Seriously. Like, for real. As if I were trying to get a job (I am) and my best prospects lie in sales (they do) and what appeals to me most doesn't work for the vast majority of people I'd be selling to (it doesn't).
Take the time to listen to what people want/need. A 70-year-old is probably not going to need an advanced gaming laptop (or maybe he does! Hopefully he'll tell you!); if someone says they only ever call or text, they really don't need an iPhone. It's really easy to try and sell the thing that'll get you the most commission, but in all honesty, you're better to have a satisfied customer who will come back to you next time, who will tell their friends "Go see Freeky at That Store and you'll be looked after" than to have someone feeling later like they wasted their money on something.
Don't try and judge who will and won't be a big spender. I spent years in sales and now I've sold my soul to the corporate world for lots of dollars... but part of that means I have to look the part all the frickin' time, so when I go shopping on the weekend I'm doing it in my Doctor Who shirt and shorts. You wouldn't believe the amount of salespeople who seem to decide I'm a timewaster/not going to buy/can't afford their super-special product. And you can bet your ass that if I get that feeling from you, I'mma go drop a whole ton of money somewhere where somebody at least makes the effort to act like I might be worth an iota of their time.
If someone is relatively upfront that they're not buying today... before you give up on them, ask if there's anything in particular they are looking at. A lot of people are actually looking for something specific, but are scouting out the specials/extras/deals before they decide where to buy from. If whoever you end up working for offers personalised business cards, GET SOME. Help the people exactly the same as you would if they'd whipped out the platinum card. Write down the make/model/SKU/whatever identifying feature on the back of a business card with your name on it and give it to them. That way, if they come back, they are far more likely to ask for you.
If your company allows you to price/deal match, DO IT. Again, it's totally worth a small hit in commission to build a loyal customer base.
Um... I'll be back if I think of anything else.
All right, some of those were more tips than "how to sell things". But really, if you know your product and listen to your customer, the rest pretty much takes care of itself. Just be personable, friendly, approachable, but not pushy. If someone is "just browsing", leave them to it.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 27, 2012, 05:45:45 AM
Seriously. Like, for real. As if I were trying to get a job (I am) and my best prospects lie in sales (they do) and what appeals to me most doesn't work for the vast majority of people I'd be selling to (it doesn't).
Wish I could tell you.
:looks at CDBaby account:
I'm not very good at it.
I had a job where selling things was my main duty, and I failed miserably. Mainly because I was supposed to "find a need / fill a need / if there is no need, make one up and fill it." I just can't bullshit other people out of their money (which is why I'll never be a Subgenius...)
But the basic steps to sales are first you establish yourself as an expert in whatever it is you're selling (anecdotes, demonstrations, etc.), then you identify what needs your customer has that might be alleviated by whatever you're selling, then you explain to them why they'll be better off with what you're selling than without it. Sometimes people do not actually have any need for what you have, but that's usually only if you're peddling bullshit like I was (carpet "protector" and "magic deodorizer").
Quote from: v3x on September 27, 2012, 06:56:10 AM
Sometimes people do not actually have any need for what you have, but that's usually only if you're peddling bullshit like I was (carpet "protector" and "magic deodorizer").
For one glorious* summer, I was a telemarketer selling an air purification system. Now, when I say "air purification system", what I mean is "glorified $4,000 vacuum cleaner". Which was, you know, ridiculous, but I could see why
some people would need it -- it was genuinely very good if you had dust-related allergies and reacted to what was in the air a lot, for example, and it was FANTASTIC for getting rid of lingering smells (you've just moved into an ex-smoker's house, or your son has just had his fifteen stinking football mates over). So, you know, I could shrug my shoulders and call some people, sell them some shit.
Except we never actually got a demo of the thing. Until one day when someone came in for a trial as a telemarketer and... to be completely blunt, they fucking stunk. So after they left my boss popped one of those bad boys in the corner. And it was SO FUCKING LOUD I couldn't make any calls the entire afternoon.
*Spoiler: The summer was not that glorious.
Freeky,
I don't have a sales background but, there's a lot of what Paes (and others) said that I can identify with as a consumer. I HATE HATE HATE the proverbial 'hard sell'. Hell, I don't care if the person is selling a genuine cancer cure, if they're being a pushy douchebag about it, I will bail.
Any sales person that doesn't understand that 'no' is a full sentence needs to be beaten. I also really despise car dealerships. Although we managed to get things sorted out in the end, I called the guy we got our car from last summer and reamed him out on the phone over his 'bait & switch' BS.
