The whole point of a salesman is to sell. Now that might seem to be a contender for most obvious statement ever, but you sometimes wonder whether this point was somehow missed in sales training. Often, sales technique including communication skills can be excellent and yet there is a distinct lack of sales. This is because many sales people forget to close.

There are a couple of very basic points which should always be borne in mind.

First of all, you need to close at the right time. That is, when the customer is ready to buy. This is most frequently at the end of the discussion, but not always. Listen and read the situation.

Secondly, don’t forget to ask for the order. If the customer does not receive the question, he is far less likely to buy. Similarly, just because the customer has said ‘no’ is not a reason not to ask them again. Part of your job is to persuade them. Whilst you do not want to irritate or annoy the customer, the simple fact is that the more often you ask for the sale, the more likely you are to get it.
To finish, as we began, with a useful cliché, always be closing.

Everybody understands the need for sales training even though some will try to take short cuts by recruiting people who they believe have done all the basic components and only need specific product knowledge to start selling.

The fact is that no matter how long an individual has been selling, they are never too old to learn or to be reminded of basics. This is why sales refresher courses are essential in every organisation. The question is not whether or not to have them but, how often?

Here are some of the points which could be included in a refresher course. You should go back to basics and discuss why customers buy. It is also worth examining sales strategies in place and how these could be improved.

Look at lead generation. How do you get your appointments? What are the mechanics of arranging those meetings? Similarly, examine the sales process. What are the most likely objections to buying? How can these objections be dealt with? Last, but not least, look at the most effective methods for closing. This point is important whether you are selling a product, or the idea of an appointment or meeting.
In sales, it is impossible to be over trained.

One of the areas of recruitment where mistakes are most often made is in sales. Correctly assessing sales candidates is crucial. You need to check on far more than just what sales training they have undertaken.

Often, the idea of hiring someone from the market leader in your sector can seem attractive. Be careful, though. First check their motivation for leaving that company. After all, if they’re with the market leaders, let’s be realistic; there are surely more opportunities for advancement with that company. Also, not everyone at a top company is a top performer. The candidate you’re considering may well be their 15th best performer. That company may only have a team of 16.

Even if someone from a larger company has genuine reasons for wanting to join you, they may not be able to adapt to a smaller company. For example, it is far harder to get prospective leads to listen to you if you are an unknown name.

Hire someone from a company which has a similar sales process to your own. It may not be possible to get an exact match and you have to make a judgement about that person’s ability to adapt, but make it as easy for them as possible.

It is incredible how many people get their telesales staff from temporary agencies. Having the right telesales people helps create success in your business. They create a positive image for your business with prospective customers and with the rest of your staff.

With any recruitment you should take the normal precautions. That is, verify the applicant’s CV, confirm their references, interview them by phone initially, check on their claimed results and of course, trust your instincts.

However, far more important than any of these is that the individual should be able to explain to you the essentials of telesales.

It is sometimes a good idea to have a script. Telesales professionals should be able to deliver that script in an enthusiastic and warm way. They should also be able to make it sound like it isn’t a script. This is done by breaking it down and making it sound as if this is the first time those words have ever been uttered.

A good telesales person will be able to go off script as necessary and respond to comments made by the individual being called. They will also be able to read the mood of the person down the phone. The best way to ensure the telesales staff have the necessary soft skills training is to actually spend a few hours listening to their calls.

Shop assistants are taken for granted. Sad, but true, or at least it is if you are a shop assistant. It can be a very frustrating job. Customers who are having a bad day feel that the assistant is lower than them somehow and feel free to unleash their vitriol on them.

It is worth considering the basics of retail sales training. First, there is approaching the customer; in other words, the greeting. Whatever the form of words, the important thing is that the delivery is warm and sincere. Ideally, is should also be appropriate to the person being greeted. Whilst the customer/assistant dynamic should not be distorted, you should not expect to address an 18 year old in the same way you would an 80 year old. Similarly, the age of the assistant will have a bearing on this.

It is an old adage but people buy from those they trust and they are more likely to trust a shop assistant if they like them. Charm and politeness are always positives.

Needs should be identified, but this does not mean the customer should be subjected to the third degree.

The assistant’s product knowledge is paramount, particularly in today’s world of immediate gratification. Customers do not want to hang around while the assistant finds someone else to answer the questions.

Perhaps the most popular form of internet marketing is search engine marketing. In other words, paying for your business to be shown as a sponsored link when people put particular words or phrases into a search engine.

Spam is one of the everyday annoyances that people accept. Of course, the reason it is so popular is that once you have an internet connection and a computer you can generate huge numbers of emails with very little effort. If even a tiny percentage of millions of pieces of spam result in a sale it is worthwhile.

For exactly the same reasons legitimate email marketing can be very effective. In essence, it is no different from direct mail marketing which was so popular in the past. It does, however, mean that you no longer have to print a huge number of catalogues and flyers or pay the Royal Mail to deliver, damage or delay your offerings.

Traditional mailing campaigns often kept sending material to people who were no longer interested in your firm’s products or services. This was a complete waste of money and every time your latest communication landed on that person’s doormat, you probably went even further down in that individual’s opinion. Now people have an opt-out option which will ensure they are no longer bothered. Equally, with the right software, very interested customers can sign up to specific types of offering.

It is high time internet and email marketing was made a basic component of all management training courses.

Sales training often seems to miss some of the most basic steps. Perhaps the assumption is that every company will have an experienced sales manager or director. Whatever the reason for the lapse, the fact is that many small and medium sized businesses need advice on marketing and sales which cannot be too basic.

For example whilst much is said about sales techniques, you actually have to know who to sell to before you make that first call. Many businesses rely on expensive directories of contacts. Whilst these contacts often have useful information, some of it is completely wrong. Bear in mind that the way the information is collected is that someone on minimum wage telephones the organisations and asks whoever answers the phone for the information.

The alternative then is to generate your own sales leads. Here are some useful pointers.

Make sure you target the right person. You need to be talking to the decision maker. Many larger organisations have over complicated structures in place. Ask your first contact about these things at the earliest opportunities. There is no point doing presentations, holding meetings or even entertaining the wrong person.

Don’t have the attitude of having to make a sale. Look to the relationship you’ll be building over the longer term.

Soft skills training is essential for all individuals who are responsible for hiring sales staff. It is worth considering some of the theory behind the questions asked at interview. Broadly speaking, the questions fall into four categories.

Firstly, there are questions about general skills. That is, the knowledge required to do the routine aspects of the work. This will include covering areas such as education and basic training, a candidate’s understanding of the role being discussed and their understanding of the sales process.

The next area is that of product knowledge. The amount of product knowledge required varies enormously from business to business. The crucial thing to understand before the interview is how your particular customers make their buying decisions.

Similarly, how far does a candidate need to understand your industry and indeed your customers’ industries?

The final main area relates to the interviewee’s leadership skills. This is often overlooked. Even though a salesperson may not have any supervisory duties they still need leadership skills. Self leadership is the name of the game as they must be entrepreneurs with self-confidence and with excellent communication skills.

It is always worth devising an interview process which enables a number of your staff to be involved.