Discover practical advice, inspiration, and insights to help you succeed in business and grow both personally and professionally.
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We all wish we had more hours in the day; that’s pretty much universal. After all, time is a finite resource and once it’s gone it never comes back again. How can you make sure you’re making the most of the 6,720 waking minutes you get a week? Time tracking! That’s right, tracking your time is an invaluable tool to help you maximize your productivity and help you craft the ideal life for yourself.
Time tracking isn’t a new phenomenon. But have you ever tried it for yourself? Looking at how, when and where you devote time and energy can give you an objective view of your days and a baseline from which to make positive adjustments.
Choose Your Time Buckets
Designate different categories―or buckets―for tasks you perform throughout the day. For example, they may have headers like Client Meetings, Administrative, Professional Development, Fun, Relationships, Distractions and so on. Aim to have no more than ten different time buckets. This will help to give you a strong and easy-to-digest data format to work from while you are tracking your time. Also, be sure to record how exactly you are spending your time within those buckets. It helps to know that the specific thing you were doing in the Relationships time bucket last week was making dinner with your partner.
Envision Your Ideal Schedule
Next plot out how much time you would ideally like to devote to each of your categories by percentage. If career growth is a big goal of yours, you may want to devote a larger percentage of your time each week to your professional development time bucket than you currently are. If you are looking to increase your sales number, maybe you add a bit more to your client meetings time bucket. Remember, this schedule should represent what you want your life to look like, not how your time is currently spent. Turn this data into a spread sheet so it can be transformed into a pie chart. (It’s helps to have visual aids when time tracking!)
Track that Time
There’s no one right way to track time. Rather, you need to find an approach that works for you. You can simply jot your records down in a pocket notebook, or you can use a high-tech solution like the app Toggl. It really depends on what your personal preference is. You also need to decide when you are going to track your time. Some people find it easiest to check in every hour or 15 minutes. Some prefer to log the exact time they start a task and then when they switch to another task. Again, find what works for you. The most important thing is to make tracking your time a habit, so find an approach you feel you can stick with. Remember to be honest with yourself. Your data is only as good as it is thorough. Track you time for at least two weeks to a month. This will help account for any normal day-to-day fluctuations.
Analyze
After you finish the time tracking period you decided on at the start, it’s time to dig into all that important data you unearthed. You can also make a pie graph out of this data to compare against your ideal. What you find may be surprising. Everyone is different, but there are some common time tracking insights that you may see in your own life. They include:
Placing your time tracking data side-by-side with what you envision as your ideal time management structure will give you a solid understanding of how you spend the limited amount of time that you have each week. This baseline knowledge is helpful in moving yourself in a positive direction and achieving your life goals.
A face-to-face sales force is the secret weapon of many thriving corporations. There are many benefits of direct sales, and with the right team interacting with their business-class customers, Fortune 500 companies are able to drive revenue and increase market share exponentially.
Let’s take a look at the advantages of direct selling and 5 reasons why in-person B2B sales is so effective.
Let’s face it, businesspeople are busy! With packed schedules and to-do lists a mile long, they often don’t have time to research new office supply vendors or stay up to date on the latest telecom deals. They also don’t have time for a complicated sales process that takes their attention away from running their businesses.
Business-to-business direct sales representatives solve both of these problems. One of the advantages of direct selling is that reps are able to efficiently educate business owners about specific products and services, leaving out superfluous details and highlighting what might be of real use. Then, with a high sense of urgency and an underlying respect for the customer’s time, customers are able to sign sales agreements on the spot.
Skilled B2B sales representatives do much more than their titles suggest. Rather than simply peddling products and services, they serve as trained consultants with an eye for increasing profits. Another advantage of direct selling is that by sitting down with a customer face-to-face, sales reps are able to ask open-ended questions and suggest solutions that will increase efficiency or provide bottom-line cost savings.
Interactions between B2B direct sales reps and their customers tend to be discussions about strategy, rather than one party “pitching” another. For example, armed with product and industry knowledge, an in-person sales representative might help a business owner determine whether breaking an existing contract might be advantageous in the long-run.
Everyone is bombarded on a daily basis with phone calls and emails – but businesspeople get the brunt of it. This means that marketers’ attempts to reach a commercial market are all the more likely to be ignored. As a result, many business owners remain in the dark about the products and services that might actually be of value to them.
It’s easy for business owners and their employees to screen telemarketers and delete promotional emails. But turning away a friendly human being visiting their place of business is different. By connecting face-to-face, not only do sales reps capture the attention of busy businesspeople, they also get them thinking about cost-saving or revenue-enhancing opportunities that might not have been on their priority lists.