Again, agree with Paes - just because I spent most of my life in jeans, t-shirt and beat to hell doc martens doesn't mean I'm not buying. It just means that I don't care for clothes shopping.
The sales person that makes assumptions is a red flag. "Ok sir, would you like to sign up for the gold or platinum waranty?" Uhh...that's funny, I don't remember agreeing to any, let alone the most expensive ones that give you a bigger commission.
Sales people who spend a lot of time trashing other products or stores are a waste of space too. Years ago, Mrs Mang got me a cheap & cheerful soprano sax. Before I started playing it I asked her to take it to the local (chain) music store to let the techs look at it and give it whatever tweaks it might need. Few days later, she phones me up "The tech shop told me they were not allowed to work on that brand because it's made of the wrong kinds of alloy. It'll be unplayable in 6 months. The guy showed me a nice Yamaha sax though, said we could get it on a payment plan." That was in 2007.
I took the sax to an independent wind instrument specialist and the tech guy replaced a broken part on it and set it up to play 10 times better than it did before. Cost about $15 without any of the 'holier than thou' product snark I got at the other place.
Salespeople who assume that the customer is entirely ignorant is annoying. I was in Guitar Center and had all these bright bouncy teens & 20 somethings acting like I came down in the last rain shower. Look kid, I've got socks older than you.
Gotta go!
Good luck!
1. Have things people want to buy.
2. Be willing to exchange said things for cash, but slightly more cash than you actually paid for them.
Always Be Closing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu7mDA-b8wM
Do you want to be a Good salesperson, or a Successful one? They're not always the same thing.
A Good salesperson enjoys the product they're selling, engages the customer, listens, and develops rapport. The sale takes a back seat to the customer experience, which breeds store/brand loyalty.
A Successful salesperson exploits psychological hacks to manipulate the customer into purchasing product. Any book on behavioral economics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_economics) will show you where the hacks are.
Thanks everybody.
Lmno, unfortunately I think I need to be a successful one. I will check out that link, thanks.
I assume you're talking about retail sales.
1. Dress the part. You need to look like someone the customer would respect, and maybe even admire.
2. Move and speak with confidence. Not aggression, just don't be tentative. Be polite and attentive, but not obsequious.
3. Ask questions. You want to find out more about your customer, and what they need. Asking questions does three things; it engages the customer, it opens the door for the consent process, and it makes them feel listened to; they will have greater confidence that you are taking the time to match them to an appropriate product for their needs.
4. Never, ever override a customer's objections. Listen to them, address them if it's appropriate, and if it's not appropriate, move on to a different product. If you really feel that the customer is not going to be as happy with a different product, show them anyway, and then come back around to the one you think they will be happy with, saying something like "I know you are concerned about/not interested in X, but I really think that out of what we have, this is going to be the best option for you."
5. Everyone pushes the close. I am not a believer in pushing the close. If I sense hesitation in my customer, I give them the catch-and-release: "Do you want to take some time to look around and see if you can find something that suits your needs better before you make a decision?" This increases their confidence that you are trying to help them, not just to make a sale, and it also, believe it or not, increases their desire for the product. Don't offer to put a hold on it, yet... wait until that moment of hesitation just before they leave. Then reassuringly say "I can hold this one until the end of the day for you to give you a chance to look around". They'll be back. Maybe the next day, maybe for a different product, doesn't matter. They'll be back. You are now "That helpful saleslady".
Shady tricks:
- Put the product in their hands. Studies have shown that holding the object feels like posession of that object, and putting it away feels like a loss.
- Stress aspects of the product that reduce risk, even if that risk is so low it's practically meaningless (for example, if there is a .001% chance of something bad happening, a person overweighs the value of reducing that risk by 20%).
A few ideas - Sales is now a service industry. It's more about being able to suggest and converse over a product, it's quality, and the value it is going to bring the consumer, than to deliver a "hard sell" as others mentioned before. Never push, offer. Contacts, contacts, contacts, you live and die by who you know, who knows you are selling, and who you know needs product.
Have a service you can provide post-sale, and use it to build rapport. All the sales jackasses I know are closers who vanish once the deal is closed. Be their contact, their advocate, their buddy, and their In-guy with the company. Even if it's a one-off lifetime product like Cutco, make sure they go to you if a knife breaks. You get them a replacement from you stock, and REAM the supplier on their behalf. Even if they obviously took a knife to a rock, advocate for them.
