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Being self-motivated as a leader is one thing, but how do you get your sales teams to work just as hard to satisfy customers and grow the business?
There's no doubt about it – to be a salesperson, you have to be a people person. Some of the most prestigious companies in the world are so successful because they put their customers first.
The way salespeople interact with a customer from the prospecting phase through the final transaction determines whether a sale is made or an opportunity is missed to control the course of the story and build one's reputation.
By providing customer experience, providing context and pricing to your sales teams, and emphasizing your unique selling proposition, you give your team everything they need to take your business to the top.
Related: 5 Actionable Ways to Improve Your Customer Experience
Sales and marketing strategies
Make it clear to your sales team that they are welcome guests and not annoying pests.
Salespeople often get a bad reputation for being too pushy or insincere. People's time is valuable, and the last thing your teams want to do is make prospective buyers feel like they're being scammed or pressured into buying.
If you don't have customers, your business has nothing. Only by treating them as people and not as a source of profit can you build authentic customer relationships that are mutually beneficial.
A leader’s job is to inspire their sales teams to want to get to know their prospects – and truly offer them something that can improve their quality of life.
It's also important that you use your marketing to educate your audience about your brand. Tell them who you are, what you're about, and what you can do to solve their problem.
With a compelling marketing strategy that communicates a clear message about your company to potential customers, half the convincing work is done before they are even invited to the sales meeting.
Related topics: How to define your product and set your prices
Context and pricing
When you talk to your team about pricing your product or service, context is everything.
Managers and their sales teams should always be aware of how people consume their goods based on factors such as market, business climate, price and demand.
This is where price elasticity comes in. If demand for a product or service increases due to a change in price, it is said to be elastic. If demand changes little or not at all when the price increases or decreases, it is said to be inelastic.
Take fuel, for example. This resource is generally considered a necessity and is therefore inelastic. Without it, motorists cannot get from point A to point B in a fuel-powered vehicle. Even if consumers choose a gas station based on the price per gallon, they still need fuel.
The same goes for things like bottled water in areas with limited access to clean water, electricity, housing, etc. Price elasticity can work in your business's favor if pricing is presented in the right context.
Much like price, numerous factors can influence a person's purchase decision and willingness to consume, so it's important to make the importance of context clear to your sales teams.
By fostering pricing confidence and confident fee strategies within your teams, you increase the likelihood of a sale.
Related: How to Avoid a “Me-Too” Brand: Brand Differentiation in a Crowded Market
differentiation
There are billions of dining room furniture brands, just like there are billions of different toothpaste brands, formal wear brands, and even gardening equipment brands.
If your sales team spends their days prospecting, whether through cold calling, email, or door-to-door sales, they should know how to market your brand well.
Telling a prospect about your product or service is one thing, but to convince them that your product is better than others, sales reps need to understand your company's unique selling points.
When a customer asks, “Why should I buy your product instead of this product?” the sales rep should have a compelling answer ready. In fact, they should have a list of 10 reasons why your product is superior to your competitors' products. If they can't do that, they're frankly wasting their time.
By giving your sales team the knowledge they need to convince customers that your business offering is the only choice among a multitude of options, you can increase your sales from a few sales per week to thousands per day.
By conducting brainstorming sessions with your teams and workshops and gathering feedback, you can encourage creative thinking around your sales model and establish a set of unique value propositions and market positions.
Complete the sale
No matter what industry you are in, it is not easy for a brand to achieve 15 minutes of fame, let alone become the market leader.
There will always be competition, but with a well-prepared, motivated and tactful sales team behind you, your company will always reap the benefits.
As a leader, the surest way to make your sales team impenetrable is to emphasize the values of customer care, understand the relationship between context and pricing, and recognize what makes your product or service the best of the best.
Promote your sales teams at all costs – your future business will thank you.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps