Turbo Boost Your Employability Skills - by: Conrad Guthrie

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READ FREE ONLINE FOR ONE MONTH STARTING TODAY Seven Steps to a Successful Sale By: Conrad Guthrie. Independent Sales Coach

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Seven Steps to a Successful Sale By: Conrad Guthrie. Independent Sales Coach

Published Independently by Conrad L. Guthrie 7 Eureka Crescent Kingston 5, Jamaica West Indies Prepared for Sale Internationally First published in Jamaica March 2010 Copyright © Seven Steps to a Successful Sale, 2010 All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the above publisher of this book, Conrad Guthrie. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or by any other means without the written permission of the publisher is illegal and it is punishable by law. Please purchase authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is greatly appreciated.

Books are available at quantity discounts for resale. Please contact Conrad Guthrie at: Tel. +1-876-367-0939 E-mail: admin@conradguthrie.org | Website: www.conradguthrie.org

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Seven Steps to a Successful Sale By: Conrad Guthrie. Independent Sales Coach

Table of Content Topics

Page Numbers

Acknowledgement

Page 4

Introduction

Page 5

Chapter 1: The Ugly Side of Life

Page 6-7

Chapter 2: Betraying the Company

Page 8-9

Chapter 3: Step 1: Knowledge

Page 10-12

Chapter 4: Step 2: People Skills

Page 13-15

Chapter 5: Step 3: Structure

Page 16-19

Chapter 6: Step 4: Poise

Page 20-22

Chapter 7: Step 5: Asking Permission Questions

Page 23-26

Chapter 8: Step 6: Listening

Page 27-28

Chapter 9: Step 7: F.A.B. Statement

Page 29-33

Chapter 10: Words of Encouragement

Page 34-36

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Acknowledgement This handbook would not have been possible without the help and support of some very special people. Special thanks to my mother Patricia Mahadio-Guthrie, and Father, Araldo Guthrie along with my brothers and sisters, Debbie, Sherlene, Clint and Curtis. We all have experienced hardship, and in spite of all that, we are still one big family living all over the world. To other relatives in Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, St. Thomas and Kingston & St. Andrew, thanks for your support. To Mrs. Daphney Haye of Kendal Weslyan Holiness Church in Hanover for her endless support and warm spiritual encouragement. To the manager of Cellular King Limited at Kings Plaza on Constant Spring Road for the opportunity of a lifetime. In the past, I have made some mistakes and have betrayed your trust, but in doing so, a valuable lesson is learned. To my friends Andre, Marky, Miss Joe and my Ex-fiancĂŠ Calisa, all of Westmoreland, thanks for your support through hard times. To Mr. Surton Harding of Pelican Woodworks in Kingston, to Mr. Uton Anthony Johnson for his friendship, financial and educational support over the years. Special thanks to the trainers at LIME Jamaica, and everyone at Junior Chamber International Jamaica, (Juliene Holt, Sophia, Harris David Knight, Samuel Coats and others). To the Small Business Association and Jamaica Business Development Corporation. Thanks to all those whom I have not mentioned. My life has been a journey and all of you have made a significant positive impact in ways you may not know. A book like this one, filled with emotion, humor, pain, victory and defeats could only have been completed with the help and connection of everyone I know, personally and socially. Conrad Guthrie Independent Sales Coach Kingston, Jamaica Tel: +1-876-367-0939 www.conradguthrie.org admin@conradguthrie.org

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Introduction Seven Steps to a Successful Sale is a simple and precise, easy to read handbook that contains seven basic sales techniques that are carefully selected and structured as a system, and therefore are best suitable to establish, maintain, and conclude a successful and productive sales conversation. This handbook is prepared with the aim to transform your life and change your concept on sales. It will be startling to know that these seven (7) basic skills; will make your job much easier. At an early stage in life, I stopped attending school due to financial difficulties and I eventually started working for a living at the age of seventeen as a sales representative, and it was through this experience I learned many skills and behaviors, and now, I am sharing this wonderful gift. This experience is similar to many, and without a doubt, I know that you will not only be engaged in reading, but also experience an absolutely enriched and breath taking journey to the top of your company as the next employee of the month. So sit back, take a deep breath and relax, because right now I am about to share with you my experience in the form of a system of sales techniques. This is “Seven Steps to a Successful Sale”. Learned and mastered right here in Jamaica Please read the lines carefully. Thank you, Conrad Guthrie

……………………. Kingston, Jamaica Tel: +1-876-367-0939 www.conradguthrie.org admin@conradguthrie.org

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Seven Steps to a Successful Sale By: Conrad Guthrie. Independent Sales Coach

Chapter 1 “The Ugly Side of Life” ____________ It all started around1995 when we were living in Kendal Hanover. This was during a time when both parents were struggling to feed, protect, and to educate us while other people were so filled with bad minded behaviors that they kept picking on us by calling us names like (The Nasty Koolie dem). They saw us as different because we were Indians and we were new to the area. Due to financial difficulties and as a result of a disappointing and heart broken incident, we were unable to attend school continuously, from primary to secondary school. At the age of thirteen, I got a weekend job that paid JM$700 to wash the side of a house and cleaning the flowers garden. With anxiety and enthusiasm I went at it with all that I had, while daddy had not the slightest idea of what I was doing as he was busy working to the best of his ability. He was working for someone in Hanover who cultivates sugar canes. His job was to drive a truck that carried canes to the sugar factory in Frome Westmoreland which paid him JM$60 per ton, but the saddest thing was this, the truck could only carry 20 tons and daddy sometimes carried 22 tons. In a single day when there is much canes, daddy would make on average, three trips which takes him up to about 9:30p.m.. So work this out with me at 20 tons per trip. If he could do this three times per day, and three days per week at JM $60 per ton, how much would he have earned for his salary? Does all of that sound great for survival? Now, imagine what happens when the cane season has ended because it only last for six months. We turned to a lot of options for food. I am talking about having breadfruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner, how about, apples, yam and salt, mangos, pears, or even going a day without food, no toothpaste, no bath soap, not adequate clothes to wear, no electricity, a bed that has springs poking when we sleep? I agree, there are those who were in a more predicament situation. But we fought and survived those challenges because believed in change, and we still do.

