Welcome to the world of sales.

It is complex and challenging to find your way here – much like a jigsaw puzzle.

One of the greatest myths in this world of sales is that some people are just born with the ‘it’ factor that naturally makes them amazing sales reps.

While it is true that some people do have personalities that predispose them to this world, magic tricks and genetics do not make a great salesperson.

The truth is, sales is more than just a number game.

Selling is tough. It always has and it always will be and these stats prove just that:

The point being, all the magic in the world can’t help someone close a sale if they don’t have some tips and tricks to fall back on – ones that have been tweaked and perfected over time.

So, in this article, we’ve pulled together some of the best sales tips to help you stay ahead of the competition.

Buckle up because you’re in for a ride!

Sales Tip #1. Do your Homework First

According to research, 50% of customers are looking for expert advice while making purchase decisions.

Also, 73% of people say that product knowledge is what they need the most from a sales rep.

This level of expectations from customers means only one thing – as a sales rep, you must know every small detail about the product.

Because your prospects are looking for answers, and they expect you to provide them.

So knowing the name of your product, a few features, and some tag-lines that the marketing department gave you isn’t enough.

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You need to have a clear game plan when reaching out to new contacts and stick to it as much as possible.

Drill down a little deeper and familiarize yourself with all the specifications, the metrics, things that separate you from your competitors before you hit the road.

After all, you’re the representative of the product/service, and if you don’t know each and everything about it, why would anyone buy it from you?

Bonus: An out-and-out understanding of the product won’t just make you a more confident cheerleader of what you’re selling; it’ll also help you get to the root of your prospect’s pain points and will allow you to quickly map your product to their needs.

 

Sales Tip #2. Sell the Solution, Not the Product

Sorry to burst your bubble, but prospects really don’t like listening to salespeople who keep rambling on and on about the greatness of the product and its features.

All they want to know is – how the product can make their life easier immediately.

You might have the most reliable product on the market, but unless your customers see how it benefits them, you’re probably not going to make any sales.

That means your customer will only give you their hard-earned money if they think that your product can help them solve their problems.

Here’s an example:

Instead of selling a camera by saying that it can shoot video at 25,600 ISO, tell people that they can shoot videos at night using the camera.

Similarly, don’t sell a car by saying it has great gas mileage. What you need to sell instead is – it saves money, saves time, and you’ve to spend less time at gas stations.

The bottom line is, find the problem, offer the benefit, and explain why your product will solve it!

Read more: Sales Pitch: What is it & How to Create a Killer One?

 

Sales Tip #3. Create a Sense of Urgency

The more time someone takes to deliberate upon whether to buy your product or service, the more likely it is that they’ll bail out on it.

But, if you make people feel like they’re about to miss out on an amazing deal or opportunity, they’re more likely to take quick action.

So give your prospect a reason why your product is the right choice for them, and it’s the right choice right now.

Hey, don’t confuse this sales tactic with rushing your prospect!

The last thing you want to do is pressure them into saying no, right?

Also, remember one thing: creating a sense of urgency only works when your product is something that people actually want.

If someone isn’t interested in your product, no discounts and offers in the world would make them buy it.

 

Sales Tip #4. Sell to the Right People

Let’s consider a scenario.

If you want to sell a tool for content marketers, it would probably do you no good spending time talking to an entry-level copywriter, right?

Because the ultimate decision-maker on purchasing new tools like yours would go to a Head of Content Marketing or Director of Marketing.

So, research the prospect and find out whether or not they’re an ideal customer before hitting the road.

If you start your conversation with the person who’s most likely to be the decision-maker regarding buying your product, your chances of bagging the sale will increase significantly.

 

Sales Tip #5. Do not Trash-Talk your Competition

In the sports world, it’s a tradition to jeer the competition and cheer for your own team.

But when it comes to the world of sales, the rule of thumb is to never bad-mouth your competition publicly because it can totally backfire.

If you talk about your competition, you might bring attention to them, add credibility to their position, and get your prospect thinking about them.

You obviously don’t want that to happen, right?

Always keep your goal in mind – build a relationship and close the deal. So, unless your prospect actually asks a direct question about your competitor, don’t bring up the topic.

This equation is actually pretty simple.

No Trash-Talking = Better Reputation = More Sales = More Revenue

A win-win situation for everybody!

Read more: Best Sales Tools For Prospecting in 2022!

 

Sales Tip #6. Keep your Pitch Short, Sweet & Concise

The attention span of humans is shrinking, and we all know that.

You don’t have the luxury of an hour-long presentation geared towards selling your product anymore.

