15 random (but interesting) sales tips from around the web

Some of you (lovely readers) have written in and asked us to include more sales tips as part of our content. Since we strive to do things a bit differently, we wanted to make sure the tips weren’t your generic, run-of-the-mill, “sales hustler” tips that you can literally find anywhere, and were instead a bit unique, and worth highlighting. 

So we scoured the internet, and went searching high and low for a handful of tips that were good enough to make the cut. While none of these are the silver bullet that will turn you into a seven-figure earner overnight, they’re definitely worth keeping in mind. And if they can help you close just a few more accounts per year, then they’re worth it. 

1. Telling prospects ‘no’ is okay. Disqualify fast and move on quickly. – Jesse Pappas

2. When you’re cold calling prospects for the first time, preface the conversation by telling them you just want to ask them three questions. On your end, you’re qualifying your prospects, which helps with your conversion rates; at the same time, this makes your prospect more likely to agree to speak with you. – Will Cannon

3. Nowhere is it written that a presentation must be a monologue. Put up a slide titled “Our Understanding of Your Situation” listing several of the prospect’s key issues and turn the “presentation” into a dialogue. You’ll be amazed how much the prospect will appreciate you making the meeting about them and not your offerings. – Mike Weinberg 

4. At the start of every appointment, reaffirm why you're there, your agenda, the prospect’s agenda, and likely outcomes. Otherwise, you’re playing by their rules -- and nine times out of 10 they won’t tell you what those rules are. – Fraser Hay

5. Make shamelessness your superpower. I won’t even get started with all the ways shame can hold you back from being successful in business and life. To be an effective negotiator, you need to get past worries about seeming impolite or cheap. While you may not always win or get exactly what you were hoping for, you won’t know what’s possible until you try. You’d be surprised with how often you can get exactly what you want–with almost no pushback–just by asking. Other times, the other party will meet you somewhere in between, but that’s still usually better than if you hadn’t asked at all. Likewise, don’t be afraid to walk away if the deal isn’t what you want; this kind of shamelessness is one of the strongest negotiation tactics. – Heather R Morgan

6. Everything ties into ‘I believe, let’s discuss, you decide.’ – Nick Meikle

7. Be transparent. It may be hard to imagine, but something as counterintuitive as leading with your flaws can result in faster sales cycles, increased win rates, and make competing with you almost impossible. 82% of consumers specifically seek out negative reviews when making a purchase. Why not engage buyers with unexpected honesty? – Todd Caponi

8. At the moment you’re tempted to tell the buyer what 'he needs to do,' instead offer a story about a peer of the buyer. – Mike Boswort

9. Never try directly to diminish or minimize something important to another person. By making a direct challenge to a crucial criterion you are more likely to strengthen it than to diminish it. Your best strategy is to begin by accepting that the criterion is legitimately important. – Neil Rackham

10. Do not overlook junior staff. Many of them will be decision makers sooner than you’d expect. – Dzintars Lusis

11. When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity. – Dale Carnegie

12. When it’s time to go home, make one more call. – Jeb Blount 

13. Before the sales conversation, ask yourself “what do I not want to be asked”, then list those questions and prepare your answers to the best of your ability. – Marc Jantzen 

14. The customer never wants your product. What they buy is always a means to another end: profits, prestige, time, and so on. – Jason Rekker

15. Never make statements, always ask questions -- preferably questions you know the answer to. This leads clients to draw their own conclusions and sell themselves, as opposed to being sold. Even when you’re asked a question and you’re unsure why they asked, it’s better to clarify by saying, 'That's an interesting question; why is that important to you?' rather than diving in and flubbing the whole process. – Steve Farmer

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