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My first experience with sales was in high school selling chocolate bars door to door as a fundraiser for some school club. Not much interested in the club, but more interested in the prizes offered to the top sellers, I hit the pavement.
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My first experience with sales was in high school selling chocolate bars door to door as a fundraiser for some school club.

Not much interested in the club, but more interested in the prizes offered to the top sellers, I hit the pavement. Each day after school I would knock on doors and sell chocolates to starving mothers and their teenage kids that had enough money to buy them.

It took determination, persistence, the goal of winning the prizes, and the competition between myself and two others who outsold the rest of the whole school combined, that made for success.

Never having had formal sales training, I realize I have spent my life in sales of one form or another.

Whether it was selling advertising, Winetux's, books, business to business, recreational services, houses, investments, vitamins, gifts, cleaner air and water, or coaching services, it's been sales.

Proper training in sales can go a long way to ensuring your business is successful. You can pick up any sales book or take any given sales course and you will reap the benefits of the training in increased sales and happier customers. The reality is that sales is a science and not an art.

According to my friend Dennis Bonagara, who I consider the king of sales, the key to building huge sales in a short period of time in business is having a great sales model that is able to uncover the needs of the customer.

If you don't understand the needs of the customer how can you present a solution to them? Sales techniques can be learned and one of the reasons many businesses fail is because they have not mastered the sales model and been able to fulfill their customer's needs. According to Dennis, a major reason that businesses get into trouble is that business owners think that they have built the best mouse trap and that like the movie Field of Dreams customers are just going to flock to them.

That is not reality.

No one just buys stuff. There needs to be a concrete sales model based on what the product does, what its advantages are, and what are the values that it brings to the marketplace.

I often work with owners who have been successful, but now seem stuck and slipping backwards. If this is you, one of the key solutions to turning your business back around is stopping and thinking of all the things that brought you to the level of success you have today.

What has worked in the past? What was the sales model that got your business to this point? Has that changed or has the business environment changed to the point where that is no longer effective?

Chances are you just forgot your reasons for success and once you start focusing on that again you will be successful. Additionally if you start thinking about other markets where your sales techniques could also be effective, again you will get results.

I like to think that there are two types of sales staff. Those who know they are in sales and love the process, and those who are in sales but don't want to think they are.

The second type of person is usually in a service-based industry. This might be retail, hospitality or food.

However, because of the perception of sales reps, these staff of yours might not want to be associated with sales.

The reality is that every one of your staff needs to understand that they are in sales, just as you are if you are the owner of any business.

Let's face the facts - each and every business needs to sell something to stay in business. You need to sell to make profits.

Sometimes if you have customers banging your door down you might tend to forget the need for developing the selling skills necessary to ensure your long term success.

If you are fortunate enough to have a great location, unique product or a commodity that is always in demand you might get a certain amount of sales just by being lucky. Developing a proper sales system for your staff, however, can ensure your long term profitability and increase the value of your business.

Furthermore by training your staff in sales or customer service, if that is more in tune with the wording of your business model, leads to happier customers, more loyal customers and prevents the loss of customers to your competitors.

Training in sales leads to more profits.

Find a good sales training company and start moving some product. It's good for your staff and great for your bottom line.

Dave Fuller is a certified professional business coach in Prince George and can be reached at 250-617-7467 or by email at dave@unstuckstrategies.com