Types of key Sales Technique every sales executive should know in 2021

Traditional sales techniques are no longer as effective as they once were. Today’s customers are more informed than ever and have many options at their disposal. And above all, no one likes being sold to.

With customers becoming more and more aware as well as more skeptical, how can you always be closing deals?

While it is important to have the right skills and experience, closing deals and converting leads consistently takes more than that. Sales executives need to adopt the right sales techniques in the rapidly changing sales environment.

This article outlines seven successful sales techniques that help you consistently achieve the results that you want.

9 Sales Techniques a sales executive should follow

Don’t delay in contacting your lead

If the lead comes to you directly, don’t take too long in responding to them. Research shows that if you respond to an inquiry within 5 minutes, you are 21x more likely to qualify a lead. 

Similarly, if it is you who is approaching the lead, be sure not to take too long to follow up after the first call. The more time you spend waiting for the right moment, the lower the interest level of the lead will be.

Set a time to contact your leads

Many times a lead’s response to you depends on the time you contact them at. According to studies, people are more likely to respond to your calls or messages between 8 am and 9 am and 4 pm to 5 pm. 

However, the ideal time varies from industry to industry. But be sure to identify those specific slots and plan your outreach accordingly.

Don’t forget to follow up

Did you know that over 44% of sales executives give up right after the first attempt, and only 8% follow up more than 5 times? 

The lack of follow-ups causes executives to lose out on important opportunities, and this is a big mistake in sales that should be avoided at all costs.

Master objection handling

The types of objections that may be raised in a conversation vary depending on the industry, such as budgetary constraints, timing constraints, or concerns over a specific feature of your product.

The sales team must know what it is they are selling to be able to take up any questions they may receive regarding their offering. Maintain a document on common objections and update it every time a new objection arises.

This step is actually very important. Often, executives fail to answer even the most basic objections, causing them to lose a deal. 

Don’t over-compare yourself with your competition

It is not uncommon for sales executives to compare their product or service with that of their competitors to prove their point. Occasionally, it is fine, but overdoing it only reflects badly. 

Knowing when to stop is important for executives. Businesses aren’t just transactions between two or more people; they are really transactions between brains. 

Speaking negatively will therefore only instill negativity in the sales executive’s mind, at the same time in the minds of the leads. Again, something that needs to be avoided while conversing with leads. 

Use social media platforms and sales management tools

One of the best types of sales approaches that you can use to grow your business is online selling. Moreover, in a world where more than half of the population is online, not being there where your customers are is a big mistake.  

Social media platforms offer great opportunities to generate quality leads, and today there are many tools available that make this process easier. The right sales management tool helps not only simplify your outreach for sales but also capture and manage all the leads generated by these platforms. 

Read: 10 free sales and marketing tools for SMBs

Make it about the buyer

It’s common for sales executives to focus solely on their solutions. Usually, they talk about the benefits of the product or how they provide the best service. However, that’s not the best approach.

Buyers highly value feeling in charge of the conversation. Make them feel that way. Start with a problem after a generic introduction. In case that problem is something that the lead faces, ask questions to learn more about it. 

Then, if you have a solution that can solve their problem, speak to them about it. As a salesperson, you need to follow a process and make it about the lead in order to know them better.  

Keep your tone non-salesy

The modern consumer is highly aware. They know very well that there are other options available. In such a case, a sales executive’s overbearing tone can drive away from the sale.

Be careful not to sound robotic. Personalize your communication, whether you’re speaking or writing. Do not sound like you are reading straight from a script or are sending messages that look like something that has been sent to a thousand people. 

Lay great emphasis on personalization, consumers value it highly. This shows that you are putting effort into connecting with them and not making it a pushy sales approach.

Always know that not everyone is the right fit

Each sales outreach is aimed at getting a yes. In order to get that, yes, a lot of time is wasted dealing with leads that aren’t a good fit.

It is important for sales executives to know when to say “no”. In the event, the lead indicates that they want something you do not offer, be honest right away. 

If, for example, you pitch your product to a lead, but that lead wants a feature you do not have. Let them know you don’t have it. If that particular feature is in your pipeline, you might have it in the future, but if it isn’t there now, there is no point in pursuing it any further.

Conclusion

Since sales is a competitive field, every chance for success is necessary. Likewise, executing the right sales closing techniques is critical for successfully grabbing those chances. 

Regardless of the industry type, the techniques listed above are some of the most helpful techniques that, if implemented correctly, can bring great results.

In addition to using the right sales techniques, it is important to use the right sales management tool to automate the mundane tasks that keep sales executives from achieving maximum productivity.NeoBiz is one such sales management tool that streamlines your sales and customer engagement process and lets your team manage sales right from their phone. You can download it by clicking here.