How To Be a Good Salesman - Taking Control

From the moment you first interact with a customer you must be in total control. You must tell the customer what to do and think. The hard part is doing this in a way that is unnoticeable. You can't just tell the customer to do something. You have to politely ask in a non offensive way. If you don't have control from beginning to end it may be difficult to close the deal.

It is imperative that your control is established in the beginning of your sales pitch. I remember when I was at Kirby and I'd go into a salesman's demonstration and the customer would be doing something in a totally different room. I would have to explain to them the importance of taking control from the beginning. If the customer isn't listening to your pitch, then you are wasting your time. Don't let the customer do other activities during your pitch. Make sure and keep them locked in throughout your pitch.

If you are in a customers home make sure you get the customer involved in your pitch. If it's getting them to your product or asking them questions to keep their attention, it is important to not lose the interest of the customer. I always say a good salesman is like an entertainer. If you are putting on a good pitch people will be focused on you through your whole sales pitch without distraction.

There will always be uncontrollable factors such as unexpected house guests or unforeseen phone calls. The best thing for a salesman to do in these situations is to wait politely for them to finish before continuing your pitch. If possible get the house guest involved in your sales pitch as well. This may help you avoid third party objection.

The key to keeping control is keeping the customer involved. If the customer becomes bored you will lose control fast. Try to avoid repeating yourself. Being redundant is a quick way to lose a customers interest. Keep them on the edge of their seat with new information throughout your pitch.

Relative stories are always a good way to keep control of the customer. Make sure the story is something they can relate to. When I was selling vacuums I would tell the customer a story of a lady who didn't invest in the vacuum, then her carpet was destroyed by the dirt. She had to pay 3 times as much as the Kirby investment to get her carpet replaced.

People generally like hearing stories. Even back when we were little and wanted our parents to read us a bedtime story. If your story relates to the person in some form it will keep them interested. As long as you have their interest you can keep control. Remember a good salesman must maintain control throughout his sales pitch in order to solidify a sale.

Expert salesman Daniel E Taylor shows how he grew a great fortune in the sales world. http://www.ultimatesalesman.net