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One day I went to my pastor’s wife, (Wesleyan Holiness Church) I asked her to help me with a job but I got an answer which did not satisfy my expectation. That same evening I told my father that I will be starting a business in the near future and in response, he said; boy yuh tink it eezi fi staaat a bizniz?! Time went by rapidly and life seemed not to be getting better as we would encounter one problem after another. I always heard this phrase, “good things come to those who wait”. Those words meant something to me, however, days turned into years and better never showed up. My younger brother started keeping bad association and it was really a bother to me, although I would go out to play with them as well. I had boundaries within friendship, but I was not that mature to have known about the dangers of bad friends, I just knew that I didn’t like their behaviors. Eventually he went to stay with my older brother in Kingston and my father and I did the same after a year. Residing in the Kingston was a like dream came “True”. I always heard people talking about Kingston as if it was a foreign country, where life is abundantly beautiful and different by faaaaaaaaaaaar! I even heard that cars were talking like robots, lots of tall building which we see in movies. Been in Kingston for the first time, I was like, ooooooook then, so where are the talking cars? What’s up with these zinc fences? What’s up with the funny talk, brown face and black body? Why are the gullies so dirty? Why are dogs suffering from hunger? Well, the temperature was much higher than that of the rural area that I actually thought the sun was nearer to the earth, and believe me, I was afraid of going outside during the days. Adjusting to a new environment was a challenge because everything was different, the people, the flow, the lifestyle. Eventually I started to mix and mingle with new people, and that was how I figured that it was fun to be in the city. I found out that Kingston is not a foreign country but it’s more developed for business, everything is fast paste, people investing in education, people busy going to work, regular pile-up of traffic, road signs and traffic lights, larger and taller commercial and residential complex lots more students of different schools, parties here and everywhere right through the week.

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Chapter 2 “Betraying The Company’s Trust” ____________ A Break Through One day when I was least expecting in 2002, a friend of mine called with a job offer in the field of sales. Of course, I knew nothing about sales, but it was most certainly “A Job” with an assured basic salary. Therefore, I did the interview and was accepted immediately. I fell in love with the idea of selling mobile phones and network services. Every day I dedicated myself in order that I would learn something new about the business. Over a period of time , I established a level of friendship and trust and then I started to make stupid decisions, very stupid, and crazy decisions. I started using the money from the daily cash machine to support my girlfriend. Sometimes I did not remember to put back the money or I sometimes did not care to put it back. She was very appreciative of it, but only if I knew the danger of engaging in such an activity. There are many persons in the world today that may have been in this situation, or, they are presently in it for various reasons. Can you tell why I was busted? I did it the first time and management did nothing, I did it the third time and no actions, so I was like; ok, I am a smart dude! When you start to steal, the beginning will be fun and it is very exciting because no one might find out just as you started, but eventually, the sun will rise and the day will become brighter thus showing up all that you are doing. I had to face the embarrassment of being fired for stealing and betraying the trust of the company. One thing I was very grateful for was that I was never arrested, and I was shown leniency by the manager. After been fired from the company, my aunt told me to leave her house because I am a thief and I am a wicked Jehovah’s Witness, so I went back to Kingston and did not tell my father, or brothers what had happen. I was home for a long while without a job, and at that time, I started taking my Bible studies more serious to the point of been baptized at Sabina Park in 2004 as a Jehovah’s Witness.

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During 2004 and July 2005, I was employed at four different places and one of those employments was in the year of 2005 of which I was a sales coordinator for a Scooter Bike Company (Prestoni Bikes in Half Way Tree, Kingston). For six (6) months, I did the best that I could to ensure that the riders were satisfied with the bikes and service they bargained for. Although I knew the owner very well, it was very difficult to communicate because he only cared about himself and the welfare of the business. Eventually I got tired of been pushed around and be treated unfairly, so I reapplied at the mobile company. During that same time, I took the initiative to write my resignation which I submitted after three months. Two weeks after I submitted my resignation, I got an interview call from the mobile company. On that day, I got there within seven minutes, as I was already dressed for a seminar. The interview was a success and I started working the following day. I was so sure that I was grown and that I would never make the same stupid mistake which I made in Westmoreland. Months went by rapidly and I participated in sales trainings conducted by LIME Jamaica (formerly known as Cable & Wireless). I engaged in road promotions, I answered the telephone and acted as a customer service representative as well. It was fun to be working at the head office. She was willing to assist me with anything. She did not verbally attest to it but I could understand I tried to build a close relationship with my employer, but there times when I was a raid of her, because she always argue about something, she never gave us the chance to display our skills to make money, but I guess she knew why. There were times when I saw her laughing, but most times, she seemed so occupied, always in a meeting, always traveling and always encouraging us to sell and keep selling. I stole from her and betrayed her trust, but there I was, working for her, handling her money, in her store with her products. Even though I was enjoying my job, deep in my head I kept wondering what she as thinking about me, was she seeing me as a thief? During that time of employment, I managed to gain an experience, which I believe will be very helpful to you. In the next seven chapters, I will be explaining Seven Steps to a Successful Sale.

