Post: #1

I'm still very new to sales. I know of basic techniques like tie downs, using silence, different closing styles, repeating something the client said that was dumb back to them, etc.

I know a lot of guys on here are in sales and I am interested in learning anything that anyone has to offer.

Also, is there a book on sales that I should read? There are so many that I can't decide which one to choose.

Post: #2

Sales tactics and techniques are overrated. The most important thing is simply to establish a strong rapport with the customer and make them like you.

If a person likes you, they immediately become much more amenable to what you're suggesting they do. In this case, that means they become much more amenable to purchasing what you're selling.

You often hear sales compared to game, and in general the analogy is good, as there is a lot of crossover, especially in the areas of confidence building, prospecting and handling rejection. However, there is one major distinction: when running game, you have to keep the push-pull dynamic in mind. You can't be too friendly when gaming a girl because you'll scare her off with a beta vibe. In sales, however, this pretty much goes out the window. The friendlier you are, the better. The faster you can establish comfort, the better. The sales process is adversarial by nature, and customers feel a sense of relief when they're doing business with a guy who is likable, which puts them at ease.

This means that "nice guy" game is the best strategy for sales. Make it impossible for the person to dislike you and your odds of making a sale increase dramatically. This means you need to smile a lot, generally put out a positive vibe, use ingratiating and comforting body language, and speak in a calm but confident manner.

To sum it up, I'll simply relay some of the best and most succinct sales advice I ever got: "It's hard to say no to a smiling idiot."

Post: #3

Ha that quote in bold is great. That is for product sales.

Even tougher is the game of selling trust. That's when it's a real bitch.

Post: #4

Read The Six Elements of Picking Up Girls, and apply to Sales.

Sales and picking up girls requires the exact same skills.

As far as books go, just start reading them. Take what applies to your type of sales, discard the rest.

Post: #5

Sales, like marketing, boils down to exposing a client's NEEDS and showing that your service/product satisfies such a need.

Of course, there's much more nitty-gritty, but focus on adding value.

One corollary to this is that the client should be talking most of the time (80%). People love being listened to all the time (few people listen). Ego is universal.

Post: #6

thegmanifesto is right. This entire forum is dedicated to salesmanship. Most of what you're going to accomplish in life is going to require you to sell yourself.

When I was selling on a commission basis, I always sold myself first, not the product/service I was offering. People mostly buy on emotional impulses, and it's a hell of a lot easier to develop an emotional bond with a person than an inanimate object. They'll reason away the product/service they bought from me later on, but it was definitely emotion that initially told them to buy.

I created a thread sometime back about the death of Zig Ziglar. His book "Secrets of Closing the Sale" is one of the best books on sales you will ever read. I don't recommend using his sales techniques verbatim, but rather to glean as much information on how real life sales situations work.

Post: #7

(05-14-2013 03:22 PM)theArbiter Wrote:  Sales, like marketing, boils down to exposing a client's NEEDS and showing that your service/product satisfies such a need.

Of course, there's much more nitty-gritty, but focus on adding value.

One corollary to this is that the client should be talking most of the time (80%). People love being listened to all the time (few people listen). Ego is universal.

Two ears, one mouth.

Use them in that ratio.

(Again, applies to swooping and sales).

Post: #8

(05-14-2013 02:49 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Read The Six Elements of Picking Up Girls, and apply to Sales.

Sales and picking up girls requires the exact same skills.

As far as books go, just start reading them. Take what applies to your type of sales, discard the rest.

Or more simply put:

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is uniquely your own.” – Bruce Lee

Post: #9

It’s not what you say; It’s what your customer believes.

Thus, attraction and comfort must established.

During this phase you should......

Assess, screen, agree, add value, and CLOSE!

The Art of Persuasion: How to Influence People and Get What You Want (Good book)

Post: #10

Everything you commonly hear about sales is bullshit. And I mean, EVERYTHING. It's the same as with pickup, really; people want to make it seem more systematic than it really is because that's what nerds who suck at sales want to hear.

Anyway, here's the lowdown on sales as I see it:

1. 90% of 'tactics' are crap. The 'repeating what they said back to them' thing is especially bullshit. These are all just hacks to make it seem like you're involved than you really are.

2. Actually CARING about the product you're selling is the biggest advantage you can have. You need to have a bit of life and energy in your tone when you speak, and you CAN'T fake it (unless you're a hollywood actor or something). Going into sales for some bullshit product you don't give a shit about is definitely one of the game plans they cover in "How To Torture Yourself And End Up Hating Your Life."

3. SELL WHAT YOU KNOW. KNOWING the product(s) inside and out is the second biggest advantage you can have. You need to know exactly what makes it special, unique, worth throwing down cash for. Remember, when you're in sales, you're not pushing stuff that people buy at the dollar store; businesses need salesmen because at some price level people start wanting advice and information before they buy. If you can provide this, you're way up on most of your competitors.

4. Most of the stuff you see in the movies regarding sales is half-bullshit. I say "half" bullshit because it definitely happens, but it's not like every successful salesman is out there yelling at people while coked to the gills or trying to "intimidate" clients into closing.

5. "Pressure" has to be subtle. You can't act like a clown, you need to just make it very clear that you're going for the close when you go for it, and you need to close like it's a given.

6. "Rapport" is mega-overrated. I'm going to get flamed to high hell for this but it's true. You can ask probing questions without pretending to be interested in the guy's fucking wife and kids. Come the fuck on. Maybe if you're going for some long play, staking out a wealthy client for a high end real estate by buddying up with them at the country club, 'rapport' is more important. But for any medium-stakes sales job it's best to just care about the product, know the product, stay on topic when you're talking and ask probing questions. People won't MIND you asking them probing questions, they're THERE because they're open to being sold to. the idea that you need to hide your probing questions inside a bunch of bullshit small talk is a byproduct of the exact same pussy-whipped corporate mentality that has companies fearing any bad press. Customers will appreciate you not being a pussy, and knowing your shit, more than anything else.

7. You ultimately need to 'keep it real' more than anything else. The biggest sin in sales is being the stiff, awkward dude who seems like he doesn't want to be there. IT just sends all the wrong messages. What you want to do is only sell because you get some satisfactino out of it, whether it's promoting a brand you love, building your own business, or whatever. It's not something you do because your rent is overdue.

Post: #11

(05-14-2013 06:18 PM)Andy_B Wrote:  6. "Rapport" is mega-overrated. I'm going to get flamed to high hell for this but it's true. You can ask probing questions without pretending to be interested in the guy's fucking wife and kids. Come the fuck on.

Someone who doesn't know the meaning of "rapport".

Post: #12

Alright, thanks for the input.

Post: #13

Agitate & Solve.

Agitate - get them to describe their problem. How long have you had this problem? How does it affect your life? Are there any long-term consequences or opportunity costs relevant to the problem? How would you feel if a year from now you were in the exact same place?

Solve - now that they are sufficiently aroused to a problem-solving state, pitch your solution. Highlight the benefits and how this product/service has none of the fears/consequences they would otherwise encounter.

I also highly recommend Influence by Robert Cialdini which explains 6 powerful aspects of persuasion (reciprocity, scarcity, liking, commitment & consistency, authority and social proof).

Post: #14

I was at this little seminar to shark people as they were leaving. Instead, the speaker put on a clinic and convinced everyone in the room to spend $600 on a 3 day workshop.

I didn't get any leads but I definitely learned a few lessons on public speaking. This guy was running pimp game on these people and they all took it hook line and penis.

The biggest lesson is that people will buy anything.

Post: #15

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q77X1Dk3ixY

@ 1:20