Direct Sales Tips

As a direct salesperson, you serve a vital function in our society. You create a market for products. To be a good salesperson you must take pride in your profession, be it part-time or full-time. Below are eight sales tips to help you along in selling your products.

1. You must honestly believe and feel that what you are selling is a worthwhile and honest value in order to be a success in selling. When you have the conviction that you are selling a worthwhile product, you will sell with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is contagious. When the prospect becomes enthusiastic, he buys.

2. Don't be impatient. Too many inexperienced salespeople call on one or two prospects and quit if they don't get immediate results. It takes time for people to gain confidence in you and your products. Many people will buy at once, but a big proportion will wait to think things over.

Most of your business will eventually be repeat orders from customers. Almost all business depends on repeats. A retail establishment will lose money for quite a period until they build up a flow of repeat customers. Any worthwhile endeavor requires effort. The amount of money you will make will be directly proportional to the effort you put forth.

Some people believe there is an innate trait that makes some people good at sales and others failures. Several marketing authors have dispelled this fallacy. You can and will make money selling your products if you put forth an effort.

3. Be yourself. Many people visualize a successful salesperson as a hail and hearty person with an outgoing personality. If they are not the image of what they expect is a success, they try to imitate. I recently read..., "One of our most successful salespeople is a man who 'never sold a thing in his life' before he joined us. He turned to selling in desperation, when he lost his job and needed an income to support his family. He didn't like to dress in a jacket or tie so he called on his prospects in his everyday "house" clothes. He was terrified at selling and the first two calls took more courage than he thought he had. He sold both prospects! When you are not yourself, you'll appear phony." Just act your natural self, and you will do well.

4. Don't try to sell by force. If you do pressure a person into buying something they don't want, you haven't developed a customer.

5. Don't plead. "Please try my product because I need the money badly." Maybe you'll get a sympathy sale, but again, you haven't developed a customer.

6. Emphasize value, need and satisfaction, and your prospect will buy if you can explain to him that your product is a good value, it serves a need, and that he or she will derive pleasure or satisfaction from the sale. Of course, you must know your product before you can convince others that it is worthwhile buying.

7. Ask for the sale. Closing the sale is the critical part of any sales approach. You must not be afraid to ask for the order. The close naturally depends upon the proper overall presentation. If you have shown the prospect that your product has value, need, or potential enjoyment, you're ready to ask for an order.

Test closes are made by asking, "Which do you prefer the peach or the aqua color? I can deliver your order overnight, or would Saturday be preferable?"

Set goals for yourself. When you're in sales you must be self motivated. You won't have any boss or foreman telling you what to do and when. It becomes too easy to find excuses for not making calls unless you establish goals for yourself. Keep accurate records of all sales by the week and by the month.

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