When most people think about sales, their minds jump to obnoxious cold callers and high-pressure tactics. But sales doesn’t have to be sleazy or manipulative. In fact, when done correctly, sales is an essential part of growing a successful business. At first, getWise のキャサリン・ローズ、ネガティブな意味合いがあったため、セールスに参加することに抵抗しました。しかし、レイオフや人員削減の際にも営業担当者が残留することが多いのを見て、彼女はそれを試してみた。このインタビューでは、彼女は目標を達成し、ビジネスを成長させるのに役立つ基本的な販売戦略を共有します。

Why is there so much fear around selling?

There are a number of reasons. I think, particularly for women, oftentimes we’ve been conditioned not to ask for things because we were asked not to be too aggressive or too assertive. There are some parts that you have to be assertive and ask for the sale. It might not be a very comfortable place for women, in general. I also think people don’t want to hear the word, “no.” This is especially true if you’re selling your own thing.

How do you hone a sales process for your business?

First, figure out who your ideal customers are and what their pain points are. For example, there is what we call internal pain. “I want to do this because I want to look good to my boss.” It’s also a great idea to create your own playbook once you refine and hone your prospects. Make sure to list everything, such as your ideal customers and how you measure everything. This is also good so that when a new person comes to the team, you can just show this playbook, and say, “This is where we’re at.”

How do you hire good salespeople?

As a business owner, you have to be your best first salesperson. And that’s how these processes get started. The next thing is that you have to really get to know the person you’re hiring, such as their personality. You want to hire someone that’s a team player and understands how important it is to build relationships. They should also understand the concept of winning. Lastly, you need to figure out what kind of salesperson you need. Do you need someone who’s going to do cold calls or do you need someone who understands social selling?

How do you educate your potential customers and sell your technology at the same time without being too salesy?

First, you have to understand what they know about your technology. For example, if your technology is about building bots and using artificial intelligence (AI), what do your target customers know about it? And then try to answer the basic questions. “What is AI? How does it work? How can it generate revenue?” You could even do a series of short videos, LinkedIn Live, or Facebook Live where you answer these questions. Once you get someone on the phone for the sales call, show them your case studies and how your solution has helped other businesses.

How do you overcome objections?

Well, it always depends on what the objection is. Is the price too high? If it is, then focus on explaining how your solution can save them time and money. Also, if someone says no, it could just mean, “not right now.” So, make sure to ask when is the best time to follow up. It’s also important to understand if you’re getting a lot of no’s, maybe you’re not talking to the right people.

How can introverts become good at selling?

You don’t have to be this gregarious, outgoing person. You can just be who you are and oftentimes you’re selling to fellow introverts. Also, learn how to build rapport with people and match their cadence when they talk. For example, when I’m selling to people from New York City, they speak really fast and they want me to get to the point. But for some of my Southern customers, they want to talk for 45 minutes about my kids, and then the last five minutes, they’d be like, “Let’s get into it.”