sales basics: removing the mystery of good selling november 13, 2014 – women for the web molly...

Sales Basics:Removing the Mystery of Good Selling

November 13, 2014 – Women for the Web

Molly BradfordVP, GatherBoard.com

Know Thy Self.Know Thy Product.

Know Thy Customer.

Women for the Web – Sales Basics – November 13, 2014

What hunting has taught me about selling.


Persistence pays off100 sales calls

80 follow-up calls30 call backs

15 pitches7 contracts 3 referrals


Group ExerciseStand up – Sit down


There is no secret formula,

there are just the basics.


The Basics

• 1. Prospecting.– Filling the pipeline.– Cold calling – smile and dial, baby!– Warm leads (referrals, word-of-mounth).– Good marketing, including advertising.


• 2. Making original contact professionally – First meeting – social, networking, event…– Be memorable - guy with the orange shoes.– Ask for the meeting.– Follow up!

The Basics


The Basics

• 3. Qualification.– Question asking & listening.– Find out• Is this the right product?• What drives the decision?• Who is the right person to present to?

Find the YES person - When you take the time to find the decision maker, you’re selling smarter not harder.


The Basics

• 4. Presentation. – Be on time – if you’re not early, you’re already late.– Relax.– Bring a prop – handout, tablet presentation, etc…– Ask questions.– LISTEN.


Tell them what you’re going to tell them.

Tell them.

Tell them what you’ve told them.


The Basics

• 5. Handling objections.– Leave defensiveness at the door.• We’ll wait and think it over.• We already have one of those.• We been working/using ACME (your competitor) for

years.• We just don’t do it that way.• It’s too expensive.

Keep calm, SMILE, take a deep breath, and probe.


The Basics

• 6. Closing the sale.– A fine mix of art and science.– Is easier with great prospecting, qualification and

handling of objections.– Ask for what you’re worth. Practice asking in the

mirror until you can do it without hesitation.– Flinch pricing.– Shut up.– Sign on the bottom line.


If you don’t ask, the answer is already

“no.”


The Basics

• 7. Referrals.– Follow-up with current customers.– If they are happy, they’ll want a friend or

colleague to be happy, too.– Ask for the Referral, ask for an intro at an event or

even an intro email.– Offer a referral incentive, where appropriate.– Be gracious.– Follow-up with every referral, no matter what.


Group Exercise:• 3-4 person groups – try to pick folks you

don’t know already• Share a sales goal or stumbling block• Pick one from group – report back

• 10-mins


Apply to eCommerce

• 1. Drive traffic to your site: – Think about the Name of your business, is the URL

available. – Register a business name that accurately reflects

on your product niche. – Bone up on Social Marketing, or hire it out.


Apply to eCommerce

• 2. Choose a good niche:– Will this sell well online?

– There is no simple answer here.

– Make sure your product interests you.– Are you selling hard-goods or software?


Apply to eCommerce

• 3. Build a quality website– It’s easier than ever to have a nice site; visitors

aren’t likely to buy from an amateurish site.– Accurately represent your merchandise.– Think about data encryption and hacking.– Use a reputable ecommerce service provider.


Apply to eCommerce

• 4. Make buying easy– Your site must be easy to navigate. – 8-second rule.– Even the slightest obstacles on your site can drive

potential customers elsewhere.


Apply to eCommerce

• 5. Shop online yourself– Visit competitor sites.– Note what you like or dislike.– Compare features, presentation, pricing.– Do keyword searches, regularly.


Apply to eCommerce

• 6. Offer good customer service– State policies clearly – returns, licensing, etc…– Have hours where a real person answers the

phone.– Consider real-time customer service w/ chat apps


Apply to eCommerce

• 7. Make your site known– Claim your listing on search engines – Google,

Bing, Yahoo.– Register/claim your page on other site – Yelp,

Angie’s List, Manta, CitySearch, Yellowbot, MapQuest, InsiderPages, HotFrog, SuperPage, YellowPages, InfoUSA, Local.com, ………………..

– SEO, SEM – reverse keyword lookup– Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest


Apply to eCommerce

• 8. Monitor your Pricing & Position– Online is very nimble – Check your search engine status and your

competitors’ regularly.– Check your competitors’ pricing regularly.– Don’t be afraid to raise your rates.– You can always lower them in the sales process,

but you cannot raise them mid-pitch.– Your price doesn’t‘ have to be on your site.


Apply to eCommerce

• 9. Update your site– Try new sales tactics– Keep info up-to-date– If you have brick-and-mortar with online, have

store sale specials online.– Blogs help with updating and having “your” voice– Stay up to date with User Interface changes -

mobile compatibility, multiple commerce solutions, etc…


Apply to eCommerce

• 10. Have patience– All selling takes time and hard work.– Don’t give up too soon.– Ask for help.– TIP: Use interns – they’re younger, and smarter

about the interwebs.


REVIEW:Know Thy Self.

What’s your style? When are you most successful?

Know Thy Product.What are you selling? Who are your competitors?

Know Thy Customer.To whom are you selling? What do they want/need?

How do they want it?


Let’s Talk:

Molly [email protected]

406.880.0880


sales basics: removing the mystery of good selling november 13, 2014 – women for the web molly...

Documents

sales basics

youre worth

product niche

right product

mystery of good selling

sales calls

followup calls

group exercise