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Chapter 3 “1st Step: Knowledge” ____________ Concentrating on knowledge alone, learning tariff after tariff for example, allowed me to provide the kind of sales assistance that a customer wanted. You need knowledge in order to bring solutions to any customer, but what sort of knowledge? Surely not the knowledge that people are saying will come naturally without training. In order to accomplish this task, it is very important to accept training for specific techniques that will guide your thoughts and actions as well as your entire body as an instrument for persuasion. With these techniques, you will develop a passion for what you do because you are now capable of connecting with your customer on an intimate basis. You are now able to address all their concerns, provide solutions, and deliver 100% customer satisfaction. Here is an example of how you can broaden your knowledge. Competition: Current Fashion: Future Trends:

Market: Products: Services:

Products and Services other retailers are offering, especially in your area. An awareness of the latest product trend An understanding of where the product trend is going. In this way, you can be able to offer solutions to your Customers, solutions that are upgradeable and future proof New patterns in the industry, an awareness of latest developments, price changes, special offers, and new products New products, shape, color, target, innovation, purpose, etc Providing value to existing and potential customers, payment options, new ways of communicating and purchasing

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Technology:

Having adequate knowledge of the technology trend in order to explain essentials to Customers. (for example; online shopping). You are probably saying that this is unnecessary or you already knew, but hey! Look at it this way, “You are now been reminded” and what should you do with reminders, you put them to good use, right? Almost all business are going internet. Internet shopping is the way because customers can shop from home.

There are many employees, who are working for particular companies or organizations for years, and right now, they cannot say where the products were made, cannot identify the year the product was made neither can they properly explain the services that they are selling. It is very easy to memorize the services you are selling, but it is more important to understand them. The saddest thing about this fact however is this, most small businesses are lacking professionalism and the main contributing factor to failure is lack of customer communication skills. The staff is not capable of persuading customers, business owner are not able to market their business effectively, and everybody is just focusing on MONEY! For a few seconds, just think about these two words; KNOW and UNDERSTAND. Imagine that you are working for Bashco downtown Kingston. A customer walks up to you and asks this question; Why are your prices different from those at MegaMark? Will you answer by saying, oh, because Bashco cheaper! You may be correct, but, do you understand why Bashco’s prices are lower than MegaMart’s? In order to win a customer as a Sales Representative, you need to understand your company’s services and line of products, prices, special discounts, new offers, and its competitors within the market or community. Remember that this is a fight to make money and if you do not sell, the company wont make money, if the company don’t make money, then you will not be paid.

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It is extremely vital for a company/organization to see the obligation of educating employees in areas such as products and services, others wise, their customers will do what is best, THEY WILLWALK AWAY!. What do I mean by this? Here is an example; when I was employed at the mobile store, one day someone came to me and was asking about a special promotion that was published in the Sunday Gleaner, we honestly had nooooooo knowledge of such. It was about 11:20a.m., when the boss came in and asked if we saw the advertisement. What went wrong? That was poor communication between management and staff or lack of adequate information on time. Now, whether your company is offering internal training or not, it is your obligation to ensure that you are properly educated. Always remember that you are the one who requested employment, and on your application, you made sure you state that you HAVE what it takes to be an asset. Undoubtedly, when you applied for the job you were expecting to be accepted, right? Let us just say you are applying for a job and you get it, what are your goals? 1,…….. 2, ……...3, stop thinking! You should have known before you submitted your application. The same way you expected to be paid as agreed upon, it is the same way management is expecting you to perform at the best of your ability or more like the number one in the market place. You must always confirm with management, whenever someone questions you about a service or product of which you have no knowledge. Nothing is wrong to with saying, I am not aware of this, can you please wait just a few seconds for me to acquire information? Do not be afraid of talking with management. Asking questions will indicate that you are willing to learn and work effectively and be a reliable asset. It will show that you are capable of been promoted to a higher position within the company. In the next chapter, you will learn basic steps of effectively communicating with you customers, management, and workmates. This skill will help you in the public as well, so spend time to meditate on, and practice these skills.

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Chapter 4 “2nd Step: People Skills” ___________ These are probably the most useful skills that a Sales person must develop… Been able to Read customers and situation in order to respond in a way that they appreciate. Build Rapport to influence your customers. Develop Empathy by putting yourself in your customer’s shoes while seeing the Sale from the customer’s point of view. Asking effective Questions in order to clearly identify the customer’s needs. Finally, Persuade customers to make same day purchase and in addition, to use new/other products and services. Always Communicate with Clarity, use proper pronunciation, deliver adequate information, and establish lifetime relationships. Become a friend of the customer, and if that customer favors you, that one customer will tell others about you. Always remember, that when anyone walks in, the first thing they see is you. The company is behind you and it becomes attractive to the person based on HOW YOU deliver. Been very skillful helps you to deliver solutions to your customers whether it involves the selling of a product, or service. This also reflects your solution-finding attitude. Developing people skills is essential, because it aims to develop your personal skills. People skills enables you to conduct successful sales conversations, and out of those conversations you will find great opportunities to introduce new products and services. Do not allow the customer to leave without learning something new or purchasing something else when possible. You need to work with the cash that the customer has. They too have bills to pay but remember, you are a Sales Representative, and your job is to sell. Example; I appreciate your support by purchasing… however; I am introducing you to… You must try hard not to say I want to introduce… or I would love to introduce… Get to the point. I am introducing you to… or, you may ask; Can you say what this is…? or, Have you ever seen or heard of..?

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If you develop the ability to identify different types of customers, you will increase the effectiveness of managing a successful sales process. Showing interest in people is a technique to be mastered but a quality of the heart. There are those who sit back and say; “This kind of thing comes naturally”. Now, with this in mind, please help me find an answer to these questions.  Why are there so many sales representatives been paid a minimum wage for many years?  If these skills come naturally, why are they not been rewarded for dedication, advancement, and contribution to the company/organization?  Why is it that we are not hearing of outstanding employees who took their company to higher heights? The degree of our interest in customers is evident in many ways. It shows in how we listen, in what we do and what we say. It is been manifested through the kindness and consideration we extend to customers, even when we did not do, or say anything. These qualities will be evident by our attitudes and body language. If you do not care about your customers, they will, be able to identify it. Some people consider it disrespectful to approach another person wearing a hat or with a hand in the pocket, while in some places, people might accept such behavior. Even though this is true, we should know how to approach our customers, especially addressing them by the given name. There is always the need to show respect to everyone. Always remember that these are skills, and just like any other skills, they can be developed, but how?  The first step is to recognize where you need to improve.  The second step is to make the effort to improve, and it does not matter if you are shy or not outspoken. Making the effort to improve and influence You can make improvements by doing personal research. Imagine that you are given an assignment to represent your company at a business function, but the information which you get is too simple/basic or maybe it is something you already know. How can you make it riveting? Enrich it by conducting a research.

