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Ask HN: Any sales techniques I should learn for my business?

10 points by Retailslave ↗ HN
Hello HN, I am starting a business which is pretty much all sales.

How can I learn to make sales? What are some techniques I should use? Could any experts provide some insight?

I read a little of the sandler method but did not really get it.

9 comments

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jeffepp
Start cold-calling -- you will learn a lot from experience. Try to dedicate at least a good block of time each day to this. Rinse and repeat.
antonioe
Visit customers. If your not a natural sales person think of it like R+D. Ask questions. See there pain points and try to solve them.
ABrandt
There's countless sales "techniques" out there, but in my experience it just boils down to being a congenial person. I've been selling professionally for two years now and the most significant improvements I've made are all based on my attitude. Being relaxed, confident, and friendly makes my potential customers feel the same way. When they're feeling good, they'll reach for their wallet. Make sure everything you do is natural and honest though--selling is not about pulling a bag over some poor saps head.

Aside from that, there are certainly tricks of the trade you might find helpful. What I've described here is widely called "consultative sales". Steve Blank has some excellent writings on this topic at http://steveblank.com/2009/06/25/convergent-technologies-war...

notahacker
A significant portion of "sales training" involves peddling snake oil and/or dressing very basic concepts up as science.

Essentially the most effective manner of selling something depends on what people buy - are they buying a solution to a specific problem, a commodity, or is it an entirely unnecessary luxury which they might decide is a good idea.

- if it's the first, try a "consultative" approach which consists of asking probing questions about the businesses' problems in a relevant area, listening very carefully, and then matching up the benefits of the solutions you can offer. Bonus points for being able to find an approximate cost of the problem you're solving (or value of the benefit you're offering). Being able to ask clever questions helps, but it's mostly about listening.

- If it's commodities, simply ensure you're speaking to enough people that might be interested in purchasing your offer (and ensure your pricing is competitive). It's mostly a numbers game.

- if it's the third, it's mostly in the charm...

With all three of them, it's practice, particularly within your chosen field that makes perfect. And especially once you've mastered the basic techniques, aiming to always talk to the people most likely to be able to influence a buying decision. That often doesn't mean the most senior person, and often doesn't mean anyone in a purchasing department.