Quote from: Richter, Baron von on September 28, 2012, 01:08:43 AM
A few ideas - Sales is now a service industry. It's more about being able to suggest and converse over a product, it's quality, and the value it is going to bring the consumer, than to deliver a "hard sell" as others mentioned before. Never push, offer. Contacts, contacts, contacts, you live and die by who you know, who knows you are selling, and who you know needs product.
Have a service you can provide post-sale, and use it to build rapport. All the sales jackasses I know are closers who vanish once the deal is closed. Be their contact, their advocate, their buddy, and their In-guy with the company. Even if it's a one-off lifetime product like Cutco, make sure they go to you if a knife breaks. You get them a replacement from you stock, and REAM the supplier on their behalf. Even if they obviously took a knife to a rock, advocate for them.
Ohhh, Cutco. How could I ever forget about you? :argh!:
These have all been a great help for in-person sales. Thanks, everyone. :D
Does anyone have tips for telemarketing sales?
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 01:43:34 AM
Does anyone have tips for telemarketing sales?
Most of the above still applies. Also, develop a thick skin very quickly. I have never faced so much vile and
personal hatred than as a telemarketer.
Quote from: Signora Paesior on September 28, 2012, 02:03:07 AM
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 01:43:34 AM
Does anyone have tips for telemarketing sales?
Most of the above still applies. Also, develop a thick skin very quickly. I have never faced so much vile and personal hatred than as a telemarketer.
Yeah, I had a taste of it when I worked the return mail room for Verizon. I didn't have to sell people things, which made things 100 times better, but people still got hostile when they got calls to update/confirm their addresses.
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 27, 2012, 04:20:16 PM
I assume you're talking about retail sales.
1. Dress the part. You need to look like someone the customer would respect, and maybe even admire.
2. Move and speak with confidence. Not aggression, just don't be tentative. Be polite and attentive, but not obsequious.
3. Ask questions. You want to find out more about your customer, and what they need. Asking questions does three things; it engages the customer, it opens the door for the consent process, and it makes them feel listened to; they will have greater confidence that you are taking the time to match them to an appropriate product for their needs.
4. Never, ever override a customer's objections. Listen to them, address them if it's appropriate, and if it's not appropriate, move on to a different product. If you really feel that the customer is not going to be as happy with a different product, show them anyway, and then come back around to the one you think they will be happy with, saying something like "I know you are concerned about/not interested in X, but I really think that out of what we have, this is going to be the best option for you."
5. Everyone pushes the close. I am not a believer in pushing the close. If I sense hesitation in my customer, I give them the catch-and-release: "Do you want to take some time to look around and see if you can find something that suits your needs better before you make a decision?" This increases their confidence that you are trying to help them, not just to make a sale, and it also, believe it or not, increases their desire for the product. Don't offer to put a hold on it, yet... wait until that moment of hesitation just before they leave. Then reassuringly say "I can hold this one until the end of the day for you to give you a chance to look around". They'll be back. Maybe the next day, maybe for a different product, doesn't matter. They'll be back. You are now "That helpful saleslady".
This. And try to know your products inside out. If you're selling cell phones, for instance, you want to keep up with converage, rate plans, features, etc. That way people come to you and not the other salespeople.
And - this is weird, but - don't try to sell things to people who come in eating something, it's a waste of time for some reason, even if they act interested. An old man with 40 years of commission sales experience told me that. He said "They're already taking care of themselves." I was never able to prove this wrong. If somebody comes in with an ice cream cone, try not to get tied up with them, let one of the other salespeople waste time.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 27, 2012, 04:41:11 PM
Shady tricks:
- Put the product in their hands. Studies have shown that holding the object feels like posession of that object, and putting it away feels like a loss.
- Stress aspects of the product that reduce risk, even if that risk is so low it's practically meaningless (for example, if there is a .001% chance of something bad happening, a person overweighs the value of reducing that risk by 20%).
When they touch stuff on the shelf, that's called a "buying signal". Go get 'em.
And the "You DESERVE it" angle works, too. (Since we're talking hacks. :lol: )
Determine their value driver...
What is their motivation for buying the product. That is what you're selling. You're selling the solution to their unique situation. Recognize the job they need to have accomplished and sell that. When you sell a drill, for instance, you're not selling a power tool, you're selling holes.
As a starting point, you could do a lot worse than Robert Cialdini. It's also useful if you are trying to avoid common tricks, e.g., it gives you good reason to never fill out a survey.
http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Business-Essentials/dp/006124189X (http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Business-Essentials/dp/006124189X)
I haven't read this one, but I imagine it is further amplification of the theme.
http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Science-Practice-5th-Edition/dp/0205609996 (http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Science-Practice-5th-Edition/dp/0205609996)
Both are available at Pima County Public Library: Call Number: 153.852 C48i 2007 & 153.852 C48i 2009.
