Would You Buy a Small Bag of Magic Sales Fairy Dust?

I have a friend who refers to the expectations of some sales people and their managers as requiring 'magic sales fairy dust'. The phrase has always made me smile. However, the reason most of those expectations exist is due to the fact that we all live in an age of the 'quick fix'. It's a hope thing. Teenagers want a spot cream that clears their skin of blemishes, because they didn't want to spend the time and a little effort using the preventative soap. Later on they want small electrical discs that give them a washboard stomach without the exercise and then a pill to lose the fat they've gained rather than adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet. In business they want the Jedi Mind Trick that will turn them all into instant millionaires. There are many, many people on the internet making a great deal of money out of those hopes and fears, promising quick fix answers and panaceas - with a large percentage making their 'hope' money from those working within the sales industry. I can't and won't promise you magic sales fairy dust - because it doesn't exist. There are however 5 bits advice I can give you - that if you're willing to put in a little effort and turn them into reality - will certainly give your competition the impression that you posses a bag or two of something special. Number 1. Know HOW the thing you sell helps 'THEM' 'Them' being your target market. What does it do for 'Them' that makes it worth even seeing you? It's probably not what you think. What it needs to do is one, some or all of the following;

• Make them look good
• Make them feel good
• Save them time
• Make them money
• Reduce their costs
• Give them peace of mind
• Make life easier somehow

Remember - they don't want a drill, they need a hole - but they have to buy the drill to make the hole. Actually they probably don't care that much about the solution you're offering - they're more likely to be bothered about whether it will get them promoted, sacked, recognised, accepted, praised or laid. Trust me - when you've worked out what your solution truly delivers, you will be resonating at such a high level that only ten per cent of the rest of the sales industry will be able to hear you. Number 2. Believe and trust in those benefits Don't tell me you're passionate about your job - show me that you're passionate about helping people like me! Get up in the morning on a mission to save prospective clients from the shabby, ill fitting, over priced, valueless alte atives those charlatans over at your competition are trying to get away with flogging. Number 3. Only invest time in prospects who you can REALLY help If what you do doesn't help me, why are you knocking on my door? You need to have recognising 'THEM' down to a fine art. Remember - if THEM don't end up as your customers, they're going to miss out somehow (see point 2 above). Therefore you should be searching, filtering, focusing, making sure that the people who need to see you, actually get to see you - learn the rules of customer attraction and only spend time with the ones who truly deserve it. Number 4. Satisfaction = Perception - Expectation A prospect will not move forward if they perceive a solution delivers less than they require it to. It's at that point that you need to deliver the required information which allows them to make a new decision. Not change their mind; you'll never change anybody's mind. You need to give them enough information to make a new decision. And based on that new decision, their perception will change. If this new perception of product, service and solution outweighs their initial expectation they will be satisfied - if it doesn't they won't. Number 5. Explain the value and justify the cost People don't mind paying, they just don't like to over pay. As the great Zig Ziglar said; "The genuine sales professional can't sell anything to anybody - that's a con artist."