We recently sat down with the head of our sales team here at Grand Apps to pick his brain and share his useful knowledge with everyone. We work with tons of small businesses, and sure we are a tech firm, but we really pride ourselves in creating awesome sales teams. We thought our sales team leader would have some great advice that could help any business or salesperson out.
Here is what he shared...
First off, what is your background & what qualifies you to give us advice?
Some people are born salesman, some people have to work at it. I lucked out and have been able to forge my way in both. I think this makes me appreciate the trade even more. Growing up my dad was a pharmaceutical salesman, and LITERALLY TALKED TO EVERYONE! I learned the importance of being able to talk to anyone, about anything. Being able to relate to people, and have a genuine interest in them is super important and transitions into sales nicely.
I honed this skill by bartending all through school. You're probably not surprised, but you meet some pretty interesting people on the other side of the bar. You pick up some random off the wall knowledge from these characters too, but if you're not willing to listen, smile and give some relevant input, you won't make any tips (so get to grinnin')!
I also have a background in psychology, and public speaking. Being able to read body language, and present myself and my product in a calm comfortable way, gives my clients a relaxed feel.
Lastly, I'm trying to get better every day! There isn't an hour that goes by where I'm not thinking about how to be better. Instead of watching TV at night, I'm reading articles, or listening to books on tape from guys like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and Mark Cuban. It might sound boring, but if you're not trying to be the best at your craft, what's the point?
Ok, we trust you. So, I'm new to sales....what is something you would like to tell a newbie or something you wish you knew back then when starting?
CALLS ARE KING! If you want a sale, don't put down the phone until you get one.
What are some tools you use for sales?
Phone, Email, CRM, MailChimp, Recurly, a great development team, and a like minded sales team!
Is tech sales different from other industries?
Sales are sales. I'm in the business of building relationships. Tech is just a hobby :)
We don't want to keep a busy sales guy tied up...last tip, what would it be?
Appreciate that everyone you meet/pitch is different. Understanding your prospect is just as important as understanding your product. Once you master those 2 things, sales will come easy!