Er, thanks. That's somehow creepy that you looked it up for me, but thanks.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 04:55:25 AM
Er, thanks. That's somehow creepy that you looked it up for me, but thanks.
I used to be a reference librarian. I remembered you were in Tuscan from when you messaged. The rest was as natural to me as breathing. But, yeah, probably a little creepy if you didn't know that.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 01:43:34 AM
Quote from: Richter, Baron von on September 28, 2012, 01:08:43 AM
A few ideas - Sales is now a service industry. It's more about being able to suggest and converse over a product, it's quality, and the value it is going to bring the consumer, than to deliver a "hard sell" as others mentioned before. Never push, offer. Contacts, contacts, contacts, you live and die by who you know, who knows you are selling, and who you know needs product.
Have a service you can provide post-sale, and use it to build rapport. All the sales jackasses I know are closers who vanish once the deal is closed. Be their contact, their advocate, their buddy, and their In-guy with the company. Even if it's a one-off lifetime product like Cutco, make sure they go to you if a knife breaks. You get them a replacement from you stock, and REAM the supplier on their behalf. Even if they obviously took a knife to a rock, advocate for them.
Ohhh, Cutco. How could I ever forget about you? :argh!:
These have all been a great help for in-person sales. Thanks, everyone. :D
Does anyone have tips for telemarketing sales?
:horrormirth: :horrormirth: :horrormirth: no.
I've done that.
It's harder now than it was when I was doing it.
If you get paid an hourly wage regardless of sales or booking showings, then do it, have fun, keep your sense of humor, use it as an opportunity to practice accents, and become impervious to abuse.
If you don't get paid an hourly wage regardless of sales, then don't. Take. The. Job.
I would recommend a million things instead of commission telemarketing, including maxing out your credit card to buy supplies to resell on Etsy.
Speaking of Etsy, that is potentially an excellent way to make money, if you are self-motivated and have, or can acquire, along with materials, a decent camera and a supply of bubble mailers. Supply items like hand-dyed silk ribbons tend to do very well, as do simple resell supply items like Mykonos beads which require less labor but a bit of startup capital.
If you get into ebay, don't just create stuff, be a speculator.
I know a lady who created a small run of fortune telling cards, very simple folk-arty images, and had them printed up at one of those print on demand places. A lot of people do this, either with their own art or public domain images, they don't make much.
But people come along and buy multiple copies for about $20 each. When the deck goes out of print (happens fast, these are small runs) they flip them on ebay, usually for $100+.
And what Nigel said about telemarketing: NONONONONO.
You'd actually be WAY better off at RadioShack. They train you in sales and if you end up at a busy mall store and not some dead strip mall location, you can actually make decent money. Plus they LIKE you to play with the products, they want you to understand the shit so you can sell it. If it hasn't changed, they have a bunch of exams you can take on hookups, signal, etc. and when you complete them all, your commission rate goes up. Plus you get "spiff", which is a kind of bonus on cell phones, sattellite dishes and extended warranties. I made over $300 in spiff in one day, once.
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 06:35:47 AM
Speaking of Etsy, that is potentially an excellent way to make money, if you are self-motivated and have, or can acquire, along with materials, a decent camera and a supply of bubble mailers. Supply items like hand-dyed silk ribbons tend to do very well, as do simple resell supply items like Mykonos beads which require less labor but a bit of startup capital.
Ooh, this sounds promising. It would require a bit of startup moneys, but it sounds simple. So basically, this would just be basically reselling stuff?
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 05:54:27 PM
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 06:35:47 AM
Speaking of Etsy, that is potentially an excellent way to make money, if you are self-motivated and have, or can acquire, along with materials, a decent camera and a supply of bubble mailers. Supply items like hand-dyed silk ribbons tend to do very well, as do simple resell supply items like Mykonos beads which require less labor but a bit of startup capital.
Ooh, this sounds promising. It would require a bit of startup moneys, but it sounds simple. So basically, this would just be basically reselling stuff?
It's typically easier if you have knowledge of the market you're selling to; for instance, if you make jewelry. However, I wasn't into jewelry when I started making beads and it didn't matter.
Your best bet is to identify a basic item or supply, and then either get a wholesale account somewhere, buy bulk, break it into small lots, and resell it (like Mykonos beads, for example), or to identify a specialty item like hand-dyed silk ribbons, get supplies to make them, and sell those.
