How Can a Salesperson Increase Sales?

By Brad Huisken -- JCK Online, 3/1/2007 2:00:00 AM

There are three basic ways that anyone selling can boost what they sell.

Get more people to come into the store. Salespeople should not sit back and wait for customers to come in, or rely solely on advertising or marketing to drive traffic. You need to grow your own business within the company’s business.
For starters, ask existing customers for referrals—not in a pushy and aggressive manner but by simply asking, “Who else do you know who may be getting engaged?” or “Who else do you know who might be interested in fine jewelry as a holiday gift?” Then say, “Would you mind taking a few of my business cards? I would love to meet them as well.”
Develop a network. Join the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, PTA, your place of worship, or other civic organizations. Get involved in the community so other people know who you are. Be proud of your company and carry business cards to pass out when the opportunity arises—for example, if someone comments on your jewelry.
Sell to more people that come in by increasing your closing ratio. Suppose you’re now selling to three out of every 10 customers. If you increase that number to four out of every 10, that’s a 33 percent sales boost.
Take responsibility for your personal growth and development. Don’t wait forsomebody to offer you training and knowledge; get it yourself. Read the trade journals as well as books on sales and customer service. Try new things. Too often salespeople reach a certain level and lettheir training and education stop. Constantly look for ways to improve.
Sell more to existing customers by learning how to bump up a sale or sell add-ons. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a salesperson make a sale only to have the owner or manager step in and make a sale two or three times as large as the original sale. You do this by learning how to increase a customer’s perception of value or how to take a repair opportunity to a retail sale. There is an additional skill set in selling add-ons.

All this takes study, practice, and application. Nothing is easy. Dedicate yourself to learning one new skill a day and you will be well on your way to increasing your personal sales.

Author Information

Author, trainer, consultant, and speaker Brad Huisken is president of IAS Training and the author of the books I’m a Salesman! Not a Ph.D. and Munchies for Salespeople: Sales Tips You Can Sink Your Teeth Into! He developed the PMSA Relationship Selling Program, the Professional Sales Management Course, The Mystery Shoppers Kit, and The Weekly Sales Training Meeting video series, as well as aptitude tests and proficiency exams for new hires, current sales staff, and sales managers. Huisken and his staff of trained professionals conduct in-house training and consulting all over North America on an on-going basis. He also publishes a free weekly newsletter called “Sales Insight.” For a free subscription or more information, contact IAS Training at (800) 248-7703, fax (303) 936-9581, e-mail: info@iastraining.com, or visit www.iastraining.com.