Last Updated on February 2, 2023 by
When sales dip, it puts the success of your company at stake. So, as competition mushrooms and customers become more demanding, you need to be on top of your game. This article explores four of the best sales training strategies that can help you stay ahead of the curve in 2023.
Get personal
Customers crave human connection. They reward salespeople who take the time to get to know them on a personal level. A study by Harvard Business Review found that sales reps who spent more time building personal relationships outshone their peers by nearly 40%. So, focus on establishing personal connections with your customers.
There can be a thin line between being interested and coming across as a stalker, so tread carefully. Here are a few ways you can get personal without being intrusive:
- Take cues from the customer. If they open up about their life, it’s okay to follow suit. If they keep things strictly business, approach with tact.
- Ditch the computer screen and meet face-to-face whenever practical.
- Learn about your customer’s hobbies, interests, and family. This will give you something to bond over when you chat or meet.
Lead with value
In today’s competitive landscape, simply meeting customer needs is no longer enough. You need to go above and beyond to show customers the unique value your product or service can offer them. Research by Forbes found that 70% of customers would pay more for a product or service if it delivered additional value.
Here are a few ways you can add value to your sales pitch:
- Train salespeople on the best ways to articulate your company’s unique selling proposition (USP).
- Don’t be too quick to match products to customer needs. Instead, make sure the solution you’re offering is the best fit for their specific problem.
- Educate buyers on your product. Empowering customers to make the best decisions for themselves is a surefire way to build trust and demonstrate value.
- Know how to differentiate features from benefits. Features tell you what something does. Benefits tell you why specific features matter to you. i.e. value.
Leverage data
Intuition is an important part of selling. However, sales trainers say it’s best to back your intuition with data. For one, data is objective, whereas your gut feeling is most often not. The key is to strike a balance between your intuition and data. This allows for smarter decision-making.
Secondly, data provides valuable insights that can help you unravel customer needs. The more you know about a customer, the better equipped you’ll be to sell to them. Understanding what data to collect, and how to best use it, can be tricky. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Get crystal clear on what you want to achieve. This will help you determine where to focus. For example, if you’re trying to increase customer loyalty, you’ll want to track customer satisfaction scores.
- Collect data at every stage of the sales process to get a complete picture of what’s working and what’s not.
- Analyze data regularly to identify patterns and trends that you can leverage to your advantage.
- Invest in the best possible sales intelligence tools to automate data collection and analysis.
Get active on social media
In today’s digital world, a strong social media footprint is crucial for sales success. You can use it to find leads, build relationships, and raise brand awareness. A study by Social Media Examiner found that nearly 80% of salespeople who use social media outperform their peers.
With so many platforms and options, social media can be a jungle. Large companies usually have a team of people dedicated to social media. If you’re a small company and don’t have that luxury, these social media tips can help you get started:
- Start with the platform(s) where your target customers are most active.
- Post content that is relevant and useful to your target audience.
- Actively engage with your network. Share relevant articles, start discussions, and answer questions.
- Build a relationship before selling. The best way to do this is by providing value first and selling second.
These strategies can give your team a competitive hedge. However, they’ll need the right skills to hit the ground running. So, once you pick a strategy, find the best sales training programs to equip them with the knowledge they’ll need.
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