“Jeffrey, what’s the BEST way to make a sale?”

When I’m asked this question (I’m asked all the time), what the salesperson’s really asking is, “What’s the EASIEST way to make a sale?”

EASY ANSWER: The easiest way to make a sale is to lower your price to a point where you make no profit. Not a good option.

REAL ANSWER: There is no EASIEST way to make a sale.

And, just as there is no easiest way to make a sale, there is no BEST way to make a sale – BUT there are several elements that contain the word BEST that you must self-evaluate in order to discover why the sale takes place, or why it doesn’t.

Here are the BEST ways to make a sale:

• The best way to make a sale is to have your reputation precede you by word of mouth from your Google ranking and from your business social media presence.

• The best way to make a sale is to be known as a valued resource before you start.

• The best way to make a sale is to be friendly before you start.

• The best way to make a sale is to meet with the CEO or actual decision maker.

• The best way to make a sale is not to be sales-y, cocky or condescending.

• The best way to make a sale is to find some common ground before you start the selling process.

• The best way to make a sale is to ask intelligent, emotionally engaging questions that draw out both needs and buying motives.

• The best way to make a sale is to walk into the meeting with two ideas in favor of the customer.

• The best way to make a sale is to have done pre-call preparation in terms of the customer.

• The best way to make a sale is to convey value rather than features and benefits.

• The best way to make a sale is to focus on how the customer profits and produces.

• The best way to make a sale is to relax throughout the entire sales conversation.

• The best way to make a sale is to respond in a heartbeat.

• The best way to make a sale is to make yourself available when a customer needs you.

• The best way to make a sale is to support and prove all your claims with video testimonials from existing customers.

• The best way to make a sale is to ask for a date of beginning, or some type of commitment to move forward, AFTER you are certain you have removed all risks and removed all barriers from your prospect’s buying process.

• The best way to make a sale is to have multiple relationships at different levels and departments within the same company.

• The best way to make a sale is to earn the status of trusted adviser.

• The best way to make a sale is to create an atmosphere in which the customer wants to buy.

• The best way to make a sale is to make the passion of your belief transferable.

There are questions you must ask yourself that enable the list of the BEST ways to make a sale:

• Am I always achieving my PERSONAL best?

• Am I always PREPARING my best for every sales call?

• Is my ATTITUDE set on positive?

• Is my BELIEF in product, company and self always at the highest level?

• Do I believe in my HEART that the customer is better off having purchased from me?

• Am I always doing my BEST for every customer, every time?

REALITY: As a customer, I do NOT need a salesman. I need productivity, an idea, morale, a profit provider and a trusted adviser.

Is that you?

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by
email at salesman@gitomer.com.  © 2011 Jeffrey H. Gitomer