Sales Tips: 4 Tactics for a Better Sales Year in 2019

Happy New Year! As we work on our resolutions (as well as work off those extra holiday calories) most of us endeavor to tackle the year with a sense of optimism and new-found motivation. What helps to do that is to be on the cutting edge, and that’s what this post is about!

I want to give you a few tips and tricks gleaned from sales experts around the world wide web. These will hopefully provide a great start in January and carry through for a vastly better sales year in 2019, all-inclusive.

So, without further ado, here are 4 great tactics for a better sales year in 2019.

Before presenting, research the decision-making process of your buyers.

Eager salespeople receive a lead and often rush to make a presentation and go for the close. There is a superior approach which will lead to a better sales year in 2019 because it will arm you with the information you need to customize your pitch. Here it is:

Discover the decision-making process of your potential buyer before you make a presentation.
This is easy to do when you have set an appointment in the future and have time to research, but how do you discover the decision-making process on the fly – such as at a trade show booth? Try asking, “If we were to find that this service is a good match for you, is there anyone besides yourself who would have to approve the purchase?”

As Entrepreneur describes it, this illuminates whether there are a “half a dozen people you’ve never even heard of who have to approve the decision.” And now you know you are going to have to close all of them before you get the order.

Be a challenger

The next tip for a better sales year in 2019 also comes from the same Entrepreneur article. Stand out from your competitors by challenging your prospects and letting them know you are the expert. Many buyers don’t really know what they need, and a good salesperson leads them there so they obtain the maximum benefits.

This is a great way to upsell. For buyers unfamiliar with all your capabilities, you can challenge them to think bigger than they currently are – and offer a richer palette of services to make things happen for them.

The trick is to think like an advisor and ask the right question to uncover what they really want to achieve by purchasing, such as:

1. 1. “What are the main problems you could solve by ‘hiring a consultant’ or ‘investing in a new plant?’” or whatever else you happen to be selling? This uncovers pain points they might not have mentioned.
   2. “If we can pull this project off, what would your ideal outcome be?” This reveals their goals if they haven’t expressed them earlier.
   3. “What do you feel would happen if this high attrition rate doesn’t get handled?” This dives deeper into the consequences the buyer is seeking to avoid most.

These and similar questions would provide ammo to challenge your prospects (for their own good).