Improving Sales Skills: Sales Technique Secrets And Selling Mistakes To Avoid

Nov. 11, 2010 - PRLog -- Fort Wayne IN   Influence and persuasion expert, Karen Keller, Ph.D., addresses the top 3 mistakes most women make when trying to sell themselves in a professional, business environment.  But these are also skills that may help in social situations.

According to Keller, “Selling anything is an art.  Selling a product, a service, an idea or a process is one thing.  But selling yourself is another.  That’s where we separate the women from the girls!  The most critical piece of EVERY sales conversation is how you present, relate and sell YOU.”
She adds, “Every female has it in them to be the ‘supersales woman’, it just requires cultivation and recognition of certain fundamentals.”

The ‘top 3’ mistakes to avoid in selling, according to Dr. Keller include:

1. Talking too much about yourself. Many times we ask a question designed to solicit information only to respond with something about ourselves. We begin sharing our stories, our skills, our ideas – get the picture?  It suddenly turns into ‘all about us.’ What happens?  The prospect loses interest and begins to consider what new wall paper she should pick out.

The remedy: Be upfront talking about what the prospect’s problems are.  Ask, what I call, Wisdom Access Questions, such as, “What’s getting in the way?” “What is most important to you right now?” “What’s working for you now?” and “What would you like to make different?”  Give genuine importance to the prospect’s situation or need.

2. Trying to impress the ‘influencer’ of the decision maker. Who is the ‘influencer’ of the decision maker? Anyone or anything that influences the person who is making the final decision about whether to buy, hire, introduce, or listen to you.  So, we set out to impress the influencer by asking them for ‘secret’ information such as what does she like to eat? All this shows is that we didn’t do our homework.

The remedy: Paying close attention to the little things. Do your ‘due diligence.’  Know what may make the influencer tick … what gets ‘em going.  Be able to identify a reason the prospect could benefit by meeting or talking with you. Don’t waste their time or yours. It also doesn’t hurt to pay a compliment to the influencer.  A little sugar goes a long way!

3. Failing to differentiate yourself.  What reason do you give your prospect to use your product or services? Do you have a reason? What is it that makes you stand out from the crowd, the competition or the nearest distraction?

The remedy: You need to know before you approach the prospect what makes you different, more special or distinctive. You are the key to how that particular prospect will get what she needs.  You are the key to establishing a long term loyalty.

Keller concluded, “Learning powerful sales techniques will help anyone get ahead personally or professionally. If you stay clear and focused as well as read between the lines, you often get the results you’re aiming for!”

For the complete list of ‘Top 5’ Selling Mistakes to Avoid, or to sign up for a free subscription to Dr. Keller’s newsletter, Influence It! Real Power For Women, visit http://karen-keller.com/2010/11/11/top-5-dumb-selling-mis...

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About Dr. Keller
Karen Keller, Ph.D. is an expert in women's leadership and assertiveness training. She is also a successful entrepreneur and author. She specializes in the skills of influence and persuasion, executive coaching, mentoring, sales techniques, management development training, motivational speaking, personal life coaching, and corporate training. Discover Influence It! Real POWER for Women now! For your free subscription visit www.karen-keller.com.