The Dos of Selling:

• Answer your phone. I knew reps at the phone company that would let a customer’s call go to voicemail instead of answering, because they didn’t want to deal with an unhappy customer. If you don’t answer the phone, all you’re doing is prolonging the problem and creating stress. Customers will appreciate being able to get a hold of you.

• If you can’t answer the phone, return calls promptly.

• Call a prospect more than one time. You need to make a certain number of calls to make a sale but that doesn’t necessarily mean first time calls. Why is it sometimes that someone you called in the past, ends up buying from one of your coworkers?

• Give a firm handshake and look a person in the eye.

• Listen. If you’re talking, you’re not listening and if you’re not listening, you won’t be selling.

• Always have a next step. If you're on a first appointment, always set a next appointment before you leave. If you're proposing, schedule a time to follow up. If you don't have a next step, your sale is dead.

• Be proactive. Don’t wait until a problem or a situation arises. Try to prevent them from happening.

• Develop a sense of urgency. Don’t think about doing something, do it. This might be the most important key to success in sales.

• Create “to do” lists and check off items after you complete them. Trying to remember everything you need to do creates unnecessary stress.

• Quote install charges. It’s a rookie mistake to automatically waive installs. That action stems from a lack of confidence. There are two possible outcomes to quoting an install charge: the customer asks that it be removed and you make a sale or they pay it and you make more money. If it stops them from buying, they weren’t likely to buy anyway. If you don’t quote an install charge, you cheapen your product or service and you leave nothing to negotiate.

• Follow up. If you make a proposal, follow up on it until the prospect agrees to buy or tells you no. Do this in a professional manner - don’t call too often and when you do reach the prospect, get to the point. I keep a business card in my pocket for every prospect I gave a proposal to and call them when I have some down time. Keeping the cards handy jogs my memory. Note on the cards when you called and what was discussed.

• Smile. People like people who smile. It’s disarming and humanizing; prospects will treat you better if they perceive you to be a person, not just a sales person.

• Ask for the sale. The only way to uncover a customer’s objections is to ask for the sale. Objections aren’t always valid and can be easy to overcome, unless you don’t know them.

• If you don’t get a sale, thank the prospect for the opportunity. Unless you were attempting to sell a casket to dying person, there will always be another time around. You never know, the company that did win the sale might drop the ball. That and the prospect will appreciate your professionalism.

• If someone provides you with a referral, act on it right away and keep the person who gave it to you up to date, as to its status. If someone provides you with a referral and never hears back, they’re going to be less likely to provide you with another.