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First impressions matter.
In sales, a positive first impression can determine whether a customer decides to buy from you or a competitor. A negative one can cost you both money and the opportunity to establish a relationship with a new customer. The key to making a good impression and building rapport in sales is by applying the SEE factors — Smile, Eye Contact, and Enthusiasm. Non-verbal cues through facial expressions and body language can make the difference between success and failure — even before you say a single word.
First impressions are fast, but they last.
Countless studies, surveys, and experts vary in their claims on how long it takes to form an impression of someone — from 27 seconds to seven seconds to even as little as one-tenth of a second. Further research from an international team of psychologists shows that a first impression persists, even if a new experience contradicts it. People view the contradictory experience as a one-off occurrence tied to a specific context — a perception that’s difficult to change. The takeaway is that you won’t have a second chance to make a great first impression, so make every second — or millisecond — count.
Here are five tips for making a good impression and why they’re important:
1. Perfect your handshake.
A handshake is more than an initial greeting. It’s often the first connection with the customer and can set the tone for the rest of the sales conversation or meeting.
A good handshake should be:
2. Smile.
A smile is contagious. It communicates warmth and approachability, instantly putting the other person at ease and in a better mood. A genuine, inviting smile can improve your likeability and get the other person to respond more positively to you. When smiling, make eye contact to transmit openness, trustworthiness, and interest in what they have to say. People love doing business with those they like and trust. It's human nature.
3. Be confident.
Research shows that people who are confident appear more competent, credible, and trustworthy. They exude confidence through their expertise, attitude, presence, and demeanor. So, when meeting people, do your research and be prepared with relevant talking points and smart questions. Be calm and self-assured, not cocky or arrogant. Be articulate and speak deliberately and clearly. Stand in an open, relaxed posture with your chin up, back straight, and arms at your side. Finally, dress to impress because when you look sharp, you feel sharp. Being confident makes people comfortable around you and more receptive to what you have to say.
4. Be thoughtful.
Thoughtfulness is grounded in empathy, so tune into the other person, listen more, and say less. When someone speaks, show genuine interest and understanding by summarizing what you’ve heard and asking follow-up questions. Choose your words carefully and speak with honesty and sincerity. Read the room and modulate your tone and approach appropriately. Thoughtfulness creates an emotional connection that elevates the conversation and builds rapport and trust with the customer.
5. Be energetic.
Positive energy and enthusiasm are infectious. When you’re fired up, it shows you care and passionately believe in your product, service, and company. It engages and motivates the customer and gets them excited too. Just make sure you don’t get carried away. Nothing is more off-putting than over-the-top energy and enthusiasm that feels fake and insincere.
By following these five simple tips, you’re making a good first impression that’s a lasting good impression. You’ll connect with the customer, start building rapport, and improve your odds for success in any sales interaction.
Everything old is new again – at least when it comes to marketing strategy. While you might think of door-to-door sales as a thing of the past, it’s actually a highly effective method for acquiring new customers in today’s modern climate. Many thriving corporations are seeing the benefits of adding door-to-door selling to their marketing mix, and here’s why:
Advertisements are easily tuned out.
Commercials are everywhere these days. From billboards and TV commercials, to social media and mobile advertising, we're flooded with so many advertising messages that it’s easy for all of it to blend together into one ocean of noise that easily fades into the background.
This is why door-to-door sales should be part of your marketing strategy. Unlike any other advertising medium, in-person sales reps create real connections with potential customers. They communicate from one human to another, customizing their sales pitch and even their body language and tone in a way that even the most sophisticated digital advertising and artificial intelligence can’t. Well-trained salespeople are able make the potential buyer feel comfortable, attracting their interest and initiating a discussion, which is the first and most important step of acquiring new customers.
The competition is fierce.
With so many companies vying for consumers’ attention, it’s extraordinarily difficult to stand out. Even the most creative billboards and eye-catching social media strategies are bound to get lost in the mix.
Door-to-door marketing is a secret weapon for any company looking to carve out space in a crowded market. Not only is it a less common approach to customer acquisition, but it is highly effective at reaching people who have been unresponsive to other forms of customer outreach. Actively engaging face-to-face provides the opportunity to first, inform customers about products they might not have otherwise known about; and second, influence their decision-making process.