As a whole, business owners are thoughtful, intelligent, and inquisitive people. They shoulder great responsibility and are accustomed to weighing decisions carefully. This is why a knowledgeable in-person sales representative can be extremely helpful. Sales reps are able to guide their customers through the buying process -- answering questions, addressing concerns, and adapting to the pace of the customer. Ultimately, they are able to provide any information or assurances a business owner requires to make a confident decision.
Furthermore, even in today’s digital age, most businesses are accustomed to conducting business face-to-face – which makes this form of outsourced sales a natural fit. The right B2B sales team is professional in appearance and demeanor and is able to effectively connect with their customers in their own place of business.
Last, but certainly not least, direct sales is effective in the B2B channel because as with any channel, relationships built in person are the most authentic and long-lasting. Nothing can replace eye contact, a firm handshake, and a shared laugh.
Interacting face to face ensures an optimized customer experience, which business owners appreciate more than anyone. After a positive, completely customized interaction with a brand, everyone from mom-and-pop shop owners to the heads of large corporations can’t help but to become loyal customers.
Do you agree that direct sales is an effective revenue-driver in the B2B channel? Do you know more advantages of direct selling? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @Cydcor and tell us what you think.
If you’re interested in a job in sales, developing and nurturing skills to catapult your career can help you achieve your career advancement goals. Whether these fall under the umbrella of growing in task-oriented skills or getting to know your strengths, below we show you “the road” to standing out as a leader in your respective role.
Begin by understanding the benefits of problem solving and how that skill can help you become an effective leader. With a leadership position, you’ll also want to hone in on trusting yourself and building confidence as your network grows. Finally, lean into the interpersonal skills developed along the way, such as communication, trust, and your tenacity as you tackle challenges along the way.
These strengths and sales skills can help you in your job and several other disciplines. Perhaps even more important is that they can cross over into your daily life, your personal wellbeing, and state of mind. We hope this infographic on career advancement in sales jobs ultimately helps take your strengths and productivity to the next level!
People buy from people. It’s that simple. While, certainly, a great product or service can sell itself, when it comes to maximizing revenue potential, there is nothing like a charismatic and professional retail sales team to get the job done.
Choosing the right retail sales solution can be challenging. If your company is considering supplementing its marketing initiatives by reaching out to customers in the retail space, this guide is for you. Here are 5 questions to consider before deciding on an outsourced sales partner:
The right retail sales representatives will drive revenue for your business, while simultaneously providing a positive, friendly, and personalized experience to the store’s customers. Brick-and-mortar retailers, who face the ongoing challenge and expense of getting people in the door, must be able to trust that their customers will be positively impacted by the presence of a sales team. The right outsourced partner not only understands this, but actively participates in ensuring that every person who enters the retail store has a positive shopping experience that makes them want to come back. Yes! Great.
It’s no easy task to convince someone shopping for the perfect new dog toy to stop and chat about an unrelated product – but the right sales team won’t bat an eye at the challenge. As customers pass by, friendly retail sales representatives should be able to initiate conversation, quickly and effectively, and help the customer switch gears. They should ask the right questions, present customized solutions, address any concerns, and be able to sign sales agreements on the spot. Nice!
There are two things we know about customers who enter a retail store: (1) That they have chosen to shop in person, rather than online; and (2) that they are in a buying mood. Otherwise, people would choose to stay at home or simply shop online. The right retail sales team recognizes these facts as huge opportunities. They know how to make great first impressions and provide the human connection that many people seek when they leave their homes to go shopping. They are able to present a product or service in a personalized way and ensure that an interested party makes an informed decision to buy. Great!
The retail environment is especially delicate because outsourced salespeople are, in effect, representing two companies. To safeguard the reputations of both brands, sales representatives should not only be clean-cut and professionally dressed, but personable, respectful, and above all else, honest. The right retail sales representatives should also be able to operate within the culture and restrictions of the given retail space, easily adjusting to the expectations of the store manager and the retail brand at large.
It’s rarely a good idea to experiment with unproven retail sales strategies or hire a team without a credible history of positive results. Before choosing an outsourced sales partner, do your due diligence by learning about what the team has accomplished in the past and how they’ve gone about doing so. This is why so many Fortune 500 companies have chosen Cydcor, a company with a 24-year history of delivering quality sales with integrity. Fantastic!
If you’d like to learn more about Cydcor’s retail sales solutions, visit https://www.cydcor.com/services.
