Introduction

The best teams and best sales people are the ones who regularly upskill their sales training. Without a strong sales team, companies are left floundering for customers and won’t survive unless they change. Finding good sales people is hard work and they’re always in high demand.

So, what turns a good sales person into a great one?

The secret of great sales training

Knowing how to build rapport with clients will help your team close more sales than any other tactic.

This is a core part of any good sales person’s technique and should be included in all sales training. Why?

Within the first four seconds of meeting, someone will decide whether they like you. And whether they want to do business with you. However, people can decide how trustworthy you are in just a tenth of a second.

Your sales training should cover how to build a rapport with a client in those crucial few seconds.

However, it doesn’t stop there, after those few seconds there are just 19 seconds to build rapport before the client makes their decision about you. People remember you most by their initial perception of you within the first 23 seconds.

The first impression lasts. A good sales team knows how to make a great first impression that sticks with the client.

So, how do we do this?

Creating rapport, fast

Your customers and clients need to like your sales people, feel like they’re like them, and they have a maximum of 23 seconds to do it.

Understanding how humans think and assess situations is a critical part of sales training. The human brain categorises people into four areas – friend (valuable), indifferent (don’t care), mate (generic), and foe (enemy). Excellent sales people know how to build a relationship of value. Make sure your team does too.

Personality profiling is an important aspect to sales training

Profiling can help your team understand where the other person is and to meet them there. The first thing to do is identify your sales people’s and their clients’ DISC types:

• Dominant (D). These people prioritise results and the bottom line. They tend to be very direct in their communication. They are highly driven individuals and task-orientated.
• Influential (I). This group focuses on relationships, influencing and persuading others. They are extroverted and enthusiastic and can be impatient.
• Steady (S). These people look for security and dependability and will be sincere. They are reserved, can dislike change, and prefer to work on one thing at a time.
• Compliant (C). This group focuses on value and will want all the information about you, your business, and products before making a decision. They are very detailed-orientated people who use data to make decisions.

Each type has different trigger points, needs, wants, strengths and weaknesses.

Understanding how each of them work is very important because your team is selling to different personality types.

A ‘D’ personality sales person can get frustrated with a ‘S’ client who wants to move more slowly. Good sales training will help your team to identity their personality type and use it effectively.

Upskilling your sales team with effective sales training

Sales training is absolutely critical to building a team that can bring in the money. They may sell in a way that feels best to them. But is it the best way to sell to your customers or clients?

Here are some tips to get your sales team started on creating great rapport within 23 seconds:

• Be pleasant. Start the conversation with a smile and a warm greeting. Body postures are can make or break a meeting so keep your body relaxed and open with plenty of eye contact and a smile.

• Mirror their body language. It can feel strange at first, but it’s a normal part of social behaviour with friends and family. Reflect their movements – subtly – back at them.

• Find things in common. Ask questions and get to know your client within those 90 seconds. This will confirm you are just like them and will bring them on your side.

Take action: Improve your sales training

Find out how to turn your good sales team into a great one!

Our Dynamo Selling Sales Training will upskill your people and improve your bottom line as they nail more sales.

Call us to talk about how we can help you and your sales team: 1300 745 977