People buy from people.
As much as technology has changed over the years, human nature has not. There is no digital replacement for connecting face-to-face, human-to-human. A commercial can’t ask a business owner to describe the challenges facing his business. An internet ad can’t inquire about the needs of a growing family, make eye contact, or interpret facial expressions. But a skilled salesperson can.
Through door-to-door sales, companies are able to localize their marketing efforts and connect with customers on a personal level. By engaging one-on-one, salespeople are able to learn about the needs, wants, and concerns of their customers throughout the sales process. By building rapport, they are able to establish trust, which in turn translates not only to the consumer’s decision to buy – but to remain loyal to the respective brand.
It’s highly adaptable.
The launch of a new product or service is expensive and time-consuming through most marketing channels. Whether you’re paying for market research, air time, graphic design, public relations, or anything in between, the expenses add up quickly.
This is another key differentiator of door-to-door marketing. Not only is it more cost-effective, but it’s dramatically faster to implement changes and market new products. When you already have an outside sales team in place, launching a new product is as simple as educating the salespeople about your new offering. The right door-to-door sales team should be able to start selling immediately and at no added cost to your company.
Success is 100% measurable.
The tricky part about most forms of marketing is that the success or failure of a campaign is often a gray area. While a given ad might enhance brand recognition or contribute to the buzz about a new product, results are difficult to quantify.
Unlike advertising campaigns, there is no doubt as to whether a door-to-door sales strategy has been successful. The number of new customers acquired is crystal clear, allowing companies to track progress, calculate ROI, and make changes accordingly.
There is a reason one of the oldest professions, face-to-face sales has seen a resurgence over the past decade: it works! No matter how advanced digital marketing becomes, people will always prefer to buy from people. It’s human nature. While the smartest sales strategy is diversify your sale and marketing tactics, including a door-to-door element to your marketing mix remains a highly effective way to increase revenue and drive consistent sales results.
Sometimes, becoming a better salesperson simply comes down to thinking like a customer. People like to feel they are being heard and improving your active listening skills can help salespeople quickly build rapport that is critical in gaining the customer’s trust, and ultimately making the sale. Practicing active listening techniques can help you serve the customer better while also increasing your chances of earning their business, because being a good listener helps you gather the information necessary to address their needs and overcome any concerns.
There are several active listening techniques you can use to make sure you’re keeping focus where it belongs: on the customer. But first, ask yourself why active listening skills, which seem so fundamental, are so hard for most people to master.
Talking too much: Talking puts us in the driver’s seat, in control, where most of us prefer to be, but listening lets the other person speaking briefly lead the conversation. That can be scary, but not if you think of it the right way.
Get sharp tip: While listening opens the door to the unknown, it also opens the door to opportunity. The customer might share his or her main objection. Bingo! Now you know what you need to overcome their objections and build trust. Changing the way you think about interpersonal communication is an active listening technique you can practice to improve your sales results.
Thinking ahead: While the customer is talking, it’s tempting to start planning your response. After all, what if he or she finishes speaking, and you’re left struggling to come up with a response. The problem, of course, is that while your full attention is focused on writing the perfect, cucumber-cool reply in your head, you’re missing all the invaluable information and nonverbal cues the customer is sharing.
Get sharp tip: While getting out of your own head can be one of the trickiest active listening skills to master, remember that by the time you get to unveil your perfectly composed response, it might already be out of date. The customer may have already shifted his or her interest to other topics. So instead of tuning out while you think up the ideal answer, pay attention and learn to buy yourself time in other ways. Take a deep breath before you speak or compliment the customer on his or her question. Saying something like, “that’s a really interesting point,” is an active listening technique that can give you back those few seconds you need to pull your thoughts together.
Acting like you’re listening: We have trained through social norms that listening is about nodding, smiling, making eye contact, and showing interest in what the other person is saying. The problem is, sometimes we’re so good at the “show” that when the conversation is over, we realize we haven’t really heard most of what the other person has said.
Get Sharp Tip: An easy way to improve your active listening skills is to repeat back all or part of what the customer says. This might feel silly at first, but it will force you to stop acting like you’re listening and really listen.Practicing this active listening technique can help you listen carefully to absorb more of what the customer is saying, providing you with valuable ammo and key points you can use to solve problems to address their concerns and close the sale.