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When supported with a statistic or two, or with an example that fits your information and that touches the heart of those listening, a point that seems obvious becomes informative, and it will motivate potential customers. In order to do this effectively, you need to Illustrate, Explain, and Persuade. Now let us get back to work, may we? A new product/service is in store, how will you sell it effectively? Do you have enough information about the product? Is management willing to provide further information, or are you the type of Sales representative who finds information on your own? Well, here is how you can do it. Before you do the research, consider the type of customers who will want this kind of product/service. Provided below is an outline that you may follow when conducting a research. Remember that we are discussing People Skills and you may be asking by now, how relevant is all this. Let us continue for a few more seconds because I am very sure that you will be happy for reaching this point. The first thing to do when you are about to assist a customer is to ask yourself… Does he/she already know this product? If yes... 1. What does he/she already know? If no... 2. What does he/she need to know? This is where you start to sell. Selling is not entirely about exchanging money for a product or service, it is about providing solutions and customer satisfactions and establishing lifetime customer relationships. After you have established those facts, you will then need to identify your objective (s):  Is it to explain?  Is it to convince?  Is it to refute or…  Is it to motivate? You may not have in-depth detail on a new product/service, however it does not have to stop there, you can do further research in order to have Cristal clear knowledge of the product so that you can look a customer in the eyes with boldness and confidence. If you can do this, you are making the effort to improve your skills and to influence. In order to influence your Customers, let us consider the next chapter, which will provide a starting point and a structure for you to start building confidence in your manager and our Customers. Inspired by actual life experience: Jamaica © 2010 Eng.|

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Chapter 5 “3rd Step: Structure” ___________ Been very focused, steady, and tactful, you can reduce the time spent with customers while displaying the quality of product/services your company/organization offers. This is not to say that you must be hurrying through your sales process, which is why I am saying steady and tactful. Sounds impressive, but what does it mean in action? Time is essential to every sales process and on many occasions, time will slip away before either you or the customer realizing it. I am recommending that you GET TO THE POINT OF PURCHASING, and after which you can elaborate a few seconds depending the customer traffic. You just need to use judgment. This (judgment) is simply just having a process in your mind and a structure to your selling. This helps you manage your job more effectively with every customer. What do I mean by structure? Let us consider a few examples of missing structure. Example #1 it is your first day in class, and your teacher ask to borrow your textbook for him/her to get prepared, it will only take a few minutes. What is the missing structure? Example #2 For the first time your life, you visited a particular cars sales enterprise and the Salesperson then say; “we have hundreds of cars in store, from general to convertibles, and for our special offer, we have from Range Rovers to the latest BMWs, have a look through, it will only take you a few hours”. What is the missing structure? If you cannot identify them, please, read over especially the last illustration or ask someone to answer the question for you. When you finish reading this book, if you cannot remember anything, keep practicing every day. A structure module can guide every conversation. Let me share with you a structure module that consists of four key units, these are what you may already know, but this structure module is effective enough to conclude a successful conversations. The visual order is provided on the next page.

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STRUCTURE MODULE: 1. Connecting - Enabling your customer to associate freely with you 2. Exploring - Enabling your customer to express/reveal his/her true needs 3. Recommending - Providing salutations to solving his/her true needs 4. Delivering - Making sure that the customers get what you promised and is happy with the results. Delivering customer satisfaction and establishing life time customer relationship Here is a personal philosophy that I am sharing with you; whatever the problem is, my purpose is to find the right solution for my customer! By delivering your promise to every customer, whether they appear to be buying or not, you will increase your level of sales opportunity because you are increasing the quality and consistency of your company. Solution finding attitude for everyone: Of course, we are all different in a unique way. but nevertheless, how much different should it be when you to have a style/attitude to your selling? Stop imitating the style and behaviors of others and establish your own. Throughout your entire Sales process, just remember that everyone must be satisfied with the result.  The Customer  The Company  You The four modules mentioned above, forms a framework, rather than a single guide that you can follow to deliver superior service. People prefer to buy from whomever they can trust. Imagine if someone walks in and your face looks like the rare of a garbage truck or you smell and look like Riverton City Land-Fill off Spanish Town Road, lol! Only God alone can turn back that customer. As they say in Jamaica, “keep yuhself clean and trendy”. Later we will talk more about this, so now, let us talk more about building quality relationships with your customers. Having this in your mind and applying your skills carefully, only then you are sure of selling, selling, and just keep selling. Remember earlier when I mentioned reducing the time that you spend with customers? Your job is to turn strangers into Potential Customers. Inspired by actual life experience: Jamaica © 2010 Eng.|

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How can you accomplish this? There are parallels within friendship; however, even though this can happen, not all your customers will become your friends. People actually buy from people whom they are comfortable with and whomever they like and trust. Depending on the situation, you must spend adequate time because... 1. It achieves rapport with your Customer 2. It builds trust and empathy 3. It gives you lots more information about your Customer’s needs even though you have not started the exploration unit as directed in the Structure Module. If there is someone whom you want to make friends with, would you not want to make the right impression first? The same is true when wanting to make new customers, and there are behaviors that are important to this phase. What are they? You and the Store The appearance of the store is very important, and you must be further ahead of them with arrangement than any other day of the week. Firstly, they have come to you because the manufacturer or company/organization is attracting them through marketing and promotion, and it is as if they are coming in to your own home. As soon as we see something or someone, we are already making a judgment based on appearance, RIGHT? If this is the case with almost everyone, do you think that you can make a difference by applying the skills that I am sharing with you? I encourage you to tell your friends to purchase their copy of this handbook in order to make a change today. Start learning how to be effective, how to make appropriate and effective judgments, learn how to attract, and keep customers; learn how to increase sales figures.

