Integrating Digital Marketing into your Sales Process

For many years it has been well accepted that people buy products from people they know, like and trust. What has changed in recent years is how the purchaser decides which product to purchase, or company to buy from. The role of the salesman has changed and will continue to do so. Previously the sales process relied on getting to know the prospect in person through networking, word-of-mouth referrals or wining and dining prospects to get to know them and build trust.

This is no longer the case. Enter  Google , LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs and interactive websites. Nowadays whether you are selling to another business or to consumers, your prospects are checking you out online, either before they contact you or after you have contacted them. It’s important to integrate a digital marketing strategy into your sales process

Social Media and Selling

I’ve got  into the social media buzz and love spending time on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. As I sell consultancy and training services to the local market of Dublin as opposed to consumer products and services I see social media as a great tool to network with more people. In terms of getting sales results nothing beats the power of face to face networking and meetings.

Questioning to uncover the customers needs

Questioning and listening are the key to uncovering the customers needs.

As selling is about relationship building it is important that this is not an interrogation.

Open questions get the customer talking and closed questions help close the sale.

As only 7% of our communication is based on the words we use it’s important listen to the body language as well as the words.

The Importance of Listening to the Customer

Listening skills are the most difficult skills to acquire. You have two ears and one mouth and they should be used in that proportion.

”Listening is the best cure for loneliness and laryngitis”

”Everybody is lying but it doesn’t matter because nobody is listening” -Lieberman

Listening helps uncover the customer’s  needs which are essential in selling.

Close the sale and not the door

Welcome to Hi-Sales

Hi, I’m Sarah Dallaghan from Hi-Sales.com and this blog will provide you with sales tips and advice on sales skills. I will also be using educational and entertaining video clips from time to time.