Improving your listening skills isn’t easy. Getting good at active listening involves breaking deeply ingrained habits, but just like body language or facial expressions, listening can be improved by staying focused and practicing. Try some of the active listening techniques above to keep yourself present and tuned in while interacting with customers. Notice how much more information you’re able to gather about the customer. As active listening begins to pay off in the form of more sales, you may find that it will become easier as well. Eventually, you may start to see active listening as yet another essential tool your sales arsenal, a must-have interpersonal skill that can help catapult you toward your career goals!
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.
Rejection is a natural part of the sales process. It’s hard to avoid, and even harder to face. However, have you ever considered the silver lining of rejection? Maybe all of those “nos” have made you who you are today. Hearing “no” forces salespeople to climb out of their shell, think outside of the box, and reach for new horizons. Working in sales and facing “no” on a daily basis can help you build critical skills that can prepare you to withstand and excel against the rigors and challenges of the business world. Enduring a little rejection now can train you to be resilient, flexible, and mentally strong – all skills that can benefit you greatly as you grow your career.
You Learn
In order for someone to grow as a sales professional, he or she has to understand what works and what doesn’t work. When you recognize that some part your pitch, approach, or presentation isn’t working, you learn how to make critical decisions to correct the problem and get back on track. You discover how to do better, so that it does work the next time around. Salespeople are constantly learning, trying to improve the process. Only with a “no” can you get that much closer to a “yes.” Since business is an ever-changing landscape, as you progress through your career, having the ability to learn will make you a more desirable hire. It’s what fuels your personal growth.
You Develop Patience
We all know the saying: patience is a virtue. Boy, is that true, especially in the world of sales. The sales business is a numbers game that teaches you to accept that if the first customer says “no,” you just have move to the next one and keep going. There is no room or time to throw up your hands in exasperation. The best salespeople understand that a successful sales day is a marathon, not a sprint. Over time, sales professionals learn how to maintain a patient, positive mindset no matter what. Developing this kind of unwavering resilience will also prepare you for managerial positions, even owning a company. Things will go wrong, people will quit, rejection will befall you, and unfair things will happen. Maintaining your patient disposition through it all is what will set you apart from the competition.
You Learn How to Be Flexible
Salespeople can’t afford to be stuck in their ways. Sales is a process of experimentation and refinement. When good salespeople face rejection, they learn how to rethink their approach to avoid a sales blunder in the future. Overtime, sales teaches you how to apply self-discipline to correct course, test new approaches, and perfect your pitch until you can consistently deliver results.
You Communicate Better
Sometimes, you face rejection because your communication skills weren’t up to par. Perhaps you misspoke, failed to listen, or just delivered a message without any energy. Communication is the cornerstone of every business interaction. Hearing “no” can inspire you to do what it takes to hear that “yes” next time. You’ll refine your messaging and communication approach. Within business, communication is how critical information about sales, services, and products is relayed to key stakeholders. You need to know how to communicate quickly, effectively, and with authority. It’s time to get started.
You Toughen Up
Finally, it’s inevitable that rejection is going to force you to develop thicker skin. However, that’s not a bad thing. In the world of professional sales, it’s an incredibly important attribute. You’ll learn to listen to your gut and intuition, rising above rejection to focus on what you need to do to get the job done. You’ll develop your own personal shield that keeps you protected. As you climb towards the top, this internal toughness will better prepare you for the obstacles and stakes ahead, like hiring/firing decisions, expansions, acquisitions, and the list goes on.
We all know the time-old adage, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In sales, this saying proves true. A healthy amount of rejection is necessary for personal growth and advancement. The next time you’re faced with a “no,” smile, for it is another opportunity to grow and flourish as an individual and a professional; it’s another opportunity to see things in a new light and appreciate a new way of doing things; and it’s another opportunity to become wiser, stronger, and better.
What have you learned from rejection in the past, and how has that helped to accelerate your personal growth? Share them with Cydcor in the comments below.