How can you possibly relax and maintain confidence all year long? ____________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are your weaknesses? ___________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What challenges do you face on a regular basis? ___________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are your goals for the next six months? ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are your goals for the next five years? ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What do you like about this handbook? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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“4th Step: Poise” ___________ If you can stand, move, and speak in a calm dignified manner, you can give evidence of composer. If you can be this relax and comfortable, your customer will be more likely to concentrate on what you are saying rather than on you. Avoid undue attention by not wearing a lot of gadgets, (pins, pens, bracelets, shoes, fancy outfit, mannerisms etc). It is normal to feel some level of anxiety. To maintain composure however; you will need to understand different types of anxieties, you will learn how to control especially the type that makes your joints turn jelly, and you just keep sweating and freaking out. Now, please note that the following are two different words with two different meanings, but are sometimes misunderstood, misused or misinterpreted. ANXIETY: This is Pain or uneasiness of mind respecting some events. Can be excited NERVOUSNESS: This is originating from anxiety. This affects the nerves, causes you to experience uneasiness, and makes you afraid something or someone Many people today have the tendency of misunderstanding both words and emotions, so if you are one who is suffering from either of them, I can tell you that it happens to everyone at one point or the other. Simply put, even the most effective keynote speaker experiences these emotions years after they began their career. You will be wrong if you tell yourself that you will get over these emotions. You can never get over them; you can only keep them under control to a certain level. Of course nervousness comes from been overly anxious for something, such as, dealing with a new customer. If you should find yourself in this situation, you need to invest lots of time in your preparation, make sure that you clearly understand your products/service by giving special attention to your introductions and know how you will be starting. The more sales activities that you engage in, the less you will feel nervous. Think of a time when you felt nervous... now, what could you have done to feel better?

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All you have to do is this, when you find that you are experiencing difficulties, just STOP and relax for a couple seconds, or ask someone for help. Think of ways in which you can solve that problem by asking a question that will make your customer start explaining his/her concerns. Use movements of hands, shoulders or the entire body to express ideas, sentiments, or attitudes. Use the eyes, mouth, as well as the positioning of the head to reinforce the spoken word and to covey feelings. In public speaking, expressions and gestures together will add visual and emotional emphasis to a speech or introduction. With these actions, you will stir emotion and therefore add life or vibes to your voice. Ideas and feelings conveys not only with the voice, but also by means of gestures and expressions. Your gestures are not to be like those seen in a book. Can you remember the person who taught you how to smile or laugh? What a stupid question is this? Lol! The point is this though; No one was trained to smile, or laugh. Do you know anyone like that? Expressions and gestures should also convey the genuine sentimental emotions within you. You must know that an emotion is a conscious state, such as joy, sorrow; fear and hate are all fine examples of conscious experiences that are emotions. On the other hand, not all experiences or “feeling state” can be classified as emotions, for example, we would not consider hunger, thirst and the sensation of pain or cold to be an emotion, usually, emotions can be expressed through... (1) Body gestures: movements of hands, shoulders, head, eyebrows, and eyes (2) Behaviors: choice of words/phrase, mannerism/attitude Primarily, bodily gestures are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, they include changes in physiological responses such as hate, breathing heavily and sweating. You may be asking; what does this have to do with emotion and how relevant is it to “Emotion”? Emotion triggers reflexes and in turn, reflexes results in gestures and behaviors.

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The most effective gestures and appropriate behaviors can be found in one’s inner self. What value do emotions have within the process of a sale? Our emotions helps us prevent situations that will harm us and they lead us to do things that are important and enjoyable. In a sense, our emotions drives us to do’s and don’ts. This is why emotions are known to be drivers and of course, if you are able to control yourself, by practicing using effective body gestures and appropriate behaviors, you will not have to worry about displaying negative emotions that can turn off your customers. Empathetic gesture expresses feelings and convictions; they punctuate, vitalize, and reinforce ideas, but you must know that gestures can become Mannerisms. If you keep using the same gesture on a repeated basis, you may begin to draw attention to yourself rather than on the product that you are selling. (Examples; Am I right? This is the bomb! This is unbelievable!) In order to determine the extent of which you are going to use gestures that are appropriate, consider the person whom you are about to talk with. As you gain experience and become more at -ease with speaking, gesture that you should use, will express your inner emotions more naturally while you are demonstrating confidence and sincerity and will add meaning to your speech. More than any other body gestures, your FACE often expresses your emotions, whether hate, joy, love, disgust, perplexity, amazement, or delight, sorrow or sympathy. Your EYES, the shape of your MOUTH, the inclination of your HEAD all together will play their own part, but you must practice using these gestures and expressions to convey your best ideas without a word from your mouth. Whenever a facial expression is accompanied by kind and meaningful words, they will add visual and emotional impact. More than all of that, a friendly smile is very important, it tells others of the kind of person whom you are and the warm feeling which you have to extend towards them. This is especially important in times like now when people are afraid of strangers. Your smile can help people to relax and to be more receptive to what you have to say. I do not mean plastic faked smile!

