Sales training ideas – 4 points to consider that can have an impact on your sales calls and cold calling.

When it comes to selling, you want to have everything possible going in your favor. Obviously proposals, presentations, product knowledge, follow-up, and other “major” items are important, but at the same time, you want to have the little things going for you to. Every little bit helps, and in this article we will talk about some of the small things that impact the sales process. While some of these items are more important than others, they can all impact your sales. 

4 Ideas for Success in Sales 

1) Your appearance

Often clothes are the first thing people will notice about you. Observe what customers and other salespeople in your industry are wearing and mirror them. You always want to err on the side of overdressing. Your goal should be to be the best dressed but not at a completely different level. Watch for wrinkles, spots, dirt, tears, etc. in clothing. Also, take care of your clothing. Hang suits and other clothes up as soon as you take them off at the end of the day. Have four or five different business suits or outfits so you can wear roughly one per day, each day of the week. You will significantly increase the life of your clothing by alternating it. Keep your shoes polished and well taken care of. If you’re a woman, you usually have a few different pairs of shoes to match different outfits. Like clothing, try not to wear one pair too often. Men should make it a point to have at least two pairs of shoes that they alternate. Dress in appropriate colors and refrain from gaudy jewelry. The objective with clothing is the same as your physical appearance: look clean, crisp, fresh, and professional. With regard to physical grooming, deodorant, cologne, or perfume (although not too much), bathing regularly, and taking care of yourself properly should do the trick.  Breath is probably one of the most overlooked areas. Proper dental hygiene and using mouthwash or breath mints after you eat should take care of most breath issues.  If you can, brush your teeth and use mouthwash after each meal. If you can’t, strong breath mints, or the like, are the next best thing. You should make it a point to always have some good breath mints with you at all times.  Another way to attack bad breath is by preventing it to begin with. Coffee, alcohol, dairy products, garlic, and several other foods create a thriving atmosphere for bad breath.  

2) Your Handshake

Your handshake gives a definite impression to other people and is especially important in the world of sales. A firm handshake will make you appear confident and self-assured, while a weak handshake can undermine any confidence you may have. While a firm handshake is the objective, you don’t want a bone-crushing handshake. It should be firm but not overwhelming. Your hand should be warm and dry. If you have sweaty hands, hold the palm side of your hand on your clothing before shaking someone’s hand. This is much more subtle than wiping your hand on your clothing. When you approach to shake hands, look at the other person’s hand briefly. Aim the crux of your thumb and index finger at the same spot on the other person’s hand. Once the crux of your fingers hits theirs, grab hold and shake firmly. Look the person in the eye and smile while shaking hands. If you come across someone who is unable to shake hands with their right hand for any reason, shaking the left hand is fine. If he or she is unable to shake hands at all, touching on the arm or shoulder is appropriate. 

3) The Pen You Use

Okay, this one may seem small but again, it’s the small things that count and you want as many as possible going in your favor. On all your sales calls you should have a high-quality pen and make sure it works. Also, have a backup pen. By high quality, we mean a Cross pen or something similar. 

Note 1: Many businesses give out company pens. If you have a good-quality pen from the company you’re calling upon, bring the pen with you and use it while you’re on the call. 

Note 2: All the pens you use should have black or blue ink unless you have a great reason related to your business that dictates another color. 

4) Some Things to watch for at the Customer’s Facility 

Your approach to a sales call begins in the prospect’s parking lot, sometimes even before. We know of one person who was cut off in traffic and gave the other driver a “not so nice” gesture. The driver proceeded to follow him into the parking lot of the company he was calling on. The salesperson was horrified to discover it was the CEO’s secretary. Not good.  When you get out of your car, you never know who can see you from which window or who is in the parking lot with you. You must act as if you have a TV camera and open microphone focused on you at all times. We all know of examples where people have said something inappropriate, not realizing that others were listening. Watch what you say about the competition and other people anytime you are in public. It is a small world—as many of us have learned the hard way. Do not park up front in the “prime” parking spots. These are reserved for customers and sometimes upper-level management, not salespeople. Heaven forbid you should park in the President’s parking spot. And don’t laugh—it happened to a salesperson we know. Again, not good. You should park in spots at the back of the lot or spots that are the farthest from the facility. 

The above ideas are not mentioned much in sales training and some would argue that they are common sense. While that may be true, there are plenty of salespeople who don’t concern themselves with where they park in a customer’s parking lot or some of these other obvious items. Again, you want as many things as possible working in your favor. They may only make a small difference, but we do know of cases where parking in the wrong spot, wearing too much jewelry, and handing a customer a competitor’s pen have become big factors and actually cost salespeople sales.