Avoid Trends When It Comes To Sales Strategy

March 20, 2014

Because the sales field is so competitive, both by nature of the work being done and because of the people it attracts, there are often fads that pop up.

These trends can involve a certain management strategy or specific tactics relating to closing a deal, among other concepts. While there is likely some advantage to be gained by understanding what makes these sales fads become so popular, jumping on a bandwagon likely won’t do as much for sales staff as following some tried and true advice. Businesses can develop effective, long-term sales strategies by working with a consulting firm to determine business-specific practices that will generate the most revenue and volume from sales efforts.

Inc. Magazine presented some long-standing sales principles for consideration, ideas that can help develop lasting sales plans.

Emphasize customer satisfaction
It can be tempting for sales staff to focus too much on closing a deal and not enough on recognizing customer needs and desires. While this may be beneficial in the short term, aiding in meeting monthly or quarterly goals and bringing in revenue.

However, when clients realize that they didn’t get what they wanted out of the transaction, they’ll be less likely to be repeat purchasers and may choose a competitor the next time they have a purchasing need.

Inc. points out that Henry Ford and Steve Jobs both placed a high value on customer service and understanding their needs. When salespeople can offer recommendations that make sense, it can lead to both positive attitudes and more buying. And even if a client decides to choose a less-expensive product or service, the creation of a beneficial relationship means more purchases in the long run. 

Comprehend the market your organization is involved in
Having a broad and deep understanding of the industry and market segments your business’s products and services are used in, as well as the efforts of competitors in the same sphere, is an old sales tactic that still work quite well for many companies. Forbes suggests developing deep knowledge of the competitive marketplace your organization is involved in, being able to articulate both the positions of competitors as well as business differentiators at your own company.

By focusing on proven sales methods to attract and maintain client relationships and accounts, businesses can do more for themselves in the long run than they would with a trendy strategy.