This Week in Business Skills - Preparation for Selling

Selling is a Skill (which one acquires skills in any thing by doing it repeatedly). Before approaching a client for sale, if we do some homework then it becomes easy to close the sale and have the result in our favor. Let’s have a look at some points on how to prepare for selling:

• Try to acquire knowledge about the client like from a website, history or from people related to the Client.
• Apart from gathering professional information, if possible try to gather some personal information like interests, hobbies, etc.
• Gather information about the client such as if he is a member of any club or organization or any voluntary organization or some society. This will help you to know the person and help you build a positive relation with him, which in turn will help you to close the sale.
• Work out on client’s needs; try to find out the reason as to why he can buy from you and work out in that direction.
• It is not just enough to make your sale somehow and come back with your commission. Before going to the client, you should know the good will that the client and his company have in the market. And what position or rating they hold in the market. This will give you idea if you can rely on the company and the client for the payment, you are supposed to get once you make the sale.
• You need to know if the person or the client you are approaching is the person with the authority to close the sale and to make the choice. If not who else is involved in the decision making process and in closing the sale. If that is the case you need to do homework regarding the other person also.
• The most important thing you need to find out, about the client is that, what kind of relationship does the client maintain and keep up with his vendors? Is he and his company only interested in money or are they interested in maintaining long term relations and good will. What is their prime concern only money or quality.

Do this home work before approaching a client for sale and you can be sure to give your best 100%.