Whether you’re seeking to advance your career or grow your business, making progress toward your goals can come down to your ability to enlist the help of others—often through activating one’s personal power bases. Perhaps you need to ask for a raise or a promotion, or maybe you need to request funding to kick off an exciting new project or cover the cost of new hires. Whatever the case, understanding how to get others on board is critical to achieving the outcome you’re hoping for. But if you’re low on the totem pole or just beginning to establish your fledgling business, asking others to reward you with money, time, or increased responsibility can feel like a David vs. Goliath scenario.
Don’t underestimate yourself, though: you may have a lot more personal power than you think. A person’s power bases are the sources from which they draw credibility, influence, and character, traits that can be assets when asking others to help your cause. Power bases can come in many forms, and you may have more than one effective power base to draw from. You simply need to learn how to identify your power bases and use them to your advantage. By recognizing the sources of your power, you can feel more confident as you ask for the things you need to achieve your goals.
Recognizing your personal sources of power is critical to your ability to collaborate with others and ask for the resources and opportunities you’ll need to grow your company and advance your career. It’s easy to underestimate oneself and overlook how much you have to bring to the table. Success in business requires constant negotiation, and by understanding your own power to get others on your side, you improve your chances of achieving the results you’re hoping for and reaching your goals.
While it’s important to know what you should do in meetings and negotiations, knowing what you shouldn’t do is often just as important – and it begins with bad body language.
The best sales managers know that while you may have a polished sales presentation, tasteful attire, and a product that practically sells itself, you can still miss out on closing a sale if your body language is out of sync with your words. While it’s true that first impressions make a lasting impact, cumulative body language is important. If you are in the habit of demonstrating any of the following body language in sales meetings, it could be enough to hurt your sales performance, turning a potential yes into definite no.
There is no overstating the importance of presenting good body language in sales or any business interaction – it can make all the difference. Don’t send the wrong message with self-sabotaging nonverbal communication. Be prepared and well-rehearsed when you walk into a meeting. Be conscious, too, about what you do while you are speaking. You are, after all, providing visual accompaniment to your eloquent words. Once you ensure your words and actions match up, you’ll start to notice fewer closing doors and more closing sales.
If you’ve caught yourself demonstrating some of these examples of bad body language in sales meetings, consider the correction of it one of your professional New Year resolutions.
If you’ve been using our negotiating tips, then it’s entirely likely a sale is on the horizon – so it’s important to be able to recognize it. As a salesperson, it’s important to stay tuned into the customer and what he or she may be feeling, thinking, or doing. It easy to get too caught up in delivering the perfect sales pitch or projecting energy and forget that sales is a two-way communication. It involves give and take; the exchange of information to and from both parties. Customers are constantly sending signals about what they want, what they need, and what they are thinking. And, if you just learn to pay attention, and know what buying signs to look for, these messages, both verbal and non-verbal, can make your job as sales person a whole lot easier.
Buying signals are indications the customer gives that he or she may be nearing a decision about your product or service and may be interested in making a purchase. These ready-to-buy cues, can be easy to miss if you’re too focused on what you need to say or do next. Learn some of the most common buying signs, so the next time a customer is ready to buy, you won’t miss out on the sale.
Listening and paying attention is just as important as saying the right things when trying to make a sale. Customers communicate a lot about how they’re feeling about the product for sales people who are willing and able to pick up their signals. Overlooking these, sometimes subtle, buying signs could mean missing out on sales and doing more work than necessary. Becoming an expert on customer behavior and learning the classic buying signals can make selling a whole lot easier by giving you valuable information about the kind of customer you’re dealing with.
Ready to go beast mode? Beasts at sales are energetic, engaged, and capable of accomplishing just about anything! Unleashing your inner sales beast means stepping up your game to succeed at sales. Being a sales beast is a state of mind that drives you to be the best at what you do, but it also has a lot to do with how you behave and the image you project. While it’s important to trust your animal instincts, sometimes it takes a little good, old-fashioned discipline before things become instinctual.
By practicing the five B.E.A.S.T factors – body language, eye contact, awesome attitude, smile, and timing – you can start building great habits proven to help you succeed at sales.
