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Effective Selling
1

Accept the fact that effective selling is not about 'The Gift of the Gab' rather it is about detailed planning and preparation.
2 People don't buy what your product or service does…… they buy what it will do for them. Therefore it is essential that you have a comprehensive understanding of their needs and wants before attempting to sell anything.
3 The most important word in selling is 'You', the least is 'Me', focus your presentation on the customer, and their objectives.
4 In order to understand the customer, and their wants and needs, you will need to develop an effective list of questions. Prepare them in advance and don't rely on your ability to make them up as you go along.
5 Ask open questions to solicit information, and closed questions for confirmation.
6 Once you've engaged in this open dialogue listen carefully for buying signals, it isn't uncommon for salespeople to be so focused on their questions that they don't register the responses. We often listen to win or listen to interrupt rather than listening to understand !
7 Realise that prospective customers must progress through a series of steps before buying…… UNAWARE - AWARE - INTEREST - DESIRE - PURCHASE. It may take a series of visits or a combination of tools to move the customer through these stages eg. Presentation, Factory Visit, Trial etc. Patience and persistence are therefore of paramount importance, your credibility with a new prospect will not be instant.
8 Objections are a predictable part of the process and yet salespeople are always shocked when they hear them. Why ? How many times have you heard….. It's too expensive….. We're happy with our current supplier.. etc. Therefore write all of the regular objections in an index and work with your colleagues to develop effective responses, you can be sure you'll hear the objections again.
9 At the end of the meeting propose a course of action to close. It may be that its too early to ask for the order but you must maintain the momentum. Therefore you need to create a reason to move forward…… let me send you a sample specification…… perhaps I could get some details of your specification…….. we'd like to arrange a factory visit for you and your colleagues……. Where should we send the delivery… Keep the door open!
10 Once you've engaged a customer ensure that each and every promise is over delivered, they're much more expensive to replace than to keep.
 
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Tendering
1 Sell in advance and always try to shape the tender. If you wait until the tender is published you are much less likely to win it.
2 Never forget that tendering is a formalised method of selling. Always find out what the tendering organisations really want. Then give it to them.
3 Don't just tender for the sake of it. Tender to win not just to make up the numbers.
4 Work out who your prime targets are and ask them about new tender opportunities. If you are lucky they will ask you to advise them on the structure of new tender opportunities.
5 Use the Web to access tender opportunities.
Here are just a few:
UK - www.bipcontracts.com
ROI - www.e-tenders.gov.ie
Scotland - www.publictender.co.uk
6 There is absolutely no point in tendering if the content and presentation do not match the standard of the competitors. Ask the customer what is expected. Then beat the standard.
7 Accept that you will not win the first tender that you submit with a new customer. There is a learning curve associated with tendering. Get on to this curve ASAP and then ask the customer for as much feedback on your tender as possible.
8 Always leave enough time to prepare and submit the tender (this will usually mean days not hours).
9 Produce a final draft at least 24 hours before posting or submission to allow a fresh pair of eyes to proof the document. You won't be able to see the wood for the trees at this stage. Make sure it is professional.
10 Never give in. We must all accept that losing a tender is one of the greatest disappointments in business. However, the development of a successful internal tendering process in your company will generate sales revenue for years to come.
 
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Exporting
1 Always visit your market and develop your knowledge before developing a strategy: join trade missions, attend trade shows and meet prospective agents and distributors.
2 Evaluate the costs associated with this market, e.g. tariffs, embargoes, transport costs, hidden fees etc.
3 Be fully aware of the available government assistance and have this package approved before embarking on your project.
4 Use the embassies to gain valuable insight into the local business culture, customs and language.
5 Assess the overall market size and the competitor share of the market. Then assess the growth on the marketplace and the potential that you can carve out a realistic share
6 Does your product have a unique advantage in the marketplace – something that makes it better than the rest – which cannot easily be copied? If it doesn’t, don’t go any further.
7 The vast majority of export strategies work through a strategic alliance – in other words, distributors, agent or friendly manufacturer in the marketplace. Assess these options

8 Know what your market presence is likely to be with regard to personnel and premises and ultimately crunch the numbers – know the funding implications.
9 Pilot your product or service in the market if at all possible. You will more than likely have to make adaptations, e.g. labelling on food products, safety regulations for engineering products etc.

10 Finally, many good products fail because they are under-promoted. Don’t keep your product a secret. Allocate a healthy budget for all forms of promotion necessary. Success will surely follow.
 
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