Tuesday, August 12, 2008

How To Employ Sales Development

By Hugh Roberts


Sales development is the act of developing a person in the act of sales. Sales, which can be done individually or as part of a team, is where a person sells a merchandise or service to a client. It is commonly thought that sales is the same as marketing but there is a distinct difference - marketing exists to advocate a item by making it attractive to a potential buyer and, through this, may inactively produce a sale. On the other hand, a sales person actively interacts with a potential client, demonstrating directly how their product or service can help the client by providing them tailored information. The best sales team is someone who works in conjunction with their client and performs to meet the customer's wants and goals with the merchandise or service to be sold.

Sales is an necessary part of contemporary business models. Not only does the sales person sell a company item or service, they also work to produce new corporate prospects and generate customers for their business, thereby supporting and growing their company's client base and industry standing. Sales is often the public face of a business so it necessary that proper sales development is provided to the sales person so that they can excel in their selling role but also know how to be the best promoter possible for the product and the corporation.

There is a plethora of techniques a company can use to connect with their client. Direct sales - where the company interacts directly with their client - is probably the most well-known. The most recognized direct selling techniques are door-to-door selling and telemarketing; in both cases the company directly connects with the client at home or at their place of business to inform them about the goods. Another form of direct selling is 'consultative selling' whereby the company interacts directly with the customer but initially begins by consulting the client about what products or services they require and developing solutions in consultation with the client. Companies also often sell products through retailers - so called 'middle men' - and through mail order, while the rise of the net has given corporations a new way in which to deal with prospective customers. As can be seen, there is an incredible variety in the way corporations contact, connect and potentially sell to a client, which has increased the necessity of sales training.

Sales development concentrates on the assortment of techniques a sales person can use when directly interacting with the client, so integral in these days of direct selling. Although there are a assortment of particular methodologies tailored for different ways of selling, the main methodology behind outstanding sales practice is five-fold: analyze a client's needs, offer solutions to the customer, discuss the virtues of the merchandise, overcome any indecision the client may have and close the sale. This practice can sometimes be condensed to a three-part methodology: discover the client, present to the client and finish the sale.

Sales training courses are widely available with many training schools and expert businesses offering courses that you can take in person or via correspondence or the internet. Many large businesses have also developed their own in-house sales development programs. There are also a plethora of books available on the subject.

Competent sales development will always highlight the need to ask customers questions in order to better provide them solutions, will always highlight the necessity of understanding your merchandise and will include motivational material, as selling is a high-pressure occupation that not only needs a lot of self-motivation but also deals with a lot of rejection as well.

Incentive programs, what they're for and how to use them are also included in a lot of sales training. These 'sales incentive programs' or SIP's, are a tool used to encourage a sales agent and sets out specific goals for achievement, which aims to concentrate selling activity.

Sales training will teach you self-motivation, direction and excellent communication abilities and, as such, would stand any person in good stead for any managerial role outside of sales, as well as within.

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