HTSS96 - How to prepare for selling in tough times and bad economies - Scott Sylvan Bell

How to prepare for selling in tough times and bad economies 

You will see industries and entire sectors in business struggles. This happens for many reasons and not all of the issues are created equal. If you really want to learn how to be a closer in sales you will need to learn how to deal with the ups and downs of business. You can find that the problems come down to:

• Seasonal selling
• Ups and downs in the economy
• Industry take over
• Changes to a business sector – gov / natural

Learn how to sell more

Know the go to move for everyone else is going to be massive discounts when your industry struggles. You will see endless discounting, price matching and bundled efforts just to close deals Companies can push for skinny deals just to show some sort of revenue.  

• Quick discounts and price matching shows a flaw or weakness in a business plan
• Lack of preparation is a lack of strategic planning.
• There is a lack of confidence from the company or the team

How to successfully sell for the long run

The ability to get really good with your presentation will separate the pros from the joes.  This is all about sales basics mastery and mastering your sales presentation. You will have to give the same presentation over and over again. You will want to map out your sales presentation and look for what you are doing right and wrong. Here is the format for a generic sales presentation:

• Rapport
• Discovery (pain / problem / risk)
• Commitment
• Presentation
• Close
• Objections
• Follow up

Recording your sales presentation and then having it transcribed is a pro level move. Once you transcribe your best efforts you will want to build a checklist of what a good sales presentation is. Once you run a sales call you will want to verify you did everything you could to be consistent. You will have an easier time with sales slumps when you know what moves to take.

Know the strengths of what you have to offer

When you have mapped out what your company is good at and where the weaknesses are you can prepare the right talking points. You will need to be ready to rattle those ideas off.   Know the weaknesses of your offer come from common places or ideas:

• Design
• Delivery
• Price

Take the time to know the strengths of the competition as well as know the weaknesses. You need to be able to talk about these with zero issues.  

How to beat other salespeople

Draw your line in the sand for what you are willing to do to close deals and make sales happen. You will need to be prepared for the games buyers will play.  

• Buyers will pit you against the other companies
• Buyers will try to get max discounts or perfect terms
• Buyers will try and hide all decision makers from you

You can create bear traps – tell the future of what to expect by elegantly talking trash on the closing process of the other side

Paint the picture of failure for the adversary – if this is their go-to move now what is it going to be if it gets worse

• Lose warranty & Lose service
• Who to call – they will lose people – your go to person will be gone

Know whatever objection you are scared of you will get because you talk around it.  

One of the best things you can do is be the wise old man. You will need to be calm on the outside if you are panicked on the inside. Be patient this is a chess game and not checkers, you do this by slowing down the process controlling the clock

Tips for closing more sales when its tough

Be willing to put in more effort than other salespeople. This really does not take much more effort to be incrementally better. You have multiple choices for outworking the competition.  

• Videos either short or long
• Articles and content
• Follow up

There will be times when you deal with a tough sell and you have to sell by the inch and not by the yard. This means you really slow down the clock to work though the deal.

You will want to get testimonials, reviews and even ask for referrals once the deal is closed.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@Scottsbell

#Sales #closer #podcast #Howtosellshow #Sacramento

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California