Knowing what makes a great salesperson is the first step to becoming one. At their core, great salespeople have empathy and drive. They know the prospects’ wants and needs and have the perseverance to win them over. But when you dive deeper, you discover that’s an oversimplification—great salespeople have five actionable qualities that make them superstars: high standards, curiosity, tenacity, passion and consistency.
Take a look at the infographic below and keep these qualities in mind when you’re engaging a prospect, from writing a cold email to knocking on their door. These personality traits are small things that anyone can do to stand out and become a great salesperson.
When it comes to business travel, the stakes are usually high. Whether you are attending an industry conference, meeting with clients, or scoping out a new market, opportunity is at your fingertips.
Your conduct and the decisions you make will ultimately determine whether a business trip is successful and all of that starts with the awareness of certain do’s and don’ts regarding professional etiquette. Check out these four essential tips on business trip etiquette to ensure that your next business trip is the best it can be.
Business Trip Etiquette Tip #1: Your appearance matters – and there are no excuses for that wrinkled shirt.
You should always dress to impress when on the job whether you’re in your regular workplace or out of town. This is especially the case if you know you’re going to be making a first impression on a new client or colleague. The way you look dictates how others perceive you, so take any competitive edge you can get.
Here’s the thing about traveling that’s important to keep in mind: Nobody’s clothes make it from A to B without accumulating some wrinkles – even for expert packers. It may sound silly, but it’s important to actually schedule a chunk of time to iron your clothes. Get all of your ironing out of the way on Day 1 so you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the trip. (Alternatively, if you’re willing to spend the cash, find out if your hotel offers pressing services. Just be careful to take note of turnaround times).
Business Trip Etiquette Tip #2: Don’t be late – even a little.
Tardiness is poor professional etiquette in any situation, but when you’re on a business trip, you should go above and beyond to be on time to meetings and events. Again, first impressions are key. Lateness sends the wrong message – and it can be a lasting one.
Plan your schedule carefully and be sure to allocate enough time to get from one point to the next. Keep an eye on the clock to ensure that unanticipated conversations don’t flow into time where you’re expected elsewhere.
Business Trip Etiquette Tip #3: Watch out for the slippery slope.
The great thing about business trips is that they present the opportunity to spend time with co-workers outside of the regular working hours. This makes for a second-to-none team bonding experience.
That said, be wary of letting happy hour turn into an unhappy tomorrow. Always use your best judgement. Don’t be afraid to call it a night if you sense that professional lines are getting too blurry. No single evening is worth sabotaging your career.
Business Trip Etiquette Tip #4: There’s a time and a place for your phone, tablet, and laptop.
You may be an incredibly talented multitasker, but all that matters in a social setting is that others perceive you to be fully present and engaged. Do your best to make calls, send texts, or respond to emails during designated working sessions or alone time. Show respect and a genuine interest in others by keeping your phone in your pocket or purse, particularly during meals.
When taking notes during a conference or meeting, the old school method of pen and paper is still your best bet. You don’t want others to misconstrue diligent note-taking for texting or updating your Facebook status.
Remember, as with all opportunities, business trips are what you make of them. The next time you get to travel for work, make the most of it by planning, maintaining professionalism, paying attention to social cues and keeping your professional etiquette top of mind.
“I’m not a morning person.” We hear people say this all the time. But guess what? Becoming a morning person might be the extra edge you’ve been looking for to skyrocket your success. With few exceptions, most people who’ve reached high levels in their careers have developed a daily morning routine that they stick to religiously.
An effective morning routine sets you up for a productive and positive day. While hitting the snooze button three times, showering quickly, and rushing out the door might be easier, most top performers will tell you that you’re missing out on a major opportunity to improve your life.
There is no “one size fits all” grouping of successful habits. Certain activities that work wonders for one person might be fruitless for another. It’s important to experiment with what works best for you and to pay attention to what behaviors are and aren’t adding value to your day.
But first, coffee.
Okay, not necessarily first, but certainly before you head to work. Numerous reputable studies have shown the long-term health benefits of drinking coffee; and certainly, the immediate benefits are plentiful as well. Even just one cup can kickstart a healthy morning routine, increasing your energy levels and giving you the boost to follow through on the next steps.
Get the blood flowing.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is get moving in the morning. Whether this means a walk around the block, some light yoga or stretching, or a full-blown work out, you’ll enjoy the benefits of increased energy and focus during the rest of your morning routine—and throughout the rest of your day.
