I've done sales for years. In fact, as an early teen, I was helping my dad sell his art at shows. Later, in a more official capacity, I sold veggies for Backyard Bounty, then memberships for the Organic Council of Ontario, and eventually solar microFIT systems worth $30K on average for Guelph Solar. At the end of my time at GS, if I could get a prospect to fill out a 'Getting Started' form, over 90% of them would buy a system!
So, here are my top tips for sales:
1. Sell stuff you actually really like and believe in. How could someone want to buy something from another person if they can see that the seller doesn't even like the products? The more passionate and enthusiastic you are about your products, the more customers will see that, and enthusiasm is contagious! In addition, people pick up all kinds of social cues subconsciously, so make sure they are picking up positive ones!
2. Be genuine. In fact, give people the 'full disclosure'. When I was able to tell my solar prospects that 'this will use up your line of credit, so I understand that you want to think about whether it works for you', it helped build trust. They could see that I genuinely cared about them and their situation.
3. When getting into a sale, don't be attached to the result. I often tell myself, 'I'm OK with whether of not these people buy this'. This takes the pressure off me so I can be more relaxed. The customers see that I'm relaxed and then also feel more at ease.
4. Be friendly! I know this seems obvious, but I've been to art shows where vendors can't even bother to look at me or say 'hi', and I've had sales people cold call me and tell me what to do! I definitely didn't buy from any of these people! Be courteous, and take an interest in your prospects as people. I loved chatting with patrons at the farmers' market, and learning about the cool recipes they had planned for the produce they bought from me!
5. Be responsive and timely. It's hard, and sometimes time gets away from you (and me too!!), but try to respond to every single inquiry, comment, and even note that says they won't be buying! People really appreciate when they can see that you are taking time for them.
I hope you find some of these helpful! I'd love to hear from you about what you find works best for sales! And, if you would ever like help with sales, please get in touch!