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Chapter 7 “5th Step: Asking Permission Questions” ___________ When asking questions, they must be for achieving a desired goal. Permission questions that are carefully used will help your customers to understand what you are looking for and where you are going with the process. At that point, your customer is involved in the process and this means that the customer feels the power to ask questions too and may want to lead the process. This is your game so control it. You should never feel the right to ask random personal questions even if you believe the questions are important. You must get the customer’s permission. Please ensure that your questions are pertaining to the matter been discussed. Here is an example of asking permission to ask question: ………………………………………………………………………………………………… CUSTOMER: Hi, how are you doing today? I need information on a product. YOU: I am doing just fine; my name is… what product do you have in mind? CUSTOMER: Last week I saw this TV Commercial about… it seems very useful for my family, and I have been hearing people talking about this that same product. It seems like fun but I am not sure if what I am hearing is true, so I want to know what benefits I will get. YOU: I will be providing you with the necessary information, but first, I will have to ask few questions concerning your lifestyle and the persons in your house, do I have permission to ask these simple questions? CUSTOMER: Of course, go ahead! Can you sense that sincerity and respect from both sides of the counter? Undoubtedly, that customer will appreciate been asked to give permission. This is something you do not see quite frequent, sales representatives just sell and then say thanks, rarely when there is an intimate conversation with the customer. Asking questions relating to family members and friends can open a channel to sell more products. The questions that you will ask must be related to the product (see box for example questions on page 30). Inspired by actual life experience: Jamaica © 2010 Eng.|

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It is your job to direct the conversation where you want it, and not where the customer desires, however, be aware that the customer will be asking questions too. If this happens, it means that you have started exploring by connecting with the customers. How do you know what kind of questions to ask? It is very simple; you just have to listen to the conversation. Following that conversation keenly, the flow of appropriate questions will come across like butter on bread while helping your customer to help you find help for him/her. “Permission Questions” is a tactful way of showing that you are interested in finding solutions. This is to ensure that the answers simply YES or NO. This will prevent any misunderstanding that can possibly rise up between you and your customer. This will help the customer …  To be aware of what is going to happen  To feel as if he/she has some level of control over the decision making process  To feel confident that the sales representative will be doing his/her best to assist  To be suspicious of questions about usage/motives and will give answers that are easy to understand. During the process of exploring of your customer’s needs, you must first have an understanding of different types of questions and their purposes. Try to remember, at that time, it is not a crime scene, avoid making your customer feels as if he/she is under interrogation for doing something bad. Keep connecting with your customer as precious diamonds and do not allow him/her to fall in the script repeatedly, does this sound confusing? In other words, do not repeat questions or restarting the conversation, that is why, it is important to listen keenly. I am not asking you to be a perfect person, all that I am asking is that you follow the conversation carefully, ask the right questions, and allow the customer to answer or to ask questions too. Be Competent and Skillful

This technique of permission questions will never come over night, it will be over time with experiences, after which it becomes natural. Have you ever met anyone who just kept repeating him/herself? How annoying! You need to ask questions which will establish your customer’s personal motives for wanting the product/service of which you are offering.

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Always ask yourself “WHY AM I ASKING THESE QUESTIONS?” but first, you need to know what kind of answers you are expecting. Understanding the various types of question that comes within this segment will help you gain different types of answers, this is not to say that you will be asking time to think, you will not have time for that as your customer may be thinking that you are not competent enough to handle any situation. Provided below is another framework which outline types of questions which will guide you through your questioning process. 1. OPENING QUESTIONS: These questions that cannot be answered as mere YES or NO; instead, they open the conversation to an understanding of the customer’s opinion, taste, interest and work situation.  Why do you know about this product? If the customer says, I know nothing, then…  Why do you think it will benefit you?  Is there anyone else in your household who will want to use this product 2. CLOSING QUESTIONS: These are YES or NO answers that will confirm statement or an agreement.  Are you satisfied with this product/service? 3. WHAT IF SCENARIO: In the closing question segment, a What If Scenario might develop from the customer. Answers to these questions will encourage and educate your customer and will allow him/her to think of new possible ways.  What if does not work for me?  What if I can get a better deal somewhere else? A What If Scenario only gets visible if you have not helped the customer to find a solution, or have failed to explore and connect well. Bear in mind that customers will always have What Ifs in their minds. You must work hard to avoid this because you are now delivering a solution.

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4. HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION: These questions are more like a statement, but the aim is to get the customer to give a personal confirmation of purchasing agreement. You will already know what the agreement is, but you want to lead your customer to confirm. This type of question only comes after exploring. Do you remember the chapter on Structure Module with the four key units? (Connecting, Exploring and Recommending) 

This is such a cost effective product/service, no one would want to turn down this offer?

5. LEADING QUESTIONS: Leading the customer to agree with something which you know is of great benefit, however, do not let them feel as if you are pushing aside their opinions, you need to explain why.  So can you see that this is a better choice to make?  After all that illustration and explanation, will you walk away without this product/service today? It is better to start exploring with open questions and an occasional closing question in order to confirm that you have the right information/answer. For example;  How?  Who?  What?  When?  Where?  Why? These questions will help you to know your customer’s needs; these answers will give more than just mere factual information which can make you understand your customer’s feeling very well. Instead of asking, what are you going to do with such product? Try to give reasons to get personal responses without hesitation, in other words, the way he/she will be using product/service personally.

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Chapter 8 “6th Step: Listening” ___________ There is no point in asking brilliant questions if you do not carefully listen to a customer’s concern. Active Listening is a skill that needs development with constant improvement. Think of someone who is easy to talk with, someone who …  Appears interesting  Nods in agreement  Offers verbal encouragements The R.Q.U.R. Process This segment is I call active listening: 1. Reading: Reading comes with listening and observing behaviors and mannerisms to get the understanding of what the customer is/was saying. 2. Questioning: Ask key questions to make sure you clearly understand what the customer is/was saying. 3. Understanding: When you question the customer, you get a level of understanding to make you feel in place with your customer. 4. Responding: Based on reading and questioning you will understand the customer’s needs and here is where you will know how to respond. Demonstrate that you are listening to your customer by summarizing his/her needs while making eye contact and nodding, you may also want to make reference to earlier parts of the conversation from notes* which you were taking. In doing this, make sure that your customer gets your undivided attention at all times. If you are been distracted by a colleague or maybe the telephone, ensure that you politely excuse yourself, be sure that your customer agrees before removing. *NOTES: You do not have to use a notebook; you can make it a practice to memorize important points from a conversation. Inspired by actual life experience: Jamaica © 2010 Eng.|

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If you listen well to your customer, he/she will know without a doubt that you are interested in him/her and then he/she will feel comfortable disclosing information. Remember that some of your customers may appear to be babies and you must know how to relate to each one of them.