Peaceful solitude.
Give yourself a few minutes (or more!) each morning to enjoy the calm before the storm. Turn off the television, close your laptop, and put your phone away. Perhaps pull out a notepad and jot down what you’re most grateful for. Think about the day ahead and what you’d like to accomplish.
Do something small that makes you happy.
Maybe it’s swinging by Dunkin’ Donuts for your favorite caramel latte on your way to the gym. Maybe it’s snuggling with your kids or tossing the ball for your dog. You know yourself best. Having something to look forward to not only makes it easier to wake up each morning, but it also gives you a major mood boost that will carry through to the rest of your day.
Look good, feel good.
We’ve all had those mornings when all there was time for was a rushed shower, followed by a haphazard “whatever’s clean” outfit selection, and dashing out the door. When our clothes are mismatched or wrinkled and our hair is a mess, it can be hard to feel good about ourselves. Avoid this unnecessary hit to your self-confidence by setting aside sufficient time to look and feel your best, whatever that means for you.
Cue up a podcast or audiobook.
This is a fantastic way to not only awaken your mind in the morning but to ensure that each day you are learning something new. Try listening to an interesting podcast or audiobook while you’re exercising or commuting. It will make the time fly by and might even give you a useful idea to implement in your work day.
As with all new habits, getting started is the hardest. Establishing a healthy morning routine is going to require self-discipline and patience. Facing a few setbacks is normal and shouldn’t keep you from getting back on the horse. The good news is, once you get going, it will become easier and more automatic.
It’s also important to note that your morning routine might evolve over time. Perhaps you’ll start with a 15-minute walk and work up to a longer session in the gym. Maybe you’ll find that you can shower at night instead, skip the coffee run, or add something completely new to your plan. Either way, don’t let the idea of a “perfect” morning schedule keep you from getting started.
There is no tool to have in your professional arsenal that is more universal than the elevator pitch. No matter your industry, you will always need to be able to sell yourself, your idea, your product or your business at a moment’s notice. That means an elevator pitch, so named because it should tell your would-be client everything they need to know in the 30 seconds or so that they may be riding up an elevator with you.
Crafting the best elevator pitch possible can be tricky. While you may know in advance that you’re going to have a minute of someone’s time and can prepare accordingly, this will not always be the case. You may bump into someone at a social function, on the train, or, quite literally, in an elevator and need to be able to make your elevator pitch to them there and then, or possibly not at all — and do it concisely to boot!
All of this means that your elevator pitch needs to be well-rehearsed and field-tested without being so rigid as not to allow you to adjust on the fly based on your contact’s response. It needs to get immediately to the point while still allowing you to build a narrative. It needs to be so compelling that your contact will want to know more and yet clear enough that they understand the idea then and there.
It can be a balance that’s hard to strike, but don’t be too discouraged. Crafting your best elevator pitch may take you longer than its breezy nature implies, but with the help of these key details from Cydcor, you’ll be well on your way. Don’t sell yourself or your business short and start crafting your best elevator pitch today!
If you are looking to advance your career, you will definitely want to consider the power of positive thinking. While it may sound hokey at first, adopting a positive frame of mind can have a real impact on your potential for success, not to mention, making you feel good! Actively working towards positive thoughts in your everyday interactions with yourself and with others can improve your confidence, strengthen your relationships, and lead you to your life’s goals.
What is positive thinking?
Positive thinking involves a mental attitude that expects good and promising results. Incorporating positive thinking into your mind and your life can lead to a great deal of benefits because it can transform positive energy into reality.
You may not think of yourself as a positive or a negative person—you’re a realist. While that may be the case, even realists can get bogged down by a negative train of thought. Harnessing the power of positive thinking will train your mind to consider a positive outcome and then truly believe that that outcome will come true.
The problem with negativity
Negative thoughts are incredibly limiting. Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” If you don’t think you can land a sale, you won’t. If you don’t think you can advance to your dream job, you won’t. Negativity will make you overthink your interactions, your work, or your effort, and it will make you believe that none of it is cutting it. A negative mindset can also make you comfortable with failure, which certainly won’t do you any favors.
Negativity doesn’t let you see the forest for the trees. It narrows your thoughts, creating stress and a flight or fight response. It can make you fixate on a single problem without giving you the room to consider alternative possibilities. Learning how to counter negativity with positive thoughts is essential for maintaining an upwards career trajectory.
