative point. This is how effective negotiation is done. You don't simply give in. You try to work around the bad by showering him with lots of good.
Closing the Deal
If you have reached this stage, you're near the finish line. You've gotten the prospects attention and gotten him to agree with you; now all you have to do is seal the agreement. At this point, the prospect's resistance is at its lowest level and anytime now he could make a decision – all he needs is a little push.
It's time to take the initiative and ask the person to buy, but not outwardly. Do so by offering other minor choices related to the product, like which color he likes, what model, etc., or ask when he'd like the goods to be delivered. Get a pen into the client's hand immediately so that he won't have time to change his mind and simply sign away.
