Starting a new job in sales....any advice?!

[blackstagdesigns]

Good evening, possibly the wrong section so apologies if so. In December 2021 I was forced to close my used car sales business of 5 years due to the impact of covid etc and after deciding to go employed, after a long and hard search I have today been offered a permanent position as a field sales representative for a large European based company. It's a fantastic opportunity for me to build a career and I'm raring to go. Before I start my training I want to do as much learning as I can which leads me to my question;

• Are there any time served sales reps on here that can give me some basic advice on how to ensure I perform well?
• Can you recommend any books I should read?
• Can you recommend any training courses that may help?

In short I will be visiting current customers daily to take new orders and keep the relationship healthy, and I'll also be prospecting new areas for new customers etc.

Any tips, help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[MBE2017]

Different people will have different advice, but here is a little from myself.

Make sure you understand what your company wants from yourself, as in the mix of new accounts, current account growth, credit control etc.

I would buy a good map of your area and mark up existing accounts, colour coded, those performing as expected, those who are not buying the expected amounts etc. I would then mark up in another colour your potential clients, and try to divide your area into four or five sections, to make a daily route.

Depending on your market you might wish to visit people anywhere from weekly to quarterly, major clients might be several times a week sometimes.

Having your old business should mean you have the basic skills acquired already for sales, ensure you know your objective when visiting anyone, have a fallback result, and end of the day the harder you graft, the more results you should see.

Depending on the company, you will be selling on price, stock levels, service or mixture, keep your message in mind and be the best rep you can be. Normally companies come up with a new account figure, say 20%. Telephone calls allow a lot of contact, but just dropping in when in the area can produce great results, you will have to see what works for you.

Many guys like big clients, personally I like a good mix, smaller accounts cost less if they fail, they are easier to replace. That said I always seem to get two to three huge accounts, just ensure this is not at the expense of other clients.

Best of luck.

 

[Diamondz76]

What Company are you going to work for and what product. Field sales it’s good to have a system thatypuwotk from. Depends on the product as to what pitch you would use.

 

[WaveJumper]

Cannot fault the advice from @MBE2017 above I would just echo the points on making sure you are clear on their targets and expectations visiting current customer base will I suggest be easier than building / prospecting for new customers, have you got to generate your own leads or following up on those supplied by the company.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Hi,

I spent 20 years in sales and many weeks on training courses. Here are some basic points.

1. Read up on the AIDA technique ( Attention, Interest, Desire Action) it is a good checklist to use.

2. As @MBE2017 suggested get a map step further and divide the map into 4 areas. A,B,C,D. You then set your diary to visit each area one day of the week leaving the 5th day for A ( or office work or emergency calls). The following week Monday starts with B. This means you are not in the same area the same day of the week. Then when you organise appointments in area A offer the day that you are in that area. If this is not convenient you can then offer an adjacent area day, and zip across.

We found it worked really well and made you sound much more professional when making appointments. Never suggest any day, any time.

3. In terms of books, I am not sure they are so relevant, I would suggest a good book on the Introduction of a marketing Philip Kotler or Seth Godin

4. As for training then use the UK based Institute for Professional Sales. (The-isp.org). I worked for GKN and they used the original organisation and it was really good.

5. Get yourself a good suite and keep yourself looking smart and business like.

6. Plan your work, work your plan and be a good time manager.

There are lots more too it, but this should get you started. enjoy and good luck.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Fully know and understand the products or service your promoting

 

[Mark T Jones]

Some great advice above.

And it's good that you are enthusiatic and on here asking.

the pure breadth of the questions means that you will be overloaded with advice - some of it conflicting. That's the real world for you!

In fact there is so much to say that you could write a book on it. I did. Almost. It was called 'Everest is too high', and was aimed at business owners who disliked the selling part of the job. Based on which, I'd avoid clever 'close the deal' type books and go more for the psychology angle. I read this one 30 years ago, it's still available and almost certainly still relevant https://www.amazon.co.uk/Influence-New-Expanded-Psychology-Persuasion

Much will depend on the nature of the product and the company culture. For example is it 'hit and run' or relationship-building? Your role suggests the latter, but that may not follow.