How to use the power of positive thinking
Thoughts create your reality. Harkening back to another one of Henry Ford's most motivational quotes, "if you believe you will land a sale, your confidence will shine through, and you are more likely to achieve that goal. Additionally, a positive mindset doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people; it takes concerted effort to rewire your brain to think in this manner.
Try the following actions in your day-to-day in order to reap the benefits of positive thinking:
The benefits of positive thinking
When you actively work towards a positive attitude, you will begin to experience more joy, contentment, and love in your life. Furthermore, the power of positive thinking has a tendency to create what some call an “upward spiral.” Like a downward spiral, which is associated with the slippery slope of negative thoughts, an upward spiral can provide the momentum for broadening your horizons and increasing your rate of success. Use the baby steps tactic that you learned about to help propel you into an upward spiral.
Another great benefit of positive thinking is that you will be able to handle feedback and conflict in a new way. If constructive criticism used to make you squirm, positive thoughts can help you reframe that feedback into a learning experience. The same can be said for conflict: you can create new pathways in your brain to handle additional setbacks or issues so you can approach conflicts with a level head.
While many people think that success is a result of work ethic, persistence, or drive, behind it all is the power of positive thinking. Few of the most successful people would be where they are today—whether elite athletes, CEOs, or business owners—without the positive mindset and confidence that they would eventually attain their goals. Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones to start believing in yourself and believing in your own success. You will probably be surprised by difference positive thoughts can make.
You may wonder what athletes and salespeople have in common – it’s more than you think. Whether you’re trying to win on the field or in the field, sales people and athletes have many common characteristics. Think of the superstar athletes you idolized when you were growing up. Maybe you dreamed of making slam dunks like Michael Jordan, winning Wimbledon like Serena Williams, or hitting home runs like Ken Griffey, Jr. You recognized in them what so many others have too – not only do they have the talent to succeed, they have the drive to make it happen.
Athletes thrive on competition, using it as a motivator to heighten their own games. This is what athletes and salespeople have in common. You may never play in the Super Bowl or the World Cup, but you can take a page out of these superstars’ win-at-all-costs playbook when it comes to sales motivation.
To be successful in a competitive atmosphere, similar qualities, disciplines, and tactics to top athletes are required. Here are the top common traits amongst sales people and athletes.
1. Persistence
When Michael Jordan was in high school in North Carolina, he was already a talented basketball player, but his coaches didn’t recognize just how talented he was. When he tried out for his varsity team, he didn’t make the cut, and he was placed on the B-Team instead. Rather than let that get him down, he kept at it and eventually went on to be regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. This kind of persistence is key in sales motivation. In sales, you may hear “no” a lot. When you’re just starting out, you’re likely going to hear it a lot more than often than you hear “yes”. You can’t let it discourage you, and you can’t give up.
2. Discipline
Tiger Woods was a golf prodigy who began playing when he was two years old and could outplay many professionals before he was in his teens. Despite these innate gifts and all the accolades he’s received, Woods still practiced endlessly growing up and continues to this day. In order to be the very best in sales, you need to have the discipline to work hard every day, to put in the hours it takes to be successful.
3. Competitive Spirit
“I am the greatest,” Muhammad Ali once said. “I said that even before I knew I was.” There’s a reason why Ali is the most legendary boxer of all time. Sure, he’s immensely skilled and talented, but that’s true of a lot of other boxers too. But Ali is as famous for his confidence and competitive spirit as for his boxing acumen. It’s that kind of fighting spirit that’s going to serve as prime sales motivation and take you far in this industry. There’s a lot of other people out there trying to make a sale – you have to want it more.
4. Drive
Perhaps no athlete best exemplifies the drive you need to succeed in sports than Serena Williams. Growing up in Compton, Williams did not have the advantages that a lot of successful young tennis champions do. But today she earns tens of millions of dollars in endorsements every year and she holds the all-time record in countless tennis achievements, from Grand Slams to U.S. Open wins to singles matches. Today, many consider Williams not just the greatest female athlete or the greatest tennis player, but the greatest athlete of all time. The drive to succeed like Serena Williams is part of what athletes and salespeople have in common. No matter what advantages you start off with, you take what you’re given and make it work.
5. Focus on Winning
There’s probably no professional sports team that most exemplifies winning more than the New York Yankees. They’ve appeared in 40 World Series (twice the amount of the next best team) and they’ve won 27 of them (far more than twice the amount of the next best team). Whether it’s the era of Ruth and Gehrig or DiMaggio and Mantle or Jeter and A-Rod, there’s no period in baseball in which the New York Yankees weren’t considered the top dog. That unrivaled degree of success should serve as prime sales motivation for any salesperson. No matter what team you root for, you want to win like the Yankees.