You’re asking your prospect for one of their most valuable possessions: their time, and you’re not going to have it for long – at least not until they’re sold on your pitch.

So make your sales pitch as short, lean, convincing, and persuasive as you can!

But here’s something you need to remember: there’s no such thing as the ‘perfect pitch’.

We mean, the ‘right’ sales pitch for one situation might not be the ‘right’ pitch for another.

So, instead of striving for perfection, strive for confidence…which brings us to our next tip:

 

Sales Tip #7. Confidence is Key

If you want to master the art of sales, you need to be able to confidently deliver your pitch and answer the prospect’s objections.

Along with believing in your product, if you don’t believe in yourself as a salesperson, your sale will suffer – no matter how great your product is.

Sales reps who project an air of confidence are a lot more likely to close a deal than those who are gloomy.

Here’s one of the best ways to boost your sales confidence:

Instead of memorizing a pitch from beginning to end, learn about the product and its benefits inside and out.

This will help you avoid being baffled when a prospect asks you something out of the “script”.

As the old schoolhouse saying goes, “Knowledge is power.”

 

Sales Tip #8. Embrace the Power of Social Media

We’re certain that social media isn’t the first thing that strikes your mind when it comes to lead generation.

But, honestly, it should – because social media platforms can be a gold mine for leads.

We have got facts to back it up – 91% of B2B buyers are active on social media.

So instead of spending time seeking out leads in other places, start with the place where you know they are – social media.

Here’s how it works:

Once you’ve gotten some engagement on your online posts, use the data generated by this interaction to find and get in touch with leads.

Maybe you could get lucky, and a product manager at that company you’ve been wanting to get a deal with might share one of your blog posts.

That would make for an excellent opportunity to strike up a conversation with them and make your pitch or schedule a meeting!

Read more: 9 Sales Collateral Examples You Should be Using in 2022

 

Sales Tip #9. Listen to your Buyer

So, the pinnacle of sales tips, which may sound incredibly simple, is to listen.

Don’t be like the sales reps who get so caught up in the possible thrill of winning the sale that they forget to listen.

Listening to your prospect, their needs, their problems, and whatever else they have to say is what truly matters at the end of the day.

We have only one mouth but two ears for a reason. So, listen more than you speak. (We can’t stress this enough!)

But, don’t listen just to be polite, to build rapport, or as a persuasion tactic.

Listen as if your livelihood depends upon what your customer says.

It anyway does.

 

Sales Tip #10. Seek out Referrals

Let’s start with some surprisingly insightful sales statistics:

According to Harvard Business Review, “9 out of 10 buying decisions are made on the basis of peer recommendations.”

As per Influitive, “Business-to-business companies with referrals have a 70% higher conversion rate, and they report a 69% faster close time on sales.”

All these stats go on to prove how impactful sales referrals are!

You can get a referral from your customers to one of their contacts in the same industry.

Since your new prospect is in the same industry, they’d probably have the same problems, and your product or service will likely be a good fit for them as well.

You can also get a referral from a customer to one of their friends.

Even if they’re in a totally different field or situation, that referral would come with a lot of trust, which is invaluable.

And the best time to ask your customer for a referral? It’s right away!

Well, this might feel weird at first, but trust us, it works.

Your customer is most enthusiastic about your product right after the sales and they’ve decided that whatever you’re selling is useful to them.

And that’s exactly what is the perfect time to ask for a referral.

 

Before you go!

Our team at bit.ai has created a few awesome sales templates to make your sales process more efficient. Make sure to check them out before you go, your sales team might need them!

 

Wrapping Up

In theory, closing a sale is very straightforward and simple.

A man in a black plaited suit, with a top hat and a briefcase in his hand, shows up.

He gives his pitch, answers the prospect’s objections, asks for the sale, and if needed, follows up until he gets a definitive answer.

Unfortunately, in the real world, selling is a lot more complicated than that.

Sales success takes hard work, commitment, skills, and savvy.

While there is no true blue formula that will help you seal the deal, there are many things you can do to skyrocket your overall success, like the sales tips we’ve mentioned above!

By the way, if you know of any other mind-boggling sales tips that we forgot to mention, let us know by tweeting us @bit_docs!

Further reads:

Sales Sheet: What is it & How to Create it? (Steps Included)

Sales Territory Plan: What is it & How to Create it?

Tripwires: Definition, How To Include Them & Examples!

Social Proof: 8 Ways to Use it to Get More Sales!

How To Create An Impressive Pitch Deck?

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