Smart Selling in the Modern Age: Learn From Successful Businesses

As the times change, so do customers. Selling has changed from bartering to using money, but the way salespeople sell works well in the modern age, they still sticking to old strategies that worked before.

Here are some modern sales essentials every salesperson should know about:

Image source Shopify on Google

The art of selling is not about the product or service you are selling, but rather the person's ability to be empathetic to customers by understanding their needs and offering solutions for those needs as well as consistently turning every "no'' into an opportunity to improve the selling points. Customers make buying decisions based on emotions, so it's important to build a personal connection with potential customers first by asking them about their business and the problems they are looking to solve while also positioning yourself as a resource.

In order to sell effectively, a salesperson should determine how they can best be of value to customers for a lifetime by building relationships. They should embrace emotional, human storytelling and focus less on "traditional selling." Knowing your audience and the product or service you are selling is key - be an active listener by hearing what your client is really saying and adjusting your "pitch" to meet the needs of the client.

Another important aspect of selling is locating where your target customers are, as customers are using several different channels. This means that the salesperson needs to be present and reachable in the channel customers find the most attractive. The “modern salesperson” should be digitally savvy and show an awareness of the digital buying habits and the digital journey of the customers. They should be able to make an assessment of how the potential customer behaves at each stage of the buying funnel and have a strategy for engaging this customer so that they choose to take an interest in the product, service or solution.

Developing SEO strategies is also important. If consumers can’t find you with a simple web search, they are likely going to find your competitors. The easier you make it, the more organic the inbound traffic will be.

Psychology matters when it comes to selling as well. This is the first step in selling products and services. The disconnect between marketing, sales and buyers is typically in how people think and communicate.

How we think drives how we behave and make decisions. It's important to listen to future clients and identify how you can solve their concerns or meet their needs in a meaningful way, rather than just trying to make a sale.

Lastly, it's important to be honest about your products or services. Selling is nothing more than being frank about what you have that may be valuable. It's important to address the pros and cons of your product or service so that every customer is acquired with integrity and in possession of realistic expectations.

On a final note, if you're the best but pricey, say it. "We're the best, but it's hard to be the best at a low cost, so we're also the most expensive.