6. Resilience
You can take lessons from teams that aren’t quite as successful as the Yankees too. For 108 years, the Chicago Cubs were renowned as the “lovable losers” of American sports. No professional sports team in America has ever gone that long without winning a championship. Some claimed they were cursed, others just accepted they didn’t have the money to compete with big market teams like the Yankees and the Dodgers, and many accepted the Cubs were always destined to lose… and then came 2016 and one of the most memorable World Series of all time. This resilience is part of what athletes and salespeople have in common. Setbacks happen, and sometimes they’re unavoidable. The key is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back out there. Eventually, you’ll succeed.
7. Constant Improvement
At the 1936 Olympics, when Jesse Owens set the world record of running a 100 meter dash in 10.2 seconds, it was an astounding world record achievement that made Owens one of the most celebrated athletes of all time. It’s a record that has since been broken over 50 times. Athletes are never satisfied that the best has already been achieved: they’re always ready to run faster, be stronger, and accomplish more. That’s what athletes and salespeople have in common. No matter what level of success you feel you’ve reached in this industry, there are always opportunities to do better, to work harder. This constant drive to do your best can work as powerful sales motivation.
We’re not all blessed with the amazing physical gifts of these superstar athletes. But hard work and determination are not things you’re born with, they’re things you work toward. Using these amazing athletes as your sales motivation can be the first steps to an amazing sales career.
Building customer engagement and rapport is a cornerstone of success in sales. Customers are looking to have genuine, authentic, and relatable encounters with professional sales representatives who demonstrate that they have their interests at heart—not just the sale.
For those looking to build rapport and create winning customer engagement strategies, there isn’t one definitive solution. That said, by implementing these five customer engagement strategies, customers will have a much stronger, positive, and lasting memory of you after you walk out that door.
When you first meet face-to-face, you want to start off strong and genuine. Don’t forget the basics. By remembering the SEE factors, Smile, Eye Contact, and Enthusiasm, you’re more likely to get off on the right foot. A firm handshake, maintaining eye contact, and a genuine smile go a long way toward showing the customer you’re engaged and present. All three are signals of trustworthiness that can have a critical impact in those first few moments with a customer. People wants to feel like they are in good and capable hands and with the right, positive attitude — they will be.
Remember that customers buy products that address their needs. By focusing on the customer’s needs and questions about how the product can benefit them, you can build trust and make a sale at the same time.
We all know that salesperson who tells you that you look great in everything you try on, but that approach can turn customers away, because it feels disingenuous. Instead, take the time to get to know your audience, so that you can recommend something that is just right for them. Recommend the best products for the individual, not just the best price, or the highest commission item. When you pay attention to what your customer wants, and match them to the right product or service to fit their needs, you might be surprised how interested they can be.
When customers trust you, they are more likely to remain loyal and continue doing business with you—perhaps even send referrals your way!
A lot can be said about body language. Standing with your arms crossed or hunched over can come off as insecure or uninterested.
When meeting with a potential customer, make them feel like they not only have your full attention, but that they can trust what you say. Slouching, leaning, or invading their personal space are all signals to the customer that you either don’t care, or don’t have their best interests at heart. Acting and carrying yourself professionally shows that you’re taking the interaction with them seriously, and that demonstrates respect.
You shouldn’t have to remind yourself to take the time to really listen to what your prospect has to say. It’s great to show your enthusiasm for the product, but remember to also leave room for the customer to ask questions and build his/her own interest in the product or services. Remember that the customer doesn’t know you, so while bringing energy to the sale shows that you have a great attitude, they will still need your help understanding how the product will be of benefit to them.
Being a good listener is the key to being a great salesperson. It provides you with an opportunity to uncover their pains so that you can later build a personalized pitch for how your company can help them.
No one likes to feel like they are talking to a robot. The day and age of rehearsed scripts has died—customers are looking for human connections.
Be observant when interacting with the customer and look for opportunities to relate them and their situation. Maybe you’re both sports fans, or parents. Maybe you both grew up in the same state or town. It sounds obvious, but finding common ground can go a long way toward building rapport with the customer. You might even want to take a couple notes while they’re talking to help you remember some key details. People tend to trust others who are most like themselves.
There are many ways you can show your appreciation to your customers while continuously building engagement and rapport. Most importantly, find customer engagement strategies that work best for you and your company’s needs.
For more customer engagement strategies and inside secrets, get in touch with the Cydcor team.