In this article I will cover off some useful sales tips for success to ensure you and your customer are pleased with the outcome of a pitch or meeting. It is important that you are both happy with the result so you can build a long term relationship. It costs much less to retain a valuable customer than to acquire a new one in almost any industry sector. I have chosen seven key tips that I have found useful throughout my career to date.

Be personable

In sales it is important to build rapport with your prospects so you can build a relationship with them focusing on long term sales as opposed to grabbing a quick sale. You want your prospects to buy from you more than once and refer you to friends and colleagues.

The 4 P's

Preparation prevents poor performance. Ensure that you are fully prepared for any meeting that you have with your prospect. You should always be punctual and have done as much preparation for the meeting as possible so you come across in a professional manner.

Know your customer

This is critical in sales. Too many people focus on their product and forget what the customer actually wants. Spend time getting to know them first and understand what it is that motivates them. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer and examine what it is they will get from your product or service. Ask questions until you feel that you understand exactly what appeals to them most. If you do your homework you will be in a much better position to offer the customer something appealing to them.

Don't make life too hard on yourself

Focus on qualified prospects that you know are in the market for your product or service. They may be with a competitor or simply looking for a change of supplier. Cold calling is expensive and not cost effective over the longer term.

Turn features into benefits

There is no use pointing out product features to customers unless you mention how they will benefit your customer. They need to understand what this product will do for them and how it will improve their lives.

Become the hunted

Take the time to develop longer term relationships with clients and build up a solid network of profitable customers. If you can offer them valuable service and they recommend you to their network you won't have to chase sales anymore. If you establish yourself as a leader and the position of authority your customers should return and buy from you ongoing.

Close the sale

If you have covered off all the points above you should be in a position to ask for the sale. Whilst I would recommend closing the sale in your meeting, you should be confident that your customer will benefit from your product and will buy again from you in the future. This way you are setting yourself up for long term sales and relationships.

If you are new to sales or marketing and are interested in these tips, watch out for further articles offering advice and strategies to help you grow your business.