I am going to tell you one thing, though; it only SOUNDS easy. You need to be very resourceful, self-directed, and self-motivated to be self-employed. In many ways it's easier to work for someone else who's giving you directions and telling you what to do.
Just listing on Etsy isn't going to sell your product line. You have to research how to sell online. Luckily, there are forums, even on Etsy itself, where you can learn a lot about doing just that.
This last bit is very important:
IF YOU CANNOT RESEARCH WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW INDEPENDENTLY, YOU ARE NOT CUT OUT TO BE SELF-EMPLOYED. PERIOD.
Noted.
Stella, what is a speculator, and what do they do?
I'm going to go a step farther than that. Freeky does not have the personality type to be self-employed. That's not a slam on her, it's not like the self-employed personality type isn't better or anything. I myself am not cut out to be self-employed. Very few people are...And that's actually a good thing, as most wealth is generated by cooperative effort among large groups.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 07:49:44 PM
Noted.
Stella, what is a speculator, and what do they do?
Remember all those people that bought homes during the housing bubble, looking to sell them at a fantastic profit when property values would supposedly keep climbing? Remember what happened to them (hell, remember the landlord?)?
That's what speculators are.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 28, 2012, 07:51:53 PM
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 07:49:44 PM
Noted.
Stella, what is a speculator, and what do they do?
Remember all those people that bought homes during the housing bubble, looking to sell them at a fantastic profit when property values would supposedly keep climbing? Remember what happened to them (hell, remember the landlord?)?
That's what speculators are.
Ohhhhh.
Noted.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 07:56:45 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 28, 2012, 07:51:53 PM
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 07:49:44 PM
Noted.
Stella, what is a speculator, and what do they do?
Remember all those people that bought homes during the housing bubble, looking to sell them at a fantastic profit when property values would supposedly keep climbing? Remember what happened to them (hell, remember the landlord?)?
That's what speculators are.
Ohhhhh.
Noted.
A speculator is a form of animal that is preyed upon by smarter animals, commonly called "large investors".
Example 2: When the gold tards start hollering to buy gold, it means the real money is getting OUT of gold, and at a very tidy price.
Example 3: All those idiots that got burned speculating on oil this last summer, AFTER the oil production numbers were announced.
Oh, hell, how could I forget:
Example 4: A million idiots hording "Beanie Babies" 15 years back, as if they had something other than fad value. Lose house, live in shitty apartment, look at 10,000 beanie babies that are laughing at you with their beady little eyes.
Speculating seems like you would need a really good financial instinct and a whole lot of luck on somewhere like eBay.
Regarding Beanie babies, I actually made fifty bucks at bookmans taking mine and selling them there. They took pretty much all of them because they were so old. :lulz:
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 08:05:07 PM
Speculating seems like you would need a really good financial instinct and a whole lot of luck on somewhere like eBay.
Regarding Beanie babies, I actually made fifty bucks at bookmans taking mine and selling them there. They took pretty much all of them because they were so old. :lulz:
"There are two times a man should not speculate. When he can't afford it...And when he can."
- Samuel Clemmens.
I still remember that the royal blue elephant was a pricey specimen, too. It's sad. At least I wanted them because I was, you know, ten. :lulz:
Your best bet, in terms of sustainable business practice, is not speculating per se, it's running a business in which you may occasionally run into treasure. I've done it more than once... I'm still sitting on the last of some specific purple frit that no one knew was going to be worth anything, but happens to be in the same formula family as a different purple frit that is currently the most expensive glass in the world (I still have some of that, but I'm not selling it).
I am currently happily selling it off a bit at a time for $6/oz. But, my success or failure is not dependent on that one speculation, and I would still be making money without any speculative investments at all. Like selling books online; Most of the time you go to a garage sale, and you find books for a quarter that you can sell online for a dollar. Every once in a while, you go to a garage sale, and you find books for a quarter that you sell for $25. Either way, you stay in business, but the occasional $25 finds really gives you a boost.
Oh, and one thing to commit to memory; the only people who get rich quick are people who are already rich. You have to have money to gamble with in the first place, and you have to be willing to lose it.
There's no such thing as an easy buck. Not really.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 01:43:34 AM
Quote from: Richter, Baron von on September 28, 2012, 01:08:43 AM
A few ideas - Sales is now a service industry. It's more about being able to suggest and converse over a product, it's quality, and the value it is going to bring the consumer, than to deliver a "hard sell" as others mentioned before. Never push, offer. Contacts, contacts, contacts, you live and die by who you know, who knows you are selling, and who you know needs product.
