By Sherry Harris

You can be a master in producing world-class products and may be among the best in the business, but that is not enough. You have to sell the product and anytime and anywhere in the world convincing a consumer is not an easy task. It is a well-accepted perception that to sell a product in numbers, product quality is not always the top priority. It has been observed that a reasonable product can outnumber a superior product by selling more units. It may sound harsh but it is a fact and the corporate world agrees with it. So we can conclude that selling a product is a craft and sales pundits nurture that and try to refine it everyday. To attain this craft we have to get sales training under the supervision of these pundits and professionals.

In sales training a set of steps are taught that need to be adhered to sell products. These are:

1. Planning and/or preparation

2. Introduction or opening

3. Questioning

4. Presentation

5. Overcoming objections/negotiating

6. Close or closing

7. After-sales follow-up

These are the golden rules of sales and followed by all sales training programs everywhere in the world. After completing sales training a person can apply these set of rules in his/her own way. Sales training teaches these rules but how you implement this rule is up to you.

What else is included in this type of training? In short, the course should be designed in such a way that any one from any background can understand and learn the subject. You are taught the basics of demonstrating a product. The course puts stress on the psychological aspects too. You may be giving your full when selling a product but that is not enough. It has to be on the buyer’s mind. The buyer decides to purchase the product, not you. Thus in the course you learn how to influence your buyer. If you can do this, then the rest of the transaction is just a formality.

Salesmen in the entire world more or less follow a similar set of rules. The idea is learn the rules, then closely follow the rules and then work on your plan. This is the safest way to sell your product.

‘Sales’ is the buzzword in any business. Any businessman in the world is always fascinated about the sales of his products. If you are a businessman, then you must be dreaming of increasing the sales of your product.

As a businessperson, either you are a producer and selling your products through dealers or simply a seller of the various products. In any case you are selling products. So we can conclude that, a sale is an inseparable activity of business.

In the world everything follows a cycle. The cycle is a series of events linked together in a systematic manner. In business a cycle also exists. In the business cycle there are different stages and in a stage there are certain activities. In any business cycle multiple types of sales happen.

Demand for a product is the first stage of a business cycle. Demand creates the need for production. The product is produced and then it goes to market for sale.

A product can be sold in three ways.

1. Sales through various outlets to the consumer directly.

2. Sales through dealers, retailers and then a secondary sales to consumer

3. Producer sells the product in the wholesale market. Many wholesalers purchase the product. A wholesaler sells the product to a retailer and then the retailer sells the product to a consumer.

The bottom line is every industry in the world to survive requires sales. You survey the market; find a product to produce or sell. You may be a marketing person or from a production house, in any case the basic criteria for selecting a product are the selling probability of the product. To sell a product you have to be a good salesman. Otherwise despite the good quality of the product you can fall short of the target sales. Another reason, a sales training course is essential.

Copyright 2006 Sherry Harris

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