I know very little about hit & run selling, other than that there are some effecitive, learned tricks & that you need a thick skin. When it comes to relationship-building, the biggest skill you can learn is to ask questions and listen to the answers. That is central to the critical relationship skill of empathy. (It's also a lot easier than trying to talk them into submission).

Google will give you insights to different types of questions and their uses - start with open/closed questions and problem/situation questions.

Start the questions with your employer!

Here are some general points (always to be used in context of your company culture)

- Avoid 'clever' learned closing lines - it is incredibly hard to deliver them with any level of sincerity.

- Take the long view as long as the short one. People often refer to 'loosing a customer' when they have actually just lost a deal. Diarise, follow up and, above all - do what you say you are going to do. A lot of sales environments are ridiculously fixated with short term outcomes - the longer term will benefit you personally.

- Stay away from benefit lists. As a rule, one specific, relevent benefit is far more effective than a list of 20 percieved benefits (that's where your questions come in).

Above all, smile & enjoy it (unless you're negotiating wih Russians, who percieve smiling as insincere)

 

[The Byre]

OK, let's go through your questions in reverse order -

• Can you recommend any training courses that may help?

You've just been on the best training course for the past five years! Selling used cars - you don't get a better training than that!

• Can you recommend any books I should read?

No. You learn to sell by selling. You can't write about selling any more than you could dance about architecture (as Frank Zappa put it).

• Are there any time-served sales reps on here that can give me some basic advice on how to ensure I perform well?

In my rather chequered history of employment, I have sold furniture, cars, caravans, advertising, news items, TV formats, TV programmes, market surveys and all sorts of other stuff I have now forgotten.

If you want the best lesson in how to sell, try BUYING a car at a dealership! It is the most brilliant lesson in why most car salesmen are rubbish at selling anything! It is a perfect lesson in how to NOT sell.

I remember going with my wife to buy her a used car - it had to be quiet, comfortable, Diesel, stick-shift and roomy. At EVERY lot, some dweeb in a cheap suit pointed us at some pokey, noisy, petrol-powered, uncomfortable rattle-box - thereby ensuring that we walked off the lot without wanting to go near them ever again!

We all know the reason - that was the lot-lemon that carried the best commission. But no sale carries the lowest commission of them all!

In short, they insulted us by not listening.

Not only do I listen to my customers, but I write down whatever they say. I try to give them the best advice possible, even if that means telling them to either go elsewhere or to do whatever it is that they wanted to do themselves. Most of the time, they do use us.

In short - I listen very carefully and I give honest advice.

That's all you need to know about selling!

 

[DontAsk]

Fully know and understand the products or service your promoting

Bzzzzt....and the prize goes to...

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with the blindingly obvious

 

[Mark T Jones]

Bzzzzt....and the prize goes to...

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with the blindingly obvious

I would qualify that.

Not to say that product knowledge isn't important, but it is common for sales people - particularly in technical environments - to fixate on technical detail over customer needs and wants

 

[MBE2017]

Bzzzzt....and the prize goes to...

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with the blindingly obvious

Whilst it is good to have a broad knowledge, it is not essential to have an encyclopaedic knowledge either.

When selling, even if I know a lot more about a product than the client, I often do not let this show. Most people have an ego, few like to be seen as inadequate in their knowledge. Those that are knowledgeable love being cleverer than the salesman, so I am happy to let them believe that, even when they are wrong.

Those clients are the easiest sales of all, they show they have researched the product, and tell you all the reasons why they want it, by listing the specs, parameters etc.

End of the day, I used to sell tens of thousands of products from hundreds of suppliers, no one expects every part number to be memorised, but knowing how to find the information if required is most useful.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Bzzzzt....and the prize goes to...