Body Language:Your body is communicating with customers even before you’ve said a word. It’s important to understand the message you’re sending. Leaning on counters, tables, or desks as customers approach sends the message you’re bored and disinterested in speaking to them. It also doesn’t look very professional. Good posture has been shown in studies to make you feel more confident and prepared to make a sale. Facing the customer during a sales pitch can feel too confrontational, instead, stand to their side while you show them information. Don’t invade their personal space by getting too close, and avoid touching them other than a handshake, a high five, or a fist bump. Many people prefer not to be touched by strangers.
Eye Contact: Ever heard someone described as “shifty-eyed,” or have you noticed when somebody won’t make eye contact when they talk to you? It’s never a good thing. Keeping consistent eye contact helps you earn the customer’s trust by demonstrating that you’re confident and that you believe in what you’re telling them. It communicates sincerity and genuine interest. It also allows you to connect with the customer, build rapport, and improve their engagement in the conversation – all customer service wins. By focusing on the customer’s eyes, you encourage them to pay attention and listen to you, and you can gauge whether they understand what you’re saying.
Awesome Attitude: By working in sales, you are helping to connect customers with services and products. Thinking of your role in terms of serving the customer, rather than just selling to him or her, helps you create a better experience for the customer, and most likely will result in more sales. That’s because people like to buy from people who make them feel good, cared for. People are busy, and not everyone is going to be polite when you approach them to make a sales pitch. But there’s no excuse for a salesperson to be rude, and it certainly won’t help you succeed at sales. When you maintain a great, confident, and friendly attitude, a customer who has already said no might change his or her mind later. But a customer you’ve been rude to is lost forever, and he or she might encourage others to avoid you, your product, or your company.
Smile: Studies have shown what you probably already know instinctively, smiling makes people feel good about you. Have you ever been in a bad mood and tried to keep a scowl on your face while the person you’re talking to is smiling. It’s tough, isn’t it? Smiling is contagious. It puts other people at ease, helps to change their mood, and most importantly, it leaves them with a good impression of you and what you have to say. While learning to smile consistently, and in a way that feels sincere and not forced, take practice, it’s probably the simplest thing you can do to improve your chances of making the sale.
Timing: Even when you do everything else right, the success of your sales pitch can sometimes come down to timing. Starting your pitch when the customer is too far away can force you to shout at them. Waiting until they are right in front of you can create an awkward feeling of intimacy. When approaching customers in person, start speaking to them when they are about seven feet away. Don’t wait until they have already passed you, or else you’ll be speaking to the back of their head, which puts you at a disadvantage.
Unleashing your inner sales beast takes more consistency and discipline than the name might suggest. Becoming a sales beast requires developing great communication techniques and professional habits that make the customer feel that you sincerely care about them and have their best interests at heart. The best sales beasts don’t depend on their killer instincts; instead, they use their B.E.A.S.T factors to convey confidence, sincerity, and helpfulness, which add up to the kind of creature qualities customers can’t resist.
Grit is a mysterious and powerful mix of passion and perseverance that gives some the strength to keep going where so many others before them have given up. In fact, studies have shown that grit may outrank either intelligence or talent as an indicator of future success. Salespeople know a lot about grit. They work in a competitive business, but for those with the grit to stick with it, the rewards can be huge. The best salespeople know that grit can be the secret ingredient that makes the difference between success and failure.
Intelligence and talent are huge advantages in business that can help you innovate, perform well, or solve problems. Without the grit to stay the course even when it gets bumpy, those advantages can be fleeting. Brains and natural ability are the reason many people are good at their jobs, but without the grit to overcome challenges, bounce back from stumbles, and the drive to push themselves further, they may never truly be great.
Technology is changing rapidly, but no matter how advanced digital media and market research becomes, direct sales is still one of the best ways to acquire new customers and grow your business. There are just some things a computer can’t do, and until they can, people talking to other people through face-to-face sales is still the best way to build trust, overcome objections, and turn prospects into buyers.
Some people may call it old-fashioned, but direct and face-to-face sales work. The reason in-person sales is most effective comes down to one factor: people. People relate better to other people than they do to TV commercials, online marketing, billboards, print ads, or any other form of advertising. It’s natural. Direct sales are built on relationships with a specific sales rep, and it allows customers to feel a personal connection to a product or service. Face-to-face sales build trust, which gives the customer the confidence to buy. That’s why in-person sales are a smart investment for any company looking to grow.