Do not be hurrying or worrying yourself, because you may cause a slight confusion that can cause your customer to think that you cannot handle many pressures, the customer may not want to finish talking with you and either leave the store or call someone else. You should not assume what the customer is going to say before you listen. Here is an example of assumption from a sales representative: CUSTOMER: Hi, how are you doing today? YOU: I am doing just fine; my name is … how may I assist you? CUSTOMER: Last week I was watching the TV and I…” YOU: Perfect, I know what you are going to say! This is so wrong! You have just embarrassed yourself, and if this is the case, will you not agree with me that you were too jumpy? Never let this happen to you, NEVER. Always allow the customer to complete statements or questions. Please listen to your customer before you give any sort of suggestion. I have had the experience of been overly anticipated that I just kept going and going. I just got out of training and I felt so equipped. The customer then said to me; why are you rushing? I am not going anywhere. I have learned that listening carefully during a discussion can benefit me a lot. I am more than confident that you too, by listening carefully, you will by any means, gain the respect and interest of your customer. In addition, you MUST observe the directions of which the conversation is going, and to do this you need to keep training your memory. Another personality to develop is interest; it is an important factor in memory improvement. If you make it a habit to observe carefully, or to be interested in people and what is happening around you, your mind will be stimulated. For example, it is sometimes difficult to remember some ones name, but through careful practice, you will master this habit. Inspired by actual life experience: Jamaica © 2010 Eng.|

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Chapter 9 “7th, Step: F.A.B. Statement” ___________ If exploring is about understanding customer’s needs through a friendly conversation, what must you do next? Have you forgotten? It is very simple, go straight to recommending followed by this last step for explaining the Features, Actions, and Benefits of the product/service. It does not matter how well you are questioning, the customer will not make a purchase until he/she is satisfied, unless you force the issue of purchasing, which does not work at all times, your recommendations must reflect his/her expectations. Some customers will think that the benefits of your recommendation is not so obvious at first, even though you have the product in front of you, this means that you will have to put in use the Features – Actions – Benefits process in order to fully convince your customer. Let me explain what the F.A.B., process is all about. 1. FEATURE STATEMENT: This relates directly to the characteristics of the product, it is usually the answer to the question. CUSTOMER: This one seems different tell me more about it? YOU: This is a Night Vision Surveillance Camera. 2. ACTION STATEMENT: This describes what the product does, it expands on the feature statement that aims to convince. CUSTOMER: How will this benefit me? YOU: During the night, it allows you to see within the dark areas as if it is day although it is not the exact replica of sun light. The Action Statement will explain the function of the camera, but will not help the customer to realize how it meets his/her needs. In order to help figure out the benefits, you will have to go to one more step.

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3. BENEFIT STATEMENT: This directly relates to the need of the customer and will answer specific questions like, what does it do for me? This statement critical and will help you to close the sales process when you conduct it effectively. Make sure you use the FAB Process in the correct order. You need to make sure to list the features of the product that you are expecting to sell. CUSTOMER: How will I be benefitted? YOU: This camera allows you to feel more secure as you can see left and right in seconds. You will not have to build a shelter for sunlight and rain nor will you need to change it within the next seven years. You will feel more secure as you have a better view outside at nights, etc. Here is an activity:

Identify one product, then list the Features, then Actions, then Benefits, then review the example above to see if you have it right. FEATURE STATEMENT: What is this? ACTION STATEMENT: What does this do? BENEFIT STATEMENT: How does this connects with the customer? This can be very confusing; all you have to do is to choose a product or service that you can easily describe. How about a cellular phone? Now let us get back to the discussion. Are you following me so far? Ok now, while you are going through the FAB Statement, just be aware that your customer will be asking many questions if delivered properly. Continuing from page 23: Asking Permission Questions Is it ok to ask how many members there are in your household? Have any of your family members used this product or service before? Are there any family members who would like to use this product or service?

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The following explanation will help you to close a successful sale. PRE-CLOSING: You may want to use these questions when the customer is showing no sign of purchasing the product/service recommended. If the sales process seems to be going nowhere, PreClose questions will help you get it back on tract.  Have I covered everything?  Would you like me to tell you about…?  Have I answered all your questions?  Which color or style should I get you now? TRIAL CLOSING: Use a hypothetical question to establish a purchasing decision or generate a reason to establish a purchase.  In what circumstance would you use…?  If I can get the black… will you take it today?  s this … that you are looking for? ASSUMPTIVE - CLOSING: This is a little forceful when you have explored well, and the customer has received the recommendation, which you have given, positively. (Please note that you could be wrong about assuming, try to avoid doing so) These are literal assumptions, because you are not sure, so you will be asking for conformation.  This means that you need the black so we can do business  I understand that you will be purchasing via credit card today.  Will you be taking out, or will you prefer delivery on …? Remember it is not a good habit to form your assumptions because you can be wrong, you will be following your thoughts and not your customer’s opinion. We all have to assume sometimes because many customers will show mix signals because they are thinking about their money. In the case where you have followed all the previous steps and just cannot get a green light for purchasing, use these assumptive questions to break the thoughts of the customer. If you do not want to use assumptive question, here are a few alternative questions.

