The best salespeople know that the key to building their sales over the long-run is by building their client base and growing goodwill among them. Obviously burning bridges by selling something to someone who doesn’t need it is no way to a build a trusting relationship that will lead to recurring sales and new business contact. The job of the salesperson is to find someone who really needs what they’re selling and to show that prospect how what they’re selling fits their needs.
People in general often don’t realize they need something until it is presented to them in a way that considers their specific context. For instance, consider that nobody realized they needed a blanket with sleeves until it was demonstrated (humorously) that blankets inhibit mobility. For businesses struggling with how to increase sales, the trick is finding customers who need the product or service, not trying to manipulate those who don’t need it into buying it.
While there are a number of adjustments that can be made to sales style that will increase sales, most of these are learned through experience, and really come from just learning to understand how to listen to people, earn their trust, and deliver on promises.
That’s why as a way to drive sales, the value of networking really can’t be quantified – or overestimated for that matter. Through making friends and acquaintances with as many people as possible, salespeople have more opportunities to spot one of their trusted allies’ needs and address it thoughtfully with a product or service.
“Relationship management” or making friends is not a new sales idea – schmoozing is considered by some to be its high art. But honest sales isn’t schmoozing; it’s making friends honestly, with no intention of selling anything that doesn’t benefit the client the way that it is promised to.
When sales managers are asked to figure out how to increase sales, few will stop to think about their individual salespeople’s general approach. Contests, new hiring, more aggressive promotions, and plain old motivational speaking are standbys that do still have their place in sales force management.
The best sales managers know that increasing sales over the long-run is a function of good, honest business practices and constant networking.