Have a service you can provide post-sale, and use it to build rapport. All the sales jackasses I know are closers who vanish once the deal is closed. Be their contact, their advocate, their buddy, and their In-guy with the company. Even if it's a one-off lifetime product like Cutco, make sure they go to you if a knife breaks. You get them a replacement from you stock, and REAM the supplier on their behalf. Even if they obviously took a knife to a rock, advocate for them.
Ohhh, Cutco. How could I ever forget about you? :argh!:
These have all been a great help for in-person sales. Thanks, everyone. :D
Does anyone have tips for telemarketing sales?
Inbound, there are some opportunites. Outbound is nearly dead. One of the only exceptions is if it's a situation where you're calling outbound to people who already have an existing relationship with the company you're working for, and you manage your own contact list then pretty much just apply retail rules. That's a relationship game. If it's outbound cold, good luck. Take the hourly if they give you one and GTFO as soon as you can.
Inbound, is totally doable. People are calling because they want a thing (or they're thinking about wanting a thing). There are few ways to approach inbound, that I've had success with.
You can play the numbers. There are 100 calls in the queue and a given percentage of them are softball sales. Playing volume alone can easily make for an acceptable paycheck--this is the approach I would take whenever I was feeling off and just needed to hit numbers without much in the way of actual sales tools. You'll want to watch this though, cause your managers know how to read a stats sheets, and they were undoubtedly on the phones themselves at some point. They can tell when you're cherrypicking, and they don't tend appreciate it.
I'd also say it was always helpful for me to not try to hide the fact that I was trying to sell them something. There's a whole lot of reasons not to directly pander the commission, but there's nothing wrong with "I'm a salesperson, this is what I do." This gives you all kinds of leeway when it comes to asking for the sale, pushing the close, etc.
Telesales doesn't give you the opportunity to build rapport and relationships the way other situations do, so if you don't close on that call because you were concerned with being "pushy" or "aggressive", the caller may still call back and do business with your company because of the impression that you left them with, but then again, who gives a fuck? The next agent who got that commission does, the gigantic faceless corporation who's crummy shit your peddling does, but not you (unless you actually care about CellPhoneCo, inc's bottom line as much as you do your own paycheck, in which case, get a life).
But, by letting it be known that you're a schmo sitting in some silly call center, doing some silly shit, and yes, you are trying to sell somebody something, you become instantly relateable. That's important, especially over the phone where a given percentage of the callers are going to dial your number expecting that whoever they speak with is going to be some anonymous jerk off. Then when you answer an objection, use assumptive closes, aggressively pursue the sale, it's not some dick move being made by Johnny McAssballs, it's the same thing they may be doing were they in your position. And if you approach it like it's a game (as the most successful people I've seen in telesales do), worst case scenario the customer laughs while they tell you no and best case scenario they say "oh I'm gonna buy a cell phone anyways, may as well be from this silly shit".
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 08:20:53 PM
Oh, and one thing to commit to memory; the only people who get rich quick are people who are already rich. You have to have money to gamble with in the first place, and you have to be willing to lose it.
There's no such thing as an easy buck. Not really.
Yup. It's not just being able to turn a hefty 10% profit, it's having 10 million dollars that'll make you a million.
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 08:20:53 PM
Oh, and one thing to commit to memory; the only people who get rich quick are people who are already rich. You have to have money to gamble with in the first place, and you have to be willing to lose it.
There's no such thing as an easy buck. Not really.
Oh yeah, this one I already know.
Quote from: NoLeDeMiel on September 28, 2012, 08:30:56 PM
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 08:20:53 PM
Oh, and one thing to commit to memory; the only people who get rich quick are people who are already rich. You have to have money to gamble with in the first place, and you have to be willing to lose it.
There's no such thing as an easy buck. Not really.
Yup. It's not just being able to turn a hefty 10% profit, it's having 10 million dollars that'll make you a million.
Yep. Otherwise, you have $10, and you spend a day making $1.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 28, 2012, 08:32:37 PM
Quote from: NoLeDeMiel on September 28, 2012, 08:30:56 PM
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 08:20:53 PM
Oh, and one thing to commit to memory; the only people who get rich quick are people who are already rich. You have to have money to gamble with in the first place, and you have to be willing to lose it.
There's no such thing as an easy buck. Not really.
Yup. It's not just being able to turn a hefty 10% profit, it's having 10 million dollars that'll make you a million.
Yep. Otherwise, you have $10, and you spend a day making $1.
Or you have a dollar and you spend a day making ten cents.