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with the blindingly obvious

The blinding obvious is what is what is missing on many service industry reps, given up on how many times I heard "I'll have to get back to you on that" or I am sure it will do that

 

[blackstagdesigns]

thanks for the replies chaps

 

[SillyBill]

I am reading the above and it is all very helpful but it does sound a little bit like COVID hasn't happened and the workplace hasn't changed in 15-20 years. No mention of TEAMS or Zoom at all which actually is where the vast majority of both my supplier and customer interactions occur these days. FWIW, I was the biggest sceptic out there at first and still very much firmly believe there is no substitute for face to face interactions IF you haven't met the client or prospect before. After I am very open to technology because, put simply, it saves vast amounts of time for all parties. It is surprising the advice above doesn't even get a reference in to this new medium and only about maps and miles! Sales is moving arguably quicker than any other discipline in a post-COVID world IME. I see a fraction of the reps I used to see, I expect some rebound as we transition out to normality but it will not go back to how it was with sales reps targeted on how many cups of teas they can have in a day. It may be worth reflecting upon that as I suspect the best salespeople will be those who now get the balance right. Remember buyer habits have changed now and you move with them, some of my buyer contacts now work from home...

Buy a good suit? Is that still necessary? I commented the other day on a sales rep who turned up with a tie because it had been that long since I saw one and I thought it was novel. I expect people to visit me to be smart (smart jeans or trousers type attire, company polo shirt, pullover etc.) but suited and booted, even to my eyes, can be a little stuffy nowadays. Times change, offices aren't even like they were 5 years ago in terms of workwear. I appreciate if it is company policy to do it but as an MD I haven't worn suits in years, don't miss them and would certainly not expect anyone visiting me to wear one, just my take. I guess it depends what you sell though so granted this is a personal view as much as anything else.

Also, as a buyer there is nothing more that puts me out than someone turning up unannounced - I personally do not think this should be encouraged. Unless you are specifically cold calling (in which case by definition it is unannounced) why would you not respect your contact's time and give them a courtesy notice of your arrival or an appointment request? People are incredibly busy these days with businesses running as lean as possible so schedule an appointment and get the best of them. This feels like an old sales tactic when people had time for a boozy lunch with anyone who turned up that day.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Some good advice above but you'll be hissing in the wind unless you quickly learn the pattern of the sale, the timing and way in which the customer base you are serving places their orders.

1. Dependent on the product this may or may not be the best example, but I used to flog garden products, fencing and the like, to the sheds, B&Q, Wickes etc., Some would order direct when they needed stock, others once a month. Neither was a satisfactory way of getting the right products in at the right time 'We'll have 20 of each panel and 20 of each post', when they really needed 50 of one size, 20 of another and so on. If they tried to place such an order by phone I had the office girl call me, I'd visit or promise to visit within a few days and most times would double the size of their order. Eventually the customers called me direct as I was saving them a job, checking damaged stock, balancing number of posts for number of panels etc.,

2. 'Selling is Seasonal' - work ahead of yourself to take advantage. Garden Centres don't order Xmas stock in November. They'll be visiting places like the Spring Fayre at the NEC to see what's about and will have everything sewn up well before Santa is in mind.

3. Learn techniques that you are comfortable with. Most sales books have something of use in them that's hidden amongst verbal garbage that assume that every salesman is a public speaker!

 

[MBE2017]

People are incredibly busy these days with businesses running as lean as possible so schedule an appointment and get the best of them. This feels like an old sales tactic when people had time for a boozy lunch with anyone who turned up that day.

Most businesses have been the same for the last forty years since I started in sales. There is obviously never a single approach that works in sales, but any approach done correctly can and often works.

I used to “cold call” factories very early morning and often the only guy in was the owner, who often was only too happy to offer a warm welcome and yes, even a cup of tea. All down to the individual, but just as times are changing, I can assure you as you get older the more you realise how little changes.

Foe team and zoom meetings think telesales, it’s the same concept except you have a visual interface now, but selling is still selling, people buy people, whatever the form of contact, some will like one approach, others another, and the very odd one likes no approach at all. For the OP, making no approach at all is not an option.