How I transformed my sales results

My sales journey

My sales results a couple of months ago were nothing special. 

I worked in a customer service role, and took the view that customers didn't phone up to be sold to - that they would view someone trying to sell them something as an intrusion. 

As a result, I only told customers about their upgrade options if they asked about them. 

That was a mistake.

I’ve now started to proactively raise the topic of upgrades at every opportunity. 

The vast majority of the customers I’ve spoken to have been happy to for me to do so. 

Many have been delighted with what I can do for them - whether I’m saving them money or letting them know about extra services that are available. 

That change of approach has taken me from being an order taker to being an opportunity creator, and I swiftly achieved one of the highest upsell percentages in the call centre.

And the rewards were more then financial. It feels great to surpass your previous performance, and upgrading customers can be addictive!

Some tips

Be positive.  If you think, ‘The customer is going to love this’, and there’s a good chance that they will. The opposite also applies.

Be thorough. There is almost always something extra that we can offer the customer.

Be open minded. A classic sales mistake is to prejudge your prospect. Until you speak with them you don’t know what they want or can afford. You only find out if you…

Be curious. This isn’t just about asking lots of relevant questions – though that’s crucially important.  

By picking up on subtle cues, such as the customer’s tone of voice or things they mention in passing, we can increase our chances of finding a solution that the customer loves.

Be focused. An athlete in the zone is only interested in the task at hand. Nothing else matters. Similarly, you’ll maximise your results by really listening to the customer and concentrating 100% on what we can do meet and exceed their needs.

Be enthusiastic. Good vibes are contagious. If you’re upbeat, then the customer will enjoy the conversation more and be more receptive to what you say.

Be concise. Avoid flannel. The customer’s time is precious, so it makes sense to cut to the chase when telling them about an offer, i.e. ‘This is what you’ll get, these are the benefits, and all of this costs just £x’.  

Similarly, when asking the customer if they want to go ahead with an upgrade, a simple, casual, ‘So, would you like me to put that through for you?’ is as effective a close as any in my opinion.

Over to you…

Telling customers about products they aren’t currently receiving is a great way to to empower them, creating win-win situations.

This isn’t just about sales – it’s about helping to deliver a first class customer experience.

I’d be interested in people’s thoughts and tips on selling.