If I had ten dollars I wouldn't be spending it on a get rich quick scheme, but I might do if I had a dollar with a" guarantee"d %150 profit.
I can tell you exactly what I'd be doing in your situation, which may or may not help you. It's too late to do this for Fall term, but it's not too late to do it for Winter term.
1. File your taxes for 2011, even if you didn't make any money. Hell, it's even easier if you didn't make any money. Make sure NOBODY is writing you in as a dependent. If your parents are claiming you, turn them in to the IRS. That's their problem. They aren't putting you through school.
2. Fill out the FAFSA online. CHECK "YES" FOR WORK-STUDY.
3. Apply for SNAP.
4. Find some silly part-time moneymaking job. This can be as simple as going to garage sales and buying tapes or making cheap elastic bracelets to sell online. It needs to be something you can completely ignore during midterms and finals without taking a hit.
5. When your financial aid comes in, get an apartment near campus. Walking distance.
Now, I hate to use the "I'm doing it and so can you" line, because I started out back at school with an established business already in place. But, I can analyze my financial situation, compare it to your financial situation, and it is readily apparent that with only one child and no mortgage or other appreciable debt, it will be easier for you to live off financial aid + SNAP, with less need of supplemental income, than for me to live off financial aid + SNAP. Your rent should be about a third of my mortgage. You won't need a car if you take all your classes at a campus you live near.
Financial aid plus SNAP should be about $1500/month, minus tuition & books leaves you @ $900, rent & utilities/phone @ $600 leaves you $300 to eat on. More if you can supplement that somehow.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 07:56:45 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 28, 2012, 07:51:53 PM
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 07:49:44 PM
Noted.
Stella, what is a speculator, and what do they do?
Remember all those people that bought homes during the housing bubble, looking to sell them at a fantastic profit when property values would supposedly keep climbing? Remember what happened to them (hell, remember the landlord?)?
That's what speculators are.
Ohhhhh.
Noted.
Yep. They speculate. :lol:
But $20 for something that might go up is a lot safer than real estate. It's ok side money, I wouldn't advise anybody to try to make a living at it but given the pay rate at most jobs, you need sidelines. Put a bunch of little irons in the fire and see what works for you. :wink:
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on September 28, 2012, 08:01:54 PM
Oh, hell, how could I forget:
Example 4: A million idiots hording "Beanie Babies" 15 years back, as if they had something other than fad value. Lose house, live in shitty apartment, look at 10,000 beanie babies that are laughing at you with their beady little eyes.
I'm still seeing those things in peoples' trash at least twice a month. :lol:
It's what they get. They always had an in with Mickey Dee's workers, you'd get your kid a happy meal and there were no toys left. Assholes.
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 09:01:14 PM
I can tell you exactly what I'd be doing in your situation, which may or may not help you. It's too late to do this for Fall term, but it's not too late to do it for Winter term.
1. File your taxes for 2011, even if you didn't make any money. Hell, it's even easier if you didn't make any money. Make sure NOBODY is writing you in as a dependent. If your parents are claiming you, turn them in to the IRS. That's their problem. They aren't putting you through school.
2. Fill out the FAFSA online. CHECK "YES" FOR WORK-STUDY.
3. Apply for SNAP.
4. Find some silly part-time moneymaking job. This can be as simple as going to garage sales and buying tapes or making cheap elastic bracelets to sell online. It needs to be something you can completely ignore during midterms and finals without taking a hit.
5. When your financial aid comes in, get an apartment near campus. Walking distance.
Now, I hate to use the "I'm doing it and so can you" line, because I started out back at school with an established business already in place. But, I can analyze my financial situation, compare it to your financial situation, and it is readily apparent that with only one child and no mortgage or other appreciable debt, it will be easier for you to live off financial aid + SNAP, with less need of supplemental income, than for me to live off financial aid + SNAP. Your rent should be about a third of my mortgage. You won't need a car if you take all your classes at a campus you live near.
Financial aid plus SNAP should be about $1500/month, minus tuition & books leaves you @ $900, rent & utilities/phone @ $600 leaves you $300 to eat on. More if you can supplement that somehow.
I wouldn't necessarily recieve from you "I did it and so can you" the same (read: with as much hostility) as, say, dipshit pickle or my mom. The way you did word it in fact gives me encouragement that it's possible for me to do.
Options I was considering for supplemental income: tutoring. I apparently have a knack for it in certain courses.
Yard sailing for books for resale. I rather liked that idea.
Tutoring is an EXCELLENT idea! The hours are flexible and it pays much better than almost any reselling you can do.