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ALTERNATIVE – CLOSING: Use these when your back is against the wall. By offering a clear alternative option, the customer can be persuaded to make a purchasing decision instead of you the sales representative.  Which one are you taking now, the black or the…?  Which (Brand) do you prefer now?  Are you paying with cash or credit card? You must try to close every sales process by using your judgments of the customer. Remember that the customer will be expecting you to attempt to close the sale at one point. If you do, your customer will begin to put faith in you and the interest they have in what they want, you must not allow the sales process drag on pointlessly, you must TAKE THE INITIATIVE to make a successful closer. For every customer, irrespective of their knowledge and experience of the particular product/ service that you are offering, they will be looking for a recommendation from the EXPERT, and that is you! In order to sell or give information, you need to be assertive. If you are weak then your customer will lose confidence in you. Of course, you will want to avoid this; you need to give a strong recommendation without bullying or forcing the customer into submission. Many sales representatives shy away from asking for the customer’s interest because they do not want to be seen as pushy or even being rejected. If you should ever get this feeling, all you have to do is this; Just be polite and wait for an answer, if you go on talking before your customer give an answer, you will sound as if you are over selling the product. What will you do if a customer says No? Well then, maybe you did something wrong. If you get enough time, then you will need to go back to square one or try something else. This means you are on your own, I cannot tell you what to do here because at this point, your personal judgment is required based on the situation, however, I would ask for help from a supervisor or manager.

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If you have followed carefully everything in Connecting, Exploring, Recommending, most likely you will not have any problem Delivering and your customer’s answer will most likely be yes. Please note that it is very possible to do everything up to this point and still get a NO! NO! You will even watch the customer walking through the door. That decision you can change by proposing a discount, or a more affordable product. Again, call a supervisor or manager before you lose that customer. You will be dealing with human beings of mix personalities; you have to accept what comes from them and do not take it personal. If you get a No, but questions are thrown at you must carefully answer all of them, but just understand that at this point, the customer is in charge. You may want to ask him/her what went wrong, of course with the best friendly smile or facial gesture. If the Customer decides to give you the chance that does not happen often, here are some questions that you may want to ask…  What part of the recommendation are you not pleased with?  Is there anything that you would like me to do for you?  Have I missed something?  Would you like to explain why you are not purchasing today?  I realize that you do not think this is right for you, may I ask why? Some Customers may not be offended if you ask their reason for not purchasing, it is the only way to either close or continue. If he/she is not ready to make a purchase, that reason is given to be delightful with the experience and that he/she have got all the information needed to come back when he/she is ready.

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Chapter 10 “Words of Encouragement” ___________ Wow! What a journey that was, we have come to the end of Seven Steps to a Successful Sale, but just one final encouragement before you close this book. After everything is over and done, do not relax yet! One last thing, you must make the customer feel special or important; do not get it wrong, they are special to any company/organization. When you make a promise, always make they come true or do not make any at all. Here are some popular promises that do not turn out to be true at times…  I will be with you in a moment  I am sure that I can find a … that will give you all that you want  We give you the best value in town, I guarantee!  I am so sorry, that product/service is not in store, but I will get you one in the next…! We can spend the rest of our lives listing many of them, but how will you react if faked promises are made by you or to you? Please remember that promises have a way of back firing at people, so do not make any at all if you know you will not be able to fulfill, otherwise, SHUT YOUR MOUTH! If people do not see the practical value of what you are saying, they may tell you that they are not interested, or they may tune out mentally, allowing their minds to wonder or LEAVE THE STORE. Here are some questions that they may be asking within their minds as they leave…  Have I made the right choice?  Is there something else?  Will I ever trust them again?  Do I have any more questions?  Have I made a mistake?  Am I the only person whom they lied to?  How different are they when compared to others?

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Can you identify disappointment here? Your job is to avoid types of misunderstanding and unsuccessful conversation. Please do not allow your customer to feel disrespected, disappointed and push away, in fact, promises have being made before you even meet a particular customer, and here are just three ways in which a promise has being made.  Advertising  Merchandising  Marketing To them, you are the company/organization, so you will have to fulfill these promises. If a customer has made purchase, you must ensure that he/she receives everything required to get the best of their purchase along with a congratulations comment. Finally As you walk towards the payment option, you have a great opportunity to introduce other products/services. Nevertheless, you have Connected, Explored, Recommended and now you are Delivering on your promise, just avoid going to the beginning of the Sales process. You do not want this one pitfall experience. This had happened to too many of us on a repeated basis. I always hate when I realized that I was at the beginning. Becoming a sale representative should be fun and not a burden to anyone, it is fun, and it takes a lot of experience to be competent, to be effective, to be skillful, and to master the trade of sales conversations. I am hoping that with this book, you will be able to make your next sales process an effective and successful one, so please have fun, share your experiences with others, live in peace with all and do not try to be a perfect sales representative. Do not be disloyal to your management or yourself. As a result of the many mistakes which I have made in the past as well as feeling sorry for my fellow workmates and other employees in Jamaican, I have decided to write this book which is a simple handbook which provides step-by-step guidance to manage a successful conversation. I have developed this passion for conducting sales workshops right across the Jamaica. Sometimes when I reflect on where I am coming from, it brings tears, not of sorrow or sadness but of joy and satisfaction. I am proud of myself and I am happy that I am able to be so bold and ambitious. There are many young men on the streets Kingston, and across Jamaica who would want to be as goal oriented as I am and there are those who just do not care about where they end up in life.

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I have a dream to live, I have goals to fulfill, I have personalities to develop and adopt, I want to be more mature and to be a fully-grown man. I will always be this determine to make a difference in my country JAMAICA! I want to be known as an outstanding character, one that is always assisting my communities with alacrity. I promised you that I would share my Seven Steps to a Successful Sale and now, I am hoping that this book will assist you to the best of your ability and that it will help you make a difference within you work environment. Do not keep wonderful inspiration to yourself, tell your friends and family to get their own copies. This information is based on my experience since the age of fourteen. If you should need any assistance, or clarifications please do not hesitate contacting me, I will be more than happy to assist you in any way that I can.

For further information, please log on to www.conradguthrie.org

Conrad Guthrie Age 27

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Advertise here for a low cost. Call: +1-876-367-0939 Harry Mills /

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