I'll give you a tip on book reselling; used nonfiction sells for way more than used fiction, and self-help/religion books sell for the most.
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 11:10:21 PM
Tutoring is an EXCELLENT idea! The hours are flexible and it pays much better than almost any reselling you can do.
I'll give you a tip on book reselling; used nonfiction sells for way more than used fiction, and self-help/religion books sell for the most.
Self help and religion. Got it.
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 10:58:25 PM
Quote from: A Very Hairy Monkey In An Ill-Fitting Tunic on September 28, 2012, 09:01:14 PM
I can tell you exactly what I'd be doing in your situation, which may or may not help you. It's too late to do this for Fall term, but it's not too late to do it for Winter term.
1. File your taxes for 2011, even if you didn't make any money. Hell, it's even easier if you didn't make any money. Make sure NOBODY is writing you in as a dependent. If your parents are claiming you, turn them in to the IRS. That's their problem. They aren't putting you through school.
2. Fill out the FAFSA online. CHECK "YES" FOR WORK-STUDY.
3. Apply for SNAP.
4. Find some silly part-time moneymaking job. This can be as simple as going to garage sales and buying tapes or making cheap elastic bracelets to sell online. It needs to be something you can completely ignore during midterms and finals without taking a hit.
5. When your financial aid comes in, get an apartment near campus. Walking distance.
Now, I hate to use the "I'm doing it and so can you" line, because I started out back at school with an established business already in place. But, I can analyze my financial situation, compare it to your financial situation, and it is readily apparent that with only one child and no mortgage or other appreciable debt, it will be easier for you to live off financial aid + SNAP, with less need of supplemental income, than for me to live off financial aid + SNAP. Your rent should be about a third of my mortgage. You won't need a car if you take all your classes at a campus you live near.
Financial aid plus SNAP should be about $1500/month, minus tuition & books leaves you @ $900, rent & utilities/phone @ $600 leaves you $300 to eat on. More if you can supplement that somehow.
I wouldn't necessarily recieve from you "I did it and so can you" the same (read: with as much hostility) as, say, dipshit pickle or my mom. The way you did word it in fact gives me encouragement that it's possible for me to do.
Options I was considering for supplemental income: tutoring. I apparently have a knack for it in certain courses.
Yard sailing for books for resale. I rather liked that idea.
I knew a lady who combed stores that sold old overstock stuff cheap. Quilted placemats, shirts, salt and pepper shakers, just junk for a dollar or two. She'd flip it on ebay for about $5-$10, seemed to do OK.
I imagine her house might look like something out of "hoarders", though. :P
Quote from: Freeky Queen of DERP on September 28, 2012, 01:43:34 AM
Quote from: Richter, Baron von on September 28, 2012, 01:08:43 AM
A few ideas - Sales is now a service industry. It's more about being able to suggest and converse over a product, it's quality, and the value it is going to bring the consumer, than to deliver a "hard sell" as others mentioned before. Never push, offer. Contacts, contacts, contacts, you live and die by who you know, who knows you are selling, and who you know needs product.
Have a service you can provide post-sale, and use it to build rapport. All the sales jackasses I know are closers who vanish once the deal is closed. Be their contact, their advocate, their buddy, and their In-guy with the company. Even if it's a one-off lifetime product like Cutco, make sure they go to you if a knife breaks. You get them a replacement from you stock, and REAM the supplier on their behalf. Even if they obviously took a knife to a rock, advocate for them.
Ohhh, Cutco. How could I ever forget about you? :argh!:
These have all been a great help for in-person sales. Thanks, everyone. :D
Does anyone have tips for telemarketing sales?
If it is cold calling, then you're in a bit of a pickle. You will likely have a script, and required responses or actions. With any script, don't just recite. Understand it, vary it, and make it your own. People can "Hear" a recitation, so you have to be able to make it your own on the fly. This shit takes practice.
Again, know the shit you sell inside and out. Know the shit it interacts with so you can comment on that, and know the shit you compete against, and be able to give an intelligent comparison.
...this doesn't get around the fact that it is basically Russian roulette if the person you call is interested or not though. Ask yourself if you really COULD hock off a bunch of shitty linoleum on a social security widowed retiree who likely doesn't understand what she's buying. (I had to deal with this when I was doing loan work. They HATED it when I'd tell people not to apply, or not push for an application.)
Take no for an answer. Never stutter, never say "um", and never let them hear you get frantic or mad. Some people will try to grill you out of your comfort zone jsut to see if they CAN.
..and when it's